Marissa Jaret Winokur / Open car door in a parking lot

[Merry Mrs Martin]

  OK once or twice in the winter I dropped my son of at school in my pajamas , I did comb my hair , have shoes on and an full length over coat oh and he was 8 so I didn't have to get out of the car. 

I have also locked him in the car , I had a keypad entry it took a few tries but I got it opened.  If not, I would have called the police nonemergency number and requested they come and open the door it was years ago so they would and could open most cars at that time. AAA did tend to take 40-90 minutes to send someone for emergencies but I never ask them come unlock a baby. BTW at just 2 there would of been a good chance he cold of unlocked the door for me , if he was almost 3 I would have expect my son to unlock the door. She was way OTT and what could anyone else have done , were all the other moms in a locksmith union?

I do think it's rude to block other people from leaving/enter a parking space because you have to have the door fully open for an extended period of time to dress a child or even wrestle with one. I know it takes sometime to get a baby out , I always mamaged to park with a little extra room on the baby side and not have to open the door ALL the way and could just hold the door almost closed while standing near the car so someone else could maneuver or pop into the backseat and close the door.  I was guessing too that the other mom had already waited a few second if not minutes to get out , it's shoes on a toddler throwing a tantrum it never takes "just a sec".
 

[sammycat]

This is a celebrity, right?

I mean, I've never heard of her....

Same...

In an ideal world the person causing the blockage between 2 vehicles would clear a pathway ASAP, but within a child centric venue, such as this, I think the odd hold up here and there is to be expected.  Not saying that either party was right or wrong in this situation, just my view on what I read.

Having said that...

Between my 2 children they have been locked in the car 3 times (I'm obviously a slow learner ). The first time was when DS1 was 4 months old.  The absolute sheer horror I felt when I realised this was indescribable.  However, I didn't start shrieking and yelling and basically making a spectacle of myself.  I've also learnt that my local equivalent of the auto club can be on the scene in less than 5 minutes in these situations. 

This woman (whoever she is) can't seem to make up her mind - stand back and they're judging/ignoring her.  Come close and they're just coming to stickybeak.  Which one is it!?

Just because they weren't all running to her aid doesn't mean they were judging and/or bullying her.  I don't think that accidentally locking a child in a car is something that warrants judgement.  Letting them play in traffic? Yes, I'll judge someone for that.  Locking them in the car?  Will only elicit sympathy, and a helping hand if necessary. 

I think she is projecting her own insecurities onto the actions of other people.  I've never felt, or let anyone make me feel, as though my job/actions as a mother is something to be judged. 

[kglory]

Audrey - I'm sorry if this sounds stupid - but what does "penny" mean in the context of your story?  I only know it to mean the coin.

I'm sorry those mothers treated you that way!

[Audrey Quest]

Audrey - I'm sorry if this sounds stupid - but what does "penny" mean in the context of your story?  I only know it to mean the coin.

I'm sorry those mothers treated you that way!

Thanks Glory!

A penny was a sleeveless open sided "shirt" that was put over the children's upper body so that they could be easily identified as being with our group.
 
I used them when I was in middle school for playing sports.  The different teams would put on pennies of different colors so you would know who was on whose team.

[Gogi]

Audrey - I'm sorry if this sounds stupid - but what does "penny" mean in the context of your story?  I only know it to mean the coin.

I'm sorry those mothers treated you that way!

Thanks Glory!

A penny was a sleeveless open sided "shirt" that was put over the children's upper body so that they could be easily identified as being with our group.
 
I used them when I was in middle school for playing sports.  The different teams would put on pennies of different colors so you would know who was on whose team.

I was wondering this, as well. In my day (in another century  ) we called it a "pinny" -- adapted from the word "pinafore".

[Lauren]

This is a celebrity, right?

I mean, I've never heard of her....

She's mainly known for her work on Broadway. She originated (and won the Tony) for the role of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. I think she's also don DWTS and hosted the weight loss dance show 'Dance Your bottom Off'

I find her insuffrable but she is incredibly talented. I just can't handle someone going out like that.

[FoxPaws]

This woman (whoever she is) can't seem to make up her mind - stand back and they're judging/ignoring her.  Come close and they're just coming to stickybeak.  Which one is it!?

This. What exactly were those women supposed to do? If they weren't locksmiths or car thieves, their ability to help was pretty limited. I also wonder how much of her son's upset had to do with seeing his mother freak out.

I have also fallen in love with the word stickybeak and regret that few in my neck of the woods would understand what I meant if I used it.

She's mainly known for her work on Broadway. She originated (and won the Tony) for the role of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray. I think she's also don DWTS and hosted the weight loss dance show 'Dance Your bottom Off'

I was hoping it wasn’t her. I like her in DWTS because she seemed so fresh and down to earth…I guess all that changed with motherhood.

[Wendy Moira Angela Pan]

She seems very self-absorbed and socially tone-deaf. The way she described how nobody was helping her, it sounded like she expected them to completely solve the problem for her. She needed some one to calm her down? Give me a break; she is a grown woman! Also I don't understand what's so scary about locking a toddler in the car. Mightn't he be able to open the door himself? That's the first thing I'd try. I locked my two year old brother in my parents' bedroom when I was a kid. I could tell my mom was a bit freaked out when she realized it, but she just said, "Open the door, Christopher." And he did.

