No one has said that it wasn't the fault of the parents for leaving their child in the cab. What the article is about is the fact that the cabbie did not do what he is supposed to do, by union rules. CHECK HIS CAB inside and out after each fare. Had he gotten out and checked like he was SUPPOSED TO DO, this wouldn't have happened. So many of you are so anxious for confrontation that you forget to read what an article is actually about. Yes, the parents are certainly at fault for leaving the child and no one is blaming the cabbie for that, but blaming him for not checking his cab before leaving his fare. For that reason, he is responsible.

I agree, its the parents fault, they did not forget to unload their bags but forget the child! this is beyond me how a parent could ever do it, of course the cab driver is responsible for the part that he did not check the taxi thoroughly, but in places like NYC cab drivers never do, because they pick up passengers instantly, and of course thats good too, as the next passenger at least will notice anything left in the back seat! everything said this is a good lesson for other cab drivers to be more vigilant, what if some one left their kid in the taxi on purpose!

Couldn't have said it bette rmy self or agree more! Why haven't the parents been brought up on abuse and neglect charges!?

What about the fact that no one is responsible for this success story. The fact is, everyone forgets something very important at least once in your life, unfortunatley, this time it was a child. How many times as parents while you are watching you child they are out of sight for a half minute and you panic and go running to find them. Eventually you find them and then everything is back to normal. The cab driver did the right thing after finding out the child was there. If he is punished for returning the child safely, what happens the next time a child is left behind, AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, the driver will be afraid of loosing his job and posibly dump the child. This is an incredible success story and praise should be paid to the driver.

Companies will put tons of rules on employees that are impossible to complete, but takes the heat off of them when something happens.

WTF is wrong with SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Many people in America these days!

Get off your High EFFEN Horses and take some responsibility!

How can a CABBY be responsible for YOUR EFFEN KID?!

These parents DON'T DESERVE to have children!

Next time someone tries to blame me for THEIR FUK_UP, I'm gonna SMACK them to the ground & GIVE THEM something to blame me for!

Some of these parents are just plain Stupid and others think that they can BULLY "Inferior" people into accepting blame just becuase they are either Rich or have an intimidating size or look to put fear into someone that's NOT AT FAULT! Any lawsuits pertaining to this sort of thing needs to be thrown out AND the Lawyer should be reprimanded for backing a FOOLISH CLAIM!

I'm sorry Mo, but I did read the article. I know they said that the drivers are supposed to check the cabs when the fares get out, but is that really realistic? It's not like we are talking about a school bus driver here. One would assume that the parents had gotten their child out - wouldn't you? So, now, the next time someone leaves their cell phone or briefcase in a cab it will be the cab drivers fault?

i agree!

Yes, it is very realistic. The problem with so many, apparently you included, is that no one wants to follow the rules anymore. If I were to decide to deviate from standards in my job, I'd be fired, period. I am a nurse. How would you explain that I personally made the decision to give patient X a bit more pain meds than what the doctor ordered, because he was complaining of still having pain after the last dose, instead of contacting the doctor and informing he or she or this fact, and letting the doctor, make the decision about upping the meds. If you were the patient, you might be grateful for my initiative, but what if it was a member of your family and I ended up killing them? That's what we get when we don't follow the rules. Am I hard nosed about this? You bet your ass I am. What is wrong with so many, and I am including almost everyone under the age of 40 here, is that no one wants to take responsibility anymore, even when someone gives you rules to follow, you think that it's okay to follow them when it's convenient. And before I hear from others in the medical field, I am aware that as a nurse I can still be held accountable if a patient dies from too much medication if I knowingly give too much or the wrong meds, however, if the amount prescribed by the doctor, is within guidelines for that patient, the patient is not allergic, and I do everything else right, I would not be held liable. Sorry for such a long entry but I have to anticipate the bleeding hearts who will undoubtedly seize an opportunity to point out the obvious.

I can't believe parents left the child in the cab. They should be investaged and not the cabbie. Yes he should have checked the cab, but I bet he was called to anther location and was to be there pronto. The parents names should be released and they should be investegated for leaving the child behind.

funny hting about me is my little one is always the first to leave any vehicle with me, even before I take my luggage. Poor little girl having parents that simply don't care enough to pay attention.

Well, I think it was just an accident and everyone had other things on their minds. He took the kid back as soon as he found out and there's really no harm done. So the State Police should just drop the entire matter and so should the cabbies union, etc. There was no criminal intent.

