Disheartening situation at Quarry Lakes

I upgraded my Hobie Revo with turbo fins and tried them out at Quarry Lakes today.  I started unloading my yak and gear at about 2PM, I noticed a boy about 10 years old, shore fishing at the left bank of the dirt parking lot just above boat launch.  Then I saw a toddler, he was about 3 years old.  This kid was strapped to a child's car seat and placed on top of a bench.  I didn't pay attention since I figured the parents were close by.

The turbo fins great,  felt like I was going twice as fast compared to the regular fins.  At about 4PM it was getting overcast and wind was picking up and giving me the chills so I decided to call it quits.  Pulled into the dock, tied my yak and walked to my SUV and parked it at the dirt parking lot.  It took me about me about 30 minutes to get all my gear loaded.

I started hearing the 3 year old asking for his mommy. All that time the poor kid was still strapped to his car seat still on top of the same bench I saw him 2 hours ago.  He kept asking over and over for mommy.  I looked down and there were both parents a few feet away more interested fishing and ignoring this child. The sun was starting to go down and it was getting pretty cold, this kid had been there all that time, probably most of the day.  He didn't even have a warm cap on.

My blood started to boil, I wanted to confront them. I would never do this to my 2 year old daughter.  I see the Park Ranger driving by and I tell him what's going on, he told me he'll look into it and the police will be called if needed.  I hung around for a few seconds but never knew the outcome.  I hope Park Ranger called the cops on them, they sure deserve it.

Situations like that I'm always tempted to grab the kid and see how much time goes by before they notice.

Probably best that I haven't acted on that particular impulse...  Not everyone has the same sense of humor.

Sadly, one doesn't need a license to procreate however you do need one to hunt, fish, and drive.

We need a little bleach in the gene pool.

Really sad sometimes when you see a situation like that. What is this world really
coming to.

Jedmo

FishingAddict I commend you on doing the right thing and having the ranger handle the situation. No good could have come from confronting the parents. The type of person that would do that, usually are not the type that would not be open to a  friendly suggestion.

-Brian G

a couple of weeks ago I am backing into my garage and I see a small child at the next house's side yard, it was almost dark outside.  there is no one living there so I had my son walk down and ask the child if they needed help.  my son came back after a few minutes and said it was a girl around 3 years old.  she had on one sock, a diaper, and a tee shirt and it was in the 40's.  when he asked her if she was ok she did not respond.  my son then asked where her mommy and daddy were and she ran off down the street to the next house.  she had somehow gotten outside with no supervision.  anyone could have grabbed her.  made me very upset.  don't know if I should have called the police or CPS. 

BTW the fishing at Quarry Lakes was slow when I was there.  Didn't see any action from the shore anglers.  I did see 2 guys trolling on an aluminum skiff drop 2 trout right next to their boat. These same guys said they had 2 small trout in the box.  Saw lots of boils.

I actually saw this EXACT same situation the last trip out to Melones but the young toddler was in a stroller. I watched the parents push the stroller down the boat ramp and the kid was screaming his head off. The parents find a spot next the ramp and begin to fish with the kid to their back ten feet away still screaming. They didn't turn around once to check on their child the entire time I got my kayak rigged and launched.

Jeff

Situations like that I'm always tempted to grab the kid and see how much time goes by before they notice.

Probably best that I haven't acted on that particular impulse...  Not everyone has the same sense of humor.

i'd be laughing!!  

The parents find a spot next the ramp and begin to fish with the kid to their back ten feet away still screaming. They didn't turn around once to check on their child the entire time I got my kayak rigged and launched.

Jeff

Well, they were fishing!
  but  too

You can have a ticket for an unattended pole, but not an unattended child?

unattended pole often = unattended child months later

~~~

What a crappy situation.  I used to be a public school teacher, and upsets me mad when I hear of children in peril.