Strollerderby

I wouldn't think so.  Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and it shows an incredible lack - not only of "common" sense, but of just thoughts in the ol' noggin, and, yanno, empathy and caring - to throw a toddler on the hood of a car.  Surely, living in Florida, she's seen cars before? It's not a cultural inexperience thing? Possibly, after 54 years, she's heard they can crash? Hence, yanno, the seatbelt?  That's not even putting 2 and 2 together - it's putting 1 and 1.  

Not knowing the speeds involved or the amount of traffic present or the mechanics of how she was being held in place, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

I'm not going to cast the first stone.  It's not bright, but if every parent that endangered their child like this were locked up, the only ones not in jail would be the paranoid nuts who encase their furniture in foam and make their kids wear helmets while they're learning to walk.  

How is driving 2mph and sitting on a car less safe than riding on the back of a bike at 20mph?  Or sitting on someone's lap and 'driving' the car around the parking lot mere inches from an airbag?  Have you ever turned your back on a child in its high chair for just a second or two?  Have you ever glanced away while bathing a baby?  Has your kid ever gotten a hold of something potentially dangerous while your back was turned?  

I think we just disagree on that one - I have turned my back on a child in a highchair, certainly, and I know that it's only that my luck is better than this lady's that nothing horrible happened. I completely empathize with not being able to pay attention - or even, to be perfectly safe - 100% of the time.

It just seems different to me to take an action - driving with a kid on the hood, at any speed - than an inaction - turning around with a kid in a high chair.  They may be equally dangerous - heck, my kid might be in more danger when I turn my back, than the girl on the hood of the car ever was.  But when I'm in my kitchen or living room, and picking up a chair, or cooking, or getting her a drink - that seems like a reasonable lapse of judgement.  It just seems like a whole other amount of lapse to me to choose to put a child on a car and drive.  Not so much for the speed she was driving, even - but even if holding a kid by the leg out the window was safe (and hey, kudos on the reach - if I tried to hold anything on my hood out the window, my arms wouldn't make it!) for the driver in question - other drivers can be really dangerous, going too fast, or not looking, et c.  Even if a smashup was avoided, it is going to be even harder to hold onto the kid if you slam on the brakes - and a sudden jar, even at 5mph, could throw the child from the car - quite possibly to her death.

I might be wrong - I probably am - but I guess I feel like, if my kid fell in the high chair, I'd have a chance to prevent death.  If my kid fell off the hood of my car because I was holding her by a leg, and she wriggled away from me, and I ran over her? or she fell because someone hit me, and it jolted the car? I don't feel like I have any ability to make that safe, where I can make my kitchen safer.  It's not a necessary or ordinary risk.  

I don't necessarily think she should go to jail for a poor choice, but I think that it might not be a good idea to leave this kid in her care until she's had some basic safety training and discussion about thinking.

This is exactly the sort of thing my in-laws have done with the other grandchildren--engage in highly dangerous because the kid suggested it, or seemed to want it. I think some people are both stupid and unable to say no to grandchildren for fear they won't be loved.

Seeing as none of you were there and no nothing of this woman, I don't think you have the right to judge...

Have you ever held your child and thrown them up in the air? Spun then around in a circle while holding only there arms?

what if that was classified as CHILD ABUSE

think about that will you!!!!!

This women should NOT be let off the hook! She should be examined for a mental illness!! This is INSANE behavior! That child could have been seriously maimed or killed. That kind of stupidity with another human being's life (especially a child who is dependent on that adult to be kept safe) is obscene and inexcusable!

You've got to be kidding me -- you're equating tossing your child up in the air with putting a 3-year-old on top of the car and driving around (and breaking two laws in the process)???? Are you insane??

This is terrifying. I'm oh so grateful that my only worry when leaving the kiddos with Grandma is that she'll give them Oreos and Cap n' Crunch.

Counting blessings as I type...

No, I'm not kidding you. And no, I'm not insane!!! You have no idea who this woman is and what she has done for her friends and family. And if the news channels can't even spell or pronounce the name of the girl correctly, let's see how accurate their perception of the story is... shall we ponder that?

None... You're right, none of us were there. But there were witnesses who were and the grandmother *herself* admitted to the behavior. At that point we can take it as something that definitely happened.