Shan-man, take it easy.....the parents never blamed the cabbie (according to this article), they even tipped him $50!

How do you forget your child? This is not a package, a cell phone or briefcase its YOUR child. The parents are idiots!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the world were they so consumed with that THEY forgot THEIR (not the cab drivers) CHILD.

anna - probably getting back from a long trip and tired? Mom thinks dad grabbed her, dad thought he saw mom carrying her in. You know, people are human, mistakes happened, this is a situation that ended happily, no one is really to blame. .

anna - probably getting back from a long trip and tired? Mom thinks dad grabbed her, dad thought he saw mom carrying her in. You know, people are human, mistakes happened, this is a situation that ended happily, no one is really to blame.

I agree with you, people get your CHILD before you get the luggage!! The luggage you can replace, but a child you can't - HELLO?!!!! And for anyone to blame the TAXI driver, shut the hell up and come back down to Earth!!!

When traveling -
Step 1 - GET YOUR CHILDREN!
Step 2 - GET YOUR TICKETS
Step 3 - GET YOUR LUGGAGE

Plain and simple!!!

Just WHEN are people going to take RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions? I'm quite certain that the two "parents" did'nt forget their cell phones (probably were texting each other when they departed the cab). Everyone wants to blame someone else for their own stupidity. Seems that it's "all about me" these days and "even if it was, it was'nt MY fault".

Both parties are at fault! The cabbie is supposed to check his cab and the parents are supposed to make sure they have all their belongings which would include their children. The cabbie should be suspended for the three days and the parents should be investigated for child neglect. No one gets the total blame for this incident! It is on both parties!

I'm sorry, but it was a honest mistake...in the hustle and bustle of getting everything and everyone out a of a car after a trip the parents could have assumed the kid ran into the house. It's not 'CHILD NEGLECT" for goodness sake, it was a simple mistake (thankfully nothing bad came of it)..

We are all so quick to place blame and punish people. Both parties were fine with what happened and realized it was AN HONEST MISTAKE, but the media and police have to make it an issue for the world to become outraged about...sad.

What the hell is wrong with this country that a cabdriver gets blamed for something that is OBVIOUSLY the fault of the parents. He is a cabdriver. His job is to drive a cab. They are parents. Their job is to keep track of their children.

I wouldn't go as far to say those parents don't deserve to have children, because I have known some super harried parents who have accidentally left their house to go somewhere and forgot one of the kids at home. For these parents, this is a major lesson learned, because this could have been a lot worse.

Plus in their defense, they are not the ones who are blaming the cabdriver. They should however step in on behalf of the taxidriver.

I so agree. It is 100% the parents fault. What if that would have been their car and not a cab they left their child in. We have all heard way too many stories of parents leaving their children in cars and then the child dying. How could you forget your own baby? They just left the airport from returning from a trip, obviously your child was with you when you exited the plane, then the child should also have been with you as you exited the cab. No way is it the cabbie's fault!

I also wanted to say, if you have only 1 or 2 children under the age of 5, you have nothing to say in this matter. It's a totally different ballgame when the child is dependant on only you for everything they need.

If people would get their heads out of their backsides they would realize that any chain of events could have led to this incident...they each could have assumed the other took the sleeping child into the house, maybe they woke the child and said, "go into the house and get in bed" and the child fell back asleep instead while they were unloading the van...I mean really people.

Yeah the cabbie should have climbed into his cab and checked his van, but usually things left behind are not a life or death situation like medication...let's compare apples to apple shall we. They gave the guy a warning, which they should have, but anymore than that would have been overkill...maybe that's how this made it to the papers.

Mo - You need to go back and read the article again yourself. If you read it more carefully the second time, you will notice the statement, "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 cabbie DID check the cab after the passengers were unloaded. How was this country ever allowed to get to the point that someone else has to take the blame when parents aren't responsible for keeping track of their own children? The article doesn't mention other children. It's bad enough to forget any child, but if this girl is an only child, how does a parent forget one child out of one?

It seems NO ONE has accountability anymore........they want to blame everyone else.

Why is this even have an inkling of fault towards the cab driver?

