Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) was shocked when he recently encountered not one, but two unattended children – one infant and one toddler – crying in their strollers while parked outside different stores on 13th Avenue in Boro Park.
Both children were observed crying and by themselves for more than ten minutes. It is a phenomenon Hikind says he sees all too often in Boro Park.
“This issue has been going on for years in Boro Park,” Hikind said. “Time and again, I have pleaded with parents, telling them that leaving their children alone in their strollers while they shop or dine in local stores and restaurants is incredibly dangerous. Would you leave your purse unattended? Of course not! So, why do so many people leave their most precious asset of all – their children – unattended? It makes absolutely no sense to me. We must protect our children.”
Hikind said that his concerns are reflected by many in the community who have complained to him that something needs to be done.
“Constituents and I discuss all the time that the possibility for a real tragedy exists any time children are left alone. Our community already suffered a tremendous tragedy last July. I cannot bear the thought that something similar could God forbid occur again because people are being reckless with their children’s lives and safety.”
Hikind is urging parents to exercise better judgment and to use common sense before deciding to leave their children unattended.
Why not bring a cheap stroller and but the baby in it and walk off with their Bugaboo, I’m sure they won’t do it again!
I stand with my hand on the stroller, my cell phone by my ear, and wait until the mother eventually notices and comes running out to ask what I am doing. I then casually tell her that some irresponsible person left this baby unattended so I called the police and am on the phone with them until child protective services shows up … and then watch her splutter and apologize … No idea if it teaches any long term lessons, but I have to try.
One of the most shocking things I’ve heard in a long time
move the carriages to the next store. they will then realize how dangerous it is.
get these parents arrested and their kids taken away!!!!! how can people even THINK of doing such a thing??!!
try doing that in buenos aires….
with the designer clothes and expensive strollers;)
just kidding…its insane!
they would buy a shop and offer $10 an hour -parking for sleeping babies….stores can’t fit strollers and mothers do have to shop and sometimes can’t find babysitters
the mother/father, gets jailed and the minor ends up in foster homes, no kidding, it’s unlawfull
Parents can face charges for such act!
AND THEY SHOULD!!!!!
all it needs is one mashignah person to grab the baby and drive off soo silly id never do that to my child
lets designate the CC as the official “abandoned child” center. Any immature parent coming to claim her child would have to pay a hefty fine and write 500 times “I will not endanger my child by leaving him unattended”. Repeat offenders get their child placed in foster care for a day. That will stop them!
I often wait outside and reprimand the (almost always) mom when she gets out. If more people would tell off these careless parents, maybe they would stop.
ever hear of the concept of Mesiras Nefesh? Its not even really applicable, but if you really want to do this, then NOT doing it is sort of mesiras nefesh. it is so cruel to do this. If it was YOU in that stroller, you would not want to be left. why do it to your child?? Maybe they need to teach this in the schools before the girls get married? Your kids may come often if you are blessed, but they are not cheap. Jewish babies are not cheap. Don’t take them for granted. Take turns watching each other’s… Read more »
we should have a “learn how to raise kids workshop”…HAHA i just remembered WE ALREADY DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its not that worth it and to all those who give these workshops……..YOUR JUST NOT GETTING IT RIGHT SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ya
thank you very much dumb people i never want to see an artical like this again in my life! I hope you get the message! mabe if you took care of your kids better when they get older theyll appriciate you!!!THEY DO REMEMBER!!!
I’ve seen this countless times in Williamsburg. And they look at me like I’m speaking Chinese when I say something. When I leave my little ones at home with a non-Jewish sitter ppl flip out – as I’ll bet some of these same “stoller abondoners” would criticize me as well but what they’re doing is a lot worse (I live in the New York area but not in Brooklyn – a part of town where I can’t get Jewish sitters). And it’s not just irresponsible, it’s ILLEGAL! A few yrs ago a woman from Denmark left her baby in a… Read more »
I wonder if these mommies are the same young women who come to shul Rosh Hashanah & gab while their kids are running around. I get the impression they’re not only emotionally detached but really not even interested in having kids — only because it’s the “frum” thing to do. I see it more & more among the younger women, some of whom seem absolutely soulless.
ARE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF THIER MINDS??????????????
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????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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?????!!!!!!!!!!!
I appreciate this article being written . Thank g-d this is not something we see in crown heights but everytime I go shopping in bora park in williamsburg I can’t stand what I see. I usually try to comfort the child that is crying, I just can’t walk by and leave them there and many times have made the mother feel uncomfortable that she goes and attends to the child. I see it as a form of abuse. how did such behavior become acceptable to leave small children alone, first of all they are scared and it’s seems to me… Read more »
yesterday a lady left 2 kids in the bath a 2 yr & a 1 yr just for a moment & when she returned it was too late….. the 1 yr old had drowned……..( It was a goy but a good lesson)
parentsd get their children taken away all the time for leaving them unnatended. Just recently a mother in the bronx (i think) has her kids taken away because she dropp4ed themn off in front of their grandmothers house and left. they were the3re for 10 minutes. I’m noit saying that CV”S these women should have their children taken away, but it IS neglect!!