After establishing that the event took place, it remains only to decide if it is worth prosecuting. If the woman had forgotten the child, I'd be able to see letting the whole thing go. (I'd never let her babysit again to be fair.) But I have yet to hear how swinging a child around by the arms or tossing them in the air could compare to them falling from the roof of the car or being thrown during even a low speed accident. If she has done a lot for friends and family before this it makes it more tragic, not less ill advised on her part.

ok. the child's legs were in the car with 2 people holding her! her foot was barely off the brakes! TONS of people do that everyday and you dont see them going to jail and accused of child abuse. A grandmother, would never want to hurt there grandchild, espeically there only one.

I can't believe that some people don't think that this is a big deal. Not only was what she was doing dangerous but it's basically teaching a little girl that this type of behavior is acceptable. Riding on top (or half in, whatever) of a car is foolish behavior -there are TONS of different activities to keep a child entertained.

people seriously it was standing up with your head out the sunroof going at a slow speed.. it's not like she could have been rear-ended by another driver going at a faster speed i mean the likely hood of that happening is pretty slim i guess  it is a publix parking lot ( i shop there the drivers are outacontrol)she got what she deserves... i think shes lucky imagine if she was rear-ended what her punisment would've been having to live the rest of your life knowing your dumbass caused such pain...

I can't believe people are making such a big deal about this. Anon, if you do have any children I am sure that you have done something people might have thought to been dangerous. I am pretty sure that none of you know this woman and therefore do not have the right to judge. Soon, something else will happen and the media will blow that proportion. There are definetly more issues in this world that we need to focus on...

Alright! All of these comments and I understand the confusion! The truth of the matter is, you gotta take a step back and ask yourselves....do I really know this lady and her family?  I do...and we all know that the media makes a fun day at the park, well a day with Satan!

So, how can we really say what she deserves even when we don't know someone? We have all done stupid things and because we were not there, it would be difficult to see why it would be sane! Although she should not have done it, I don't believe a felony charge should be the answer.

Oh PLEASE!  She was holding the child's leg and the child was sticking through the sunroof.  She was going very slowly, just letting the child enjoy a novel experience. Now anything's possible.  Being in a car is more dangerous than being at home in bed.  But, really, what are the chances of a significant accident in a Publix parking lot?  Even in the unlikely scenario that she was rear ended, her instinct at that moment would be to grip the child's leg harder.  And what are the chances a car behind her wouldn't notice her car, with a child sticking out of the roof, and hit her?  I think we are taking all the fun out of life with litigating away every possibility of risk in life.  Why not outlaw guns?  And restaurants that serve unhealthy foods?  Put Ronald McDonald in prison!  Don't allow anyone to ride floats in parades.  And circuses!  Imagine if one of the elephants goes nuts and attacks the audience!  OH PLEASE!

I feel like we don't have all the information here.  Sounds like the kid just had her hands out the sunroof in a parking lot.  Is that really child abuse here, there is a big difference between being on the highway and parking lot, and also having the kid on the roof or just in the arms of someone else with the kids hands out and head getting some air.  We all need to be careful to get the facts here and not just put a women in jail who loves her grandchild for some innocent mistake.

Heard the truth. She was fishing for 9 hours smelled very fishy. was in the Florida keys spirit. stopped at the publix busy parking lot on the eve of opening lobster season and found no parking space. the husband was on his way down to be with his 3 adult girls and grandaughter for a special well needed vacation. the grand dauther to be 4 in Ocotber 50lbs just sat up on sunroof to watch fireworks in July while parked. when Gamma opened windows and sunroof the grandaughter wanted to sit up there. so with legs being held by granny and 19 year old idled around parking lot for maybe 2-3 minutes. then 19 year old got out to get lobster nets only to go out to find cops all around mom parked. sat there thinking she was going to get a mere ticket . since not even a traffic violation or any legal trouble. was hand cuffed in front of crying girls and grandchild. Fishy stinky and crying with no hat or sunglasses booked for 21 hours and mug shot. after 21 hours of being in jail in the keys for opening lobster season(oxymoron) was released and at that point had to borrow 8000.00 dollars and be accused of child abuse with DCF in volved. And had not eaten or drank for 21 hours and had to put the same fishy clothes on. she got home to the family and was ill for a week. some vacation for this child abuser. WOW WOW. I quess its up to other people to raise our kids. shame on these cops and so called witness who think they saved the day. only to have ruined this grandamas rep and vacation and finances for what. is anybodey going to listen to the out come be it innocent or guilty or is this grandma going to branded a child abuser for the rest of her life. Come on society. WOW