Tired parents, sleepy child and one poor cab driver are a recipe for a mistake whether a child or a purse momentarily left behind. This is where honesty kicks in and this story is heard throughout the centuries. All that is different is today we look for criminal blame for accidents instead of understanding that it happens. Seems there should be big hugs all around for a human mistake that turned out well because of all the good people involved.

Do we really need a pound of flesh over everything?

To me it sounds like TammyLou has forgotten her children many places before. She keeps stating it is an accident. I have 3 small kids and am a single mom and I have never came close to forgetting my children anywhere! These parents need to be investigated deeply!

I completely agree....and the article DIDN'T say anything about it being the parents fault at all. It only talked about the Cab driving getting in trouble for not checking the cab. These parents are horrible for forgetting their child like he was a piece of luggage. Some people should have a license to breed. UGH!

Really? One of the greatest crime fighters lost his son Adam when his wife momentarily lost track of their son in a mall. I momentarily lost sight of my own son at a mall as well. No person is 24/7 vigilant. Ideally these parents would not be exhausted while returning from a trip. And ideally the focus would not have turned to unloading the luggage. And ideally parents could be perfect every minute of the day. I just think that we don't have to demonize the parents to protect the cab driver. All of them seem like good people caught in a scary human frailty moment.

This to me is a happy ending story with lessons available unless we want to pretend anyone is evil.

Lawyer Bill (1.18) has spoken up for litigation on both sides!

50/50 and the only winners.................the Scumbag lawyers!

Court costs for years to come Valueless!

SORRY, BILL, BUT KCUF THAT!

Well said Norcal2. Everyone is so quick these days to place blame, file charges or lawsuits for plain accidents. It's a same what our culture has become.

So many angry people here blaming the parents. Just the other day my 18-month old walked off into our neighbor's yard. My wife and I had one of those moments...where's our son...I though you were watching him...no, I thought you were. But I guess according to our culture, we should be charged with neglect.

Of course, I'm sure that the parents on this board have never had this happen to them because every one of them is a perfect parent.

"May he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Exactly Dadoftwokids. I noticed in the story that the parents called IMMEDIATELY because the cab driver had left a mere 2 or so minutes when he got the call from the dispatcher notified by parents about the situation. In spite of the posts here most parents do have a moment of panic. Like this situation, yours my own, probably everyone on this board in some moments of child rearing, we all get smarter when the lessons are presented. This is a learn as you go life we are all living.

Where is luggage kept, in the back of the cab.Therefore he might have thought he checked the cab.For sure the couple should know they took their child with them on the trip. It is the parents fault. Wonder if she is asleep in a waiting area for a plane, and the family leaves her.The child could be taken by some one who would hurt her,

They better start knowing where their child is.

Just a mistake , not neglect, not awful parent's, not the cabbies fault either. Sometimes things are just mistakes, and it's nice when they turn out ok.

Some of you should breathe a little.

Norcal2 and DadofTwoKids - The problem here is that the child was NOT in a mall or playing in her own yard. Yes, even small toddlers are quick was lightning and can be lost in a few seconds. However, this was not a situation in which the parents turned their heads for an instant while the child awake and mobile. She was ASLEEP inside a cab, not moving about. There is no excuse whatsoever for forgetting a child in a situation like this one. I agree with other posters. How can making certain that all the luggage was unloaded be more important than making certain that the child was unloaded?

I find it unbelievable that the police would blame the Cabbie - easy scape goat. If the 5 year old wasn't sleeping he probably would have notice. The parents should have notice first. Of course, if the 5 year was awake, she might have yelled - What about me!

Common Sense, people.

this is a prime example of holding the wrong party responsible and blaming society for what happened. the odd part is it's not the parents saying "you should have checked your cab better", it's the dumbas$ police. way to go MSNBC also, it's a five year old in the article and a seven year old on this page???

The cops acted stupidly...after the stupid actions of the parents.

NO WAY, Cops acting Stupidly?! Go Figure!

Smart decision making by Politicians is just as common as impartial police officers!

Obviously the parents should have gotten their child from the behind the next row seat. It doesn't matter what it says on every cab in the planet (you have been busy checking all those cabs btw, :-))BUT there is a regulation on the book that says the cab driver is supposed to double check the vehicle after each fare gets out of it.

Still, how tired do you have to be to forget your child?

My guess is this regulation is more about safety. Measures put in place since 9/11 to ensure no articles (possible IEDs) are left in vehicle which could cause damage down the road.

