What an odd condition of the law!

[elfs]

Yamaraashi-chan yesterday asserted that it was "illegal" for me to leave her in the car. I asked her if she knew there was such a law in Washington State, or if she had just heard this third-hand. She was sure it existed.

Well, I went and looked it up.

RCW 9.91.060: Leaving a child unattended in a parked vehicle.

Every person having the care and custody, whether temporary or permanent, of minor children under the age of twelve years, who shall leave such children in a parked automobile unattended by an adult while such person enters a tavern or other premises where vinous, spirituous, or malt liquors are dispensed for consumption on the premises shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

I wonder why the "condition" is there at the end? I would bet most kids who've died baking in a car were left there by someone who was forgetful for some reason other than drink.

It's also illegal to leave a child in a car if the motor is running.

Comments

[mathochist.livejournal.com]

I was told it was illegal by a cop outside a gas station back when I had three smalls in the car (two of them asleep) and was standing beside my car trying to figure out how I was going to pay for gas, back before there were at-the-pump ATM swipe machines. So either the cop was wrong, or something has changed since then, or it was a local law (not statewide). At any rate, it's still a bad idea.