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I left my own child in your cab--but it's your fault.
- Jul 29, 2009 at 10:37 AM
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- Comments (75) Total Views (2677) Everyone can see this journal post.
Let's examine what's wrong with this scenario, shall we?
You and your family take a cab ride from the airport to your home and you unload the vehicle of persons and belongings, you pay the cabbie, and you're all set. But--oops, you forgot something!
I've read about children being forgotten in airports. I've read about kids being left in their own family's vehicle WAY too many times, which always is unfortunate and frequently tragic. But this situation is unique, because the parents apparently have a scapegoat. It's the cabbie's fault, of course!
Sure he should have done a check of his van before he left, checking for forgotten knick knacks and paraphernelia. But who on earth would think an entire human being would be left behind?
I think it's remiss of the police not to look at everyone involved in this, not just the cab driver.
Boston hack almost takes blame for forgotten child
BOSTON – A family picked up by a taxi at the airport left a sleeping 5-year-old child behind in the back of the minivan — and the cabbie almost took the blame for it.
Joseph Cohen, a taxi driver for 39 years, picked up the family at Logan International Airport on Sunday, drove them to their home in the city's Mattapan neighborhood, and helped them unload their luggage.
"They paid me, thank you very much, everything was nice, and I left," he said.
Minutes later, Cohen got a call from the cab pool at the airport. State police, who have jurisdiction over Logan, were looking for him.
He was told the family left a child in his cab.
"I said, 'What?' So I looked in the back and I see the baby sleeping. I said, 'What should I do?' So you know, I take the baby (back) to the family," he said. "The father came out. He was very happy."
He even gave him a $50 tip.
The following day, Cohen was ordered to report to the Hackney unit, where police told him his license was being suspended for three days because he didn't do a thorough check of the van. He appealed the suspension and was allowed to keep his license pending a hearing. On Tuesday, he visited the police station with an attorney and learned he would only get a warning.
"We are very happy that the baby was safely returned to mom and dad," said Elaine Driscoll, a police spokeswoman. "That said, it was an important opportunity to remind cab drivers why we have a rule that dictates they must check the back of their cab after every fare."
Cohen said the girl had been in the back of the van behind another seat and he could not see her from his rearview mirror or from the outside of the vehicle.
The cabbies' union expressed outrage at the proposed suspension, saying the fault should lie with the child's family, not the driver.
Police would not release the names of the parents but said they were not being investigated.
"I think the sad piece here is that the police are not recognizing the responsibility of the adults and are now saying this driver also has to be responsible for passengers who forget their children," said Donna Blythe-Shaw, a staff representative for the United Steelworkers Boston Taxi Drivers Association.
Comments:
Say what...?
Yeah. CLEARLY the fault is with the cabbie. I mean, really. It's entirely HIS FAULT that mommy and daddy forgot their kid. Totally. Duh.
"We are very happy that the baby was safely returned to mom and dad," said Elaine Driscoll, a police spokeswoman. "That said, it was an important opportunity to remind cab drivers why we have a rule that dictates they must check the back of their cab after every fare."
Yeah, how about the PARENTS check firstto make sure they got everything, including but not exclusively, their OFFSPRING, police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll? Hmm? Maybe? Ya think? Hel-LO!
NO nonononono!
If you read the article, you'll see that the family doesn't place ANY blame on the cabbie! They thanked him profusely and gave him an extra $50 for returning her safely. I'm pretty sure they felt like grade-A morons.
It was the CAB company who was putting responsibility on the driver, because they're SUPPOSED to do a check of the cab in order to make sure things like this don't happen, and he didn't. They didn't BLAME him for the kid being left, but he didn't follow protocol, and the situation COULD have been avoided if he had.
I'm a little disappointed that the kid's parents weren't investigated, but really...I try to remember that this is one of those mistakes that I might make someday. So I try not to judge too harshly.
What a bunch of morons, the family and the police department! We're lucky if a cabbie even looks in the back. I've gotten into cabs where purses or shopping bags with "designer" goods were still there from the last patron. The system sucks ! Those parents should be ashamed.
Like BMJ said, the cab company blamed the driver, and that is total bull. He should not be held responsible whatsoever.
I ask- how does a parent 'forget' a child?? Did they have so many children that one, more or less, was not noticed? I simply do not understand that....
and no, it is not the cabby's fault for the forgotten child.
Yes they have to take the responsibility!
Joye our kids are everyone's responsibility EXCEPT for ours, didn't anyone tell you? Duh.
Are the parents pressing charges or is this coming from the DA or something? I mean, I don't know how the whole system works but is this something the parents are pursuing or is this a punishment that the parents have nothing to do with? If it's from the parents, they're idiots.
Yeah this story is ridiculous. The cabbie is not responsible...in fact maybe he should have a sign up in the window that says he is "not responsible for any valuables left behind in cab"....
I still don't see how they could have forgotten a child in the car. Why weren't the children in a spot where they could see them? Maybe one parent could've sat in the back to make sure everyone got out? Ya know, take responsibility for their own kids and all....
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Meet Dodie702
This Nevada mom of two - who are just 18 months apart! - is married to her high school sweetheart and loves to craft in her free time.
Wow.. this speaks volumes more about the parents way of parenting than anything else, "So what if it is our kid, We aren't responsible for knowing where they are all the time".
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