I'm with Dr. Wildamar, I've never been in a cab that didn't say "Not responsible for any articles left in the vehicle". Now, as a cab driver, I would check for my own safety every time just to make sure some nut didn't leave a bomb or something like that. That's as good a reason as any to check the cab after each drop-off.

Cab companies (and any company) can write anything they want about not being responsible for "x" . . . that is not a binding contract. You do not agree with that statement before you get into the cab and are being driven away - have you ever signed a waiver before entering a cab? Business owners throw those phrases around all the time hoping people like you all (who fall for it) will believe it and never try to hold them responsible for "x!" When push comes to shove, if you have a case, the law will uphold it.

Having said that, I think the fault remains on the parents, but who has never made a mistake in their life? Rest assured that the minute you say, "I will never EVER do anything like THAT . . . you will be standing in that person's shoes."

No harm was done in this case - I agree with the person who said that now cabbies will be paranoid to return lost kids! This should be an article of "Cabby returns Child to Parents" instead of all the other garbage. Happy ending, let's move along, folks.

I realy doubt many cabbies will be worried about a suspension vs returning someone's kids.

Not to mention the parent's are going to realize where the child probably is, and as in this situation, make the neccesary phone calls to remedy the mistake.

Amen!!! You can safely bet that the mother remembered her overnight bag with her makeup in it!!!

Exactly! This world is all about placing blame on everyone and anything else instead of with the individual, where it belongs!! Whatever happened to being responsible for yourself and owning up to your own mistakes? Let's just blame it on our race, sex, where we live, how educatated we are...... and blah, blah, blah. Sure sounds like a lot of the bull crap we hear in the news lateley, doesn't it?

It's obvious that it's the parents/adults in the cab's fault that they forgot the the child. Even the parents tipped the cab driver $50 for returning her (though c'mon -- $50 for the safe return of your child after you FORGOT her?!?!?!). Anways, I'm more shocked that only the police were concerned with fining/suspending the cab driver for forgetting to check his cab. Where was Child Protective Services investigators questioning of the parents for forgetting the child? Seems very unfair.

Well bullhaulerwife, that's because this is America and we are very spoiled, quick to blame someone else, and are "law suit" crazy!!! The cabbie is NOT to blame here!!! Forget your "undies" but not the child, pa-leeze parents!!!

Obviously, making sure they had all their luggage was more important than their child. They should charge the parents for child neglect.

Tor, thank you....short and sweet.

it's not neglect. It's a one time issue, neglect takes place over a long period of time and includes much more than being tired and making a mistake.

cyfi,

Your comments above are so utterly inane that I found myself having a good belly laugh at your expense. This law (that Boston cab drivers have to check their cabs for forgotten items after each fare) has been on the books for years. How even in twisted Republican logic could President Obama be responsible for this law? Comments such as your consummately silly ones here are increasingly driving Republican thought (if we can still call it that) to the fringes of political discourse.

Lune

This is about a cabbie and a set of parents, not about your personal political vendetta against the current administration!

That said, the law was on the books; it is, however, more the parents fault in the first place. Twice theirs(2 of them), once his. The child was well hidden, that is why it is only a warning. It should not have been more than that. Maybe cabbies should say, do you have your wallet, your purse, your kid, your dog-a mantra check list for harried and/or tired passengers. If the area where the child was is hard to see perhaps they need a light switch inside or a flashlight so it can be checked . It had a good ending for everyone and serves as a positive reminder for all to be more diligent.

What does Obama and the Democrats have to do with this? Wake up, your doing exactly what your accusing Obama and the Democrats of. How are you any better? Just one more nut who wants to blame someone else for their problems, you need help!

How did you turn this into an Obama issue??? That's a stretch even for a republican. This state of mind where we don't have to take responsibility for our own actions started many many years ago. Do you remember the McDonald's issue where a woman spilled coffee on herself and won a large settlement. She should have been humiliated by how rediculious the whole thing was.

Back to the issue at hand, parents are the primary people responsible for the safety of their child when in their care. The largest downfall of this country is that most people refuse to take responsibility for their own choices and actions.

