My wife and I may have saved a life Friday night

[underpants]

after dinner we returned home when I realized that I needed to pickup my car so we swung back out of the neighborhood to get it. At the stoplight at the neighborhood entrance we sat and waited behind another car. Out of the corner of my eye I see a little kid, maybe 3 running around. I had never seen any kids around this house (I go by it everyday of course). This is on a rather major road-cars going 45-? MPH I mean ROLLING by.

So I look to see if anyone is on the front porch-nope no one. Then my wife sees him stick his head back into an open window. We have the same exact house (about 85% of the neighborhood is the same basic design) clearly the kid had opened the window and crawled out of the TV room/den. Light turns green and I start to go without thinking. My wife says what I am thinking TURN AROUND! so I do in a spot not made for a turn around.

We pull back in beside the house and she gets out. She talks to the boy who is happy and playing. Then she heads for the front door. I realize that we have no idea what is really going on inside the house. I am outside the car with the window down so I can still talk to our daughter in the back seat.

Cars screaming by at 45 MPH. The house is maybe 25 feet from the street. I am watching to make sure the kid doesn't head towards the street.

My wife rings the door bell and says, "Hi, I think your son..." The mom says OH MY GOD and runs past her following her is the dog.

I see this black dog coming full bore at me. Okay rule 1. the dog can't get in the car window. rule 2. get ready because you have no idea what the deal with this dog is. The mom yells (she is in a panic as you can imagine) "He doesn't bite!!" He comes to a halt and sniffs me. Whew!

Dad is out the side door holding the kid now into his chest. Breathing heavy sighs of relief.

The dog takes off back into the neighborhood.

Everyone is safe.

We reassure the mom. Dad is red with either anger or embarassment.

Hey look everyone takes their eyes off their kid from time to time. We figured that everyone was just getting home and as even we do you cut on the TV and do this and that while the little one watches Curious George or what have you. This kid had figured out how to get the window open. Industrious kid as I said to his mom.

25 feet from traffic.

Whew!

[Raven]

1. You and your wife are good people! n/t

[Rhythm]

2. My son, the escape artist...

OktoberKid could have pulled a 'houdini' act like this at about that age. He did, in fact, go out his window one time... but we lived in the country, where there was no traffic to fear.

He was about 2 1/2, and we had put him down for his nap, and closed his bedroom door to keep the noise level down in there.

About 20 minutes later, i hear a car horn honking outside. I looked out the window, and only saw OUR car in the driveway (about 100 feet from the mobile home we rented). I looked closer, and realized that i saw a little curly-head in the driver's seat!!!

After dashing out to the car to gather him up, we went into his room, puzzled as hell about how he got out in the first place, since although we had been in the kitchen, we hadn't seen him come through the living room, and his door was still closed.

We opened his door and found the crank-open window wide open.

Now mind you, from the window sill to the ground was about a 6' drop, so i don't know HOW he managed this without hurting himself OR crying. There's a part of me that would LOVE to have have seen how he actually did this.

After that, we removed the crank from the window, and put it on top of the window molding, so we could get it to use it, but he obviously could not.

[hippywife]

3. Good job!

So many would have just driven on and carried on with their own lives without caring. Thanx for being there for that little family. :hi:

[DarkTirade]

4. My neice pulled one of those once when she was just a wee toddler.

Thankfully she actually had a plan in mind, she wasn't just wandering around. She wanted to go to Sea World and see the fish and dolphins again. So she found a way out of the house, went into the car and strapped herself into her car seat. :P

After several minutes of panicking and searching, my brother finally went outside and lo and behold, there she was in the car. Ever so proud of herself, she announced, "We go Sea World now!" :P

[underpants]

8. Haha I could so see my girl doing that

they aren't so good at the verbs at that age

[applegrove]

5. I was saw two ladies get out of a car and I think watch balloons in the sky.

The back door was open and plob out fell a baby on his ass - about 14 months old. He then started to crawl away from the car and the ladies at full speed. I got out of my car just as the ladies noticed the baby escaping. It was funny when it wasn't scary. Thankfully it all took place in a parking lot.

[China_cat]

6. In the days before seat belts and mandatory child seats

my first husband and I were on our way to Cleveland (don't ask). In front of us was a station wagon with the back window down and several children bouncing around inside.

Luckily, traffic was heavy and going very slow...stop and start type...because we watched as the littlest kid overbalanced in that open back window and fell out in front of our car. Even a little bit more speed and we wouldn't have been able to stop in time.

[applegrove]

10. That sounds harrowing.

[China_cat]

14. It was horrible. I was about 6 months pregnant with my oldest

at the time and I think I didn't quit shaking or crying for 2 or 3 days.

[ThomCat]

13. Holy Shit!

:(

I imagine those parents yelled quite a lot for the rest of that trip. :P

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Good save! I'd have been frantically yanking on my hubby's arm trying to get him to turn around.

I hate when I see things like that. :(

[lildreamer316]

9. OMG

I have to say..when one is a parent, it is SOOOOOOOOOOO different.
I about had a heart attack for the poor parents.
Whew, indeed. <goes to check on toddler in bedroom>

[hedgehog]

11. Underpants, your wife in now an official mother to the world!

I'm always watching all the little kids in range because they are so fast! It may or may not take a village to raise a child,but it certainly takes a village to keep them rounded up!

[ThomCat]

12. Wow!

I am very glad that everything worked out so well. :)

:hug:
That is awesome that you two stopped and got involved like that. How many people drove by and didn't?