this should not be legal the mother should go to jail and kids to normal parents
They do that all the time they still think that’s the safest place if u tell them something that tell u it’s ok and they look at u like u are crazy so the same way parents are not allowed to leave the kids alone at home and afraid of social worker the same should come out about this madness also most of the stores they go to are Jewish store they shoulld let them bring the strollers in to the store they are not ganavim
BSD
i am a bubby now BH but in my youth people thought i was crazy and at times pushy for Always briinging my baby into the store. i made sure when i went shopping to take a different stroller when i knew i had to go to several stores. i just could not and would not leave the baby alone outside. people sometimes would chide me about it. better safe than sorry i always say.
please ask the stores to make some space for the strollers in the store or i will not shop there ok lots of the stores do not let them in and other s have a lady outside just to watch the kids to them i say thank you i will shop by you
i remember walking up kingston ave and my mother getting so upset because there were babies left outside. so she wheeled the baby away till the mother came out, when the mother got scared, my mother told her, “you’re lucky it was ME who took your baby and not someone else”
If I ever see this, I will push the stroller further down the block near another store and watch it from near by. I’d like to see THAT mother panic and hopefully NEVER DO IT AGAIN!!!
I am absolutely appalled at such behaviour. When my kids were little and I had a great big Silver Cross Pram – if the stores would not let me pram inside then they lost my custom as I would only shop where my pram would fit. No way would I leave my precious children outside – and that was 30 years ago when the streets were definitely safer!!!
ppl r so irresponsible!
Hashem watches over His children. Don’t be so quick to judge these parents unless you are in their shoes.
are just dumb
I appreciate your stance of the Jewish Al Sharpton. However, you should have these motheres arrested, and children put in foster homes. That would stop this behavior, not huffing, puffing, and shaking your head.
These are obviously mentally ill and very emotionally detached mothers. I guess Boro Park has more than its fair share.
These pathetic (I’m being nice) parents should meet couples who unfortunately are not able to have children, they “might” think again that’s if they have the brains
Am I reading right?? Does this really happen? Are these people normal?????
In absolute shock here
Freakin horrible.
Start making arrests for negligent endangerment of a child and this idiocy will stop pretty quickly
That the Leiby Kletzky horror that shook all of our worlds only lasted a few minutes for some people.
that’s crazy!!
I for one cannot understand why this is happening! It may biased to think that it is so easy to get a neighborhood girl to babysit and that if these folks have money to dine out then they can afford a babysitter for $5-10 an hour! If I would see this happening I would honestly call the authorities and let them scare some sense into these ‘parents’. They won’t listen to fellow citizen and are so insular that they assume those passing by are trusted people from their own neighborhood. Besides the danger of kidnapping or any potential physical danger,… Read more »
It is a disgrace! in Johannesburg the child would have been snatched in no time. Have to agree with #1 until something C”V happens!
every time i see the babies outside i want to move the stoller 30 feet down the street so the mother can have that 30 seconds of panic when she comes back out. maybe shed realize what shes risking
Have we learnt nothing?
ask the mother this_why dont you leave your purse in the stroller and take your child in to the store – or is your money more valuable than your child!!!!!!!
I just had my first and would never think for a second to leave her unattended inside my own home FORGET OUTSIDE ON THE STREET!!!!! just because they think they live in a safe environment of boro park doesnt mean that nothing will happen!!!!
Who in G-d’s name would leave their child outside unattended? Maybe because I live outside the city, and not in a frum enclave, I am out of touch.
This cannot be permissible al pi Torah. You are literally endangering a life.
Back in the late 1970’s I use to leave by baby in the pram outside shops, now when i think of it I am shocked at what i use to do, but then everyone did it! What makes me upset and annoyed now is watching children of about 8 or 10 pushing a buggy with a child of about 1 sitting in it and 2 more children holding each side of the buggy. It is so dangerous, especially when they cross the busy roads. I personally think these mothers live in a bubble in their frum ghetto and do not… Read more »
btw its only chassidish ladies that do that. they have 9 more kids so….whats 1less (I’m saying this sarcastically obviously)
I very rarely go to Boro Park but was there two weeks ago with my sister. I passed the store Benneton with big sale signs in the window and decided to go in. However the store was packed and could not accomadate another stroller so I asked my sister to watch my baby while I went in. While I was in there I see my sister franticaly trying to catch my attention from outside. I left my shopping and went out to see what the commotion was. My sister was hysterical that there were unattended strollers with babys outside the… Read more »
Leaving a child alone in a car, even for a few minutes, is another very bad idea, as well as illegal in most states.
Every year babies die because their parents accidentally leave them in the back seat of the car. In their very busy lives, they simply forget they were there.
Perhaps police officers should start ticketing strollers!
This is one of my pet peeves and it goes on here in London. It really worries me and once I went into the shop and asked who has left their baby outside and told the mother off saying you NEVER leave a baby alone outside in the sreet. The young mother just looked and smiled as if I was the crazy one.
I don’t think they realise and are aware of the dangers and if they are somehow think they are immune.
All’s good until something will go wrong C”V and then everybody will say “Oy, why didn’t we think about it before?!” (i.e. Leiby Kletzky)