It's funny how Obama is blamed for the state of this country & the actions of every man, woman, and child in this nations. Especially when he's hasn't even been President for no more than 7 months but yet everything is his fault. Wow you "cyfi" you sound like a genius for blaming Obama for laws that were in effect even before he was a senator. Oh wait it's not Obama it's the Democrates, no it's not them it's the Republicans, no it's the Green Party... Bottom line shut up and put blame were it really belongs squarely on the individual. Here's a thought if you don't like how this country is run why don't you run for office and try and change things. May you could be the next skinny Black, White, Polka Dot...whatever person from whatever state to rise from obscurity to become president. Lastly, it's funny that this is Obama story which you say doesn't qualify him to be president from your standards. But people like George Bush who should have the qualifications to be President sucked at it!!!!

Its people like you that screw up the world. Instead of putting the blame where it should be,you pass it on to someone you don't like. Get a life. By the way,I have 2 kids myself and if one got left in a cab,I would be at fault for not accounting for my own kids.

The parents were responsible period. And the law may be an old one but today's attitude is not and this is the way our new Pres looks at things it seems. He isn't the only one, nobody seems to be responsible for their actions anymore. What is the purpose?

What an ignorant comment-blaming Obama !
The Parents are at fault-at the very least DCF should investigate.
This cab driver IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for children forgotten by their parents.
You need to stop blaming & placing responsibilites on our President.
You are using the same excuse that you accuse others of-not placing responsibility or blame where it belongs.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER to "forget" a child.
There is a story about a School Teacher that "forgot" her infant in a Van in Florida scorching heat to bake to death -but MoM remembered to get the Doughnuts out to serve at school. I suppose that is Obama's fault too.
People like you are what is wrong with todays society.

Wow, where did Obama come in...sounds you have some pent up anger! I thought the topic was about the cab driver and the little girl. C'mon, stick to the topic can you...

Who ever started the stupid blame towards Obama, you are just another "stupid" fool with nothing else to do!!! By the way, did you see that the child was black!! Hello? Also, I guess you will blame Bush for those parents who left their child at the airport in 2008 when Bush was President huh? Shut up and see that it was the PARENT'S fault, PERIOD, end of discussion!!!!

Maybe these parents should practice putting the kids IN FRONT of them and FIRST before anything else, because MATERIAL thing could be replaced, children can't!!!!

The parents were responsible period. And the law may be an old one but today's attitude is not and this is the way our new Pres looks at things it seems. He isn't the only one, nobody seems to be responsible for their actions anymore. What is the purpose?

Seems to me like it's the exact opposite, he believes in placing blame squarely where it belongs and moving forward. Kind of like him mentioning how we helped overthrow the legitimately elected government in Iran 40 years ago, and now we get to deal with the consequences today. Ditto for Afghanistan and Iraq. Lot of people complaining about that, but it just seems to me he's willing to acknowledge our mistakes and their results before proposing ways to fix them. That's exactly the way I was taught to handle a problem, obviously not you.

I totally agree with you! And $50 for your returned child?! OMG!

Just another blame game if you ask me. The parents were smart not to sue...they would've lost and they would have been on the 12:00 news, 3:00, 6:00 etc. They should have praised the cabbie...he could have been a psycho and taken the child and did all types of awful things to her. But yet, he has to miss 3 days of work!? C'mon!

My Dad was a police offficer most of his life and never, ever made a 6 digit salary. I don't know where you get that from. Being said, I am grateful my Dad is not a police officer anymore, because it is such a dangerous job anymore and now even more dangerous thanks to Pres. Obama's "cops acted supidly and do use racial profiling" comment. I pray for all law enforcement officers lately. They need it and should earn a 6 digit salary.

people always hating the unions why ?

lot, unions priced American factory jobs so high that all the jobs went overseas. Now to get a job in this country you have to spend a fortune in college just to sit at a desk and push paper all day. That's why people hate unions.

Agreed... While I will never understand parents who forget their children in cars while they go to work for 8 hours (and never once thought of their kids during those 8 hours!!??) this is completley different. The article does not say how many kids they had. If awake, this girl would have gotten out of the cab by herself. but instead, they got out,, they got their bags, they paid the driver,,he drove off,, they started walking in the house and realized the daughter is missing!! and RIGHT AWAY they called the cab company to have the driver come back.

Everybody should have checked the cab, but it is very resonable that in this case that did not happen. Use this event as a warning to be extra careful,, but nothing criminal happened here.

Next time they'll blame a bus driver if they leave their kid on a bus, or an airline if they leave their kid in an airport and get on the plane without them.

I did that with a bowling ball once...

Excellent Point.