What would YOU do?

I was walking down the street this morning when I saw a 3 year old standing by himself.  He was on the corner of an avenue in front of an apartment house.  No adults in sight.  I figured he was waiting for his bus and hoped his mother was watching from the window (though she would be powerless from her window if someone decided to abduct her child). 

I asked him, "Where is your mommy?"

Shrug.

"Is she watching you from the window?"

Shrug.

"Are you waiting for your bus?"

Shrug.

Hmmm.  Should I just walk on? I couldn't leave him standing there by himself, so I waited.  A school bus came along and a mother put her child on the bus.  I wondered whether this was also the bus for the child standing alone.  A man came along who seemed to know the boy and put him on the bus.

I said, "WHERE IS HIS MOTHER? Haven't we learned anything from this summer? How could she leave him standing here alone?"

He said, "You're right ..."

End of story.

My strategy for the next time I pass that corner at that time is: 1) if the child is with his mother, I ask her where she was on Monday  2) if he is alone again, I call the Jewish auxiliary police patrol.

Even without the tragedy of this past summer, it is not acceptable to send a three year old to stand by himself in front of his house and certainly when it's not in front of his house! Parents beware!