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Ugh I remember reading this back when it published (think it won the Pulitzer that year) and now that I have kids I probably think about it every time I’m getti

Ugh I remember reading this back when it published (think it won the Pulitzer that year) and now that I have kids I probably think about it every time I’m getting out of the car. “Are my kids back there?” Maybe that’s a good thing. I can’t even fathom the horror in that moment recognizing what has happened, when it really sets in before the brain kicks into trauma mode. Hard for me to imagine prison doing any good in these cases, but also understand the risk of neglect or even malice disguised as forgetfulness being unpunished. Tough one.

happytoexplain 4y ago
Agree - however: >malice disguised as forgetfulness being unpunished This is kind of a separate issue. If it was malice and proven in court, it will be punished. If it was malice but couldn't be proven in court, it won't be punished. That's true for anything. We can't entertain the thought of punishment "just in case" it was malice.
- listless 4y ago
  Being drug through the court is a horrific and traumatic ordeal. Imagine facing that on top of losing your child and being responsible for it.
TimPC 4y ago
I think the risk of malice is extremely low. I have trouble imagining someone so selfish that they'd doom their child to this kind of horrible painful death because they were mad at them or wanted to get rid of them. Even if a parent is so horrible that they want to kill their child, few are so sinister as to do it in such a torturous way.
- rendall 4y ago
  > I think the risk of malice is extremely low. You could be right > I have trouble imagining someone so selfish... Alas, that's not an argument.
ErikVandeWater 4y ago
I suppose prosecutorial discretion is the only solution. Biased/unreliable as it may be. On the technology side, I'm thinking of two bluetooth (or similar) enabled wrist bands. One for the kid and one for the mom/dad. When the device loses connection to the other, the parent's band beeps and must be manually silenced. The kid's band could be connected with the car via bluetooth so the only time the alarm can be activated is when the kid's wrist band has been connected with the car in the last 10ish minutes (adjustable). Though if I were a parent I'd be worried about losing a kid in general too.
- hosh 4y ago
  I am a parent and have a vested interest in this. That sounds like it can work, though my car and my phone do not reliably connect via bluetooth and I am sure there are other cars like that.
- BadCookie 4y ago
  If someone becomes serious about solving this problem with tech, I want to point out that children are left on buses by schools/daycares with tragic consequences as well. Maybe there is a general solution to both somehow.
- dzhiurgis 4y ago
  If there is one company that has everything aligned it’s Apple - privacy, miniaturisation, health and ethics. Some very low tech version of Apple Watch could do. Trouble is a lot of moms are extremely crunchy and selling something like that would be hard. If it’s legally integrated in car seat then it’s much easier.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

happytoexplain 4y ago

Agree - however: >malice disguised as forgetfulness being unpunished This is kind of a separate issue. If it was malice and proven in court, it will be punished. If it was malice but couldn't be proven in court, it won't be punished. That's true for anything. We can't entertain the thought of punishment "just in case" it was malice.

listless 4y ago
Being drug through the court is a horrific and traumatic ordeal. Imagine facing that on top of losing your child and being responsible for it.

TimPC 4y ago

I think the risk of malice is extremely low. I have trouble imagining someone so selfish that they'd doom their child to this kind of horrible painful death because they were mad at them or wanted to get rid of them. Even if a parent is so horrible that they want to kill their child, few are so sinister as to do it in such a torturous way.

rendall 4y ago
> I think the risk of malice is extremely low. You could be right > I have trouble imagining someone so selfish... Alas, that's not an argument.

ErikVandeWater 4y ago

I suppose prosecutorial discretion is the only solution. Biased/unreliable as it may be. On the technology side, I'm thinking of two bluetooth (or similar) enabled wrist bands. One for the kid and one for the mom/dad. When the device loses connection to the other, the parent's band beeps and must be manually silenced. The kid's band could be connected with the car via bluetooth so the only time the alarm can be activated is when the kid's wrist band has been connected with the car in the last 10ish minutes (adjustable). Though if I were a parent I'd be worried about losing a kid in general too.

hosh 4y ago
I am a parent and have a vested interest in this. That sounds like it can work, though my car and my phone do not reliably connect via bluetooth and I am sure there are other cars like that.
BadCookie 4y ago
If someone becomes serious about solving this problem with tech, I want to point out that children are left on buses by schools/daycares with tragic consequences as well. Maybe there is a general solution to both somehow.
dzhiurgis 4y ago
If there is one company that has everything aligned it’s Apple - privacy, miniaturisation, health and ethics. Some very low tech version of Apple Watch could do. Trouble is a lot of moms are extremely crunchy and selling something like that would be hard. If it’s legally integrated in car seat then it’s much easier.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]