If that didn't work, the security guard might have one of those car door unlocky things. Or I'd call my husband to bring the other set of keys. Or the police. This really doesn't seem like the type of situation that would prompt that kind of hysteria in most people. I realize that we can't always control our emotions, but sheesh, she really needs to learn some coping skills.

[Twik]

Honestly, if it were a critical situation (car in direct sunshine, hot summer sun, windows up, no way to get a locksmith or the auto club), you go to the far side from the child, pick up a rock, and start bashing at a window.

I would assume that in her position, paying for replacing a window on the car wouldn't make her bounce the rent cheque.

[Wendy Moira Angela Pan]

Honestly, if it were a critical situation (car in direct sunshine, hot summer sun, windows up, no way to get a locksmith or the auto club), you go to the far side from the child, pick up a rock, and start bashing at a window.

I would assume that in her position, paying for replacing a window on the car wouldn't make her bounce the rent cheque.

Indeed!

[flowersintheattic]

To me, this all sounded ridiculous. I understand being upset because you locked your child in the car, but just crying and screaming "Call 911!" isn't going to do anything, especially when it doesn't sound like she was attempting to do anything other than throwing the tantrum.

I really don't understand why she shut the door completely, either. Usually cars can get by if you pull the door in so it's only open wide enough for you to stand there. The whole thing sounded completely blown out of proportion to me.

[Peggy Gus]

She seems very self-absorbed and socially tone-deaf. The way she described how nobody was helping her, it sounded like she expected them to completely solve the problem for her. She needed some one to calm her down? Give me a break; she is a grown woman! Also I don't understand what's so scary about locking a toddler in the car. Mightn't he be able to open the door himself? That's the first thing I'd try. I locked my two year old brother in my parents' bedroom when I was a kid. I could tell my mom was a bit freaked out when she realized it, but she just said, "Open the door, Christopher." And he did.

If that didn't work, the security guard might have one of those car door unlocky things. Or I'd call my husband to bring the other set of keys. Or the police. This really doesn't seem like the type of situation that would prompt that kind of hysteria in most people. I realize that we can't always control our emotions, but sheesh, she really needs to learn some coping skills.

I'm sure she isn't driving a 82 Chevy Celebrity either. If she would have calmed down for half a second she could've called OnStar or the equivalent, depending on the make of her car. When people lock their keys in their car, they call me- I have a serious talent for picking car locks, probably because I used to lock my keys in the car all of the time.

[yankeefan2017]

I once locked my YDD in the car in front of the daycare. She was still an infant and I used the daycare's phone to call 911. I did panic a bit but only because I live in MIA and it was the middle of summer with a high out that day somewhere in the 90's.

Now by panic I mean I called 911 and then wondered out loud how I could do such a thing. I then stood next to the car keeping an eye on the baby to make sure she didn't look like she was getting too hot, or I would have started smashing, and to make sure she knew I was right there.

In the end the fire department was able to unlock my door.

[Onyx_TKD]

She seems very self-absorbed and socially tone-deaf. The way she described how nobody was helping her, it sounded like she expected them to completely solve the problem for her. She needed some one to calm her down? Give me a break; she is a grown woman! Also I don't understand what's so scary about locking a toddler in the car. Mightn't he be able to open the door himself? That's the first thing I'd try. I locked my two year old brother in my parents' bedroom when I was a kid. I could tell my mom was a bit freaked out when she realized it, but she just said, "Open the door, Christopher." And he did.

If that didn't work, the security guard might have one of those car door unlocky things. Or I'd call my husband to bring the other set of keys. Or the police. This really doesn't seem like the type of situation that would prompt that kind of hysteria in most people. I realize that we can't always control our emotions, but sheesh, she really needs to learn some coping skills.

I'm sure she isn't driving a 82 Chevy Celebrity either. If she would have calmed down for half a second she could've called OnStar or the equivalent, depending on the make of her car. When people lock their keys in their car, they call me- I have a serious talent for picking car locks, probably because I used to lock my keys in the car all of the time.

Plenty of people do not have OnStar or any equivalent service, even if they drive new cars (actually, offhand I can't think of anyone I know who does have it, although I'm sure there are a few). Plus, I'm not sure it would have helped if she did have the service; she mentions specifically sticking her phone and keys in the kid's bag to free up her hands; if she didn't have a purse or pockets to stick her phone and keys in, then I'm guessing she didn't have her wallet outside with her, either. What are the odds that she had her OnStar account number either memorized or on her person, if her wallet was indeed locked in the car? It sounds like she wasn't in a good state to recall a memorized number either, if she was panicking that much.

[Rosey]

Even if she doesn't have OnStar, most new cars above a certain dollar value come with *something*. Luxury brands, for example, usually have complimentary roadside assistance. They come to you - often from the nearest dealership - and do what needs to be done. If it's an emergency and the dealership isn't close, they pay a nearby mechanic (or have a standing agreement with a nearby mechanic). I'm just guessing that she's not exactly driving a junker.