Opinion: It's not the heat, it's the stupidity

Okay, we know the hot, humid weather can prompt individuals to do stupid things, but for two women to allegedly leave a frail, 97-year-old grandmother in a locked SUV and then go shopping defies any kind of logic. What were they thinking? Were they thinking? Perhaps they honestly believed this senior would be okay left alone for a little while. We have written in this space before urging people not to take their pets in the car when the summer sun is beating down. Too often we hear of dogs dying needlessly because the owner believed a window left open a crack would cool the vehicle sufficiently. We didn't think we would have to remind readers that leaving seniors or other helpless individuals in a stifling vehicle is also wrong. Indeed we received a press release from SPCA Monday reminding pet owners that high temperatures can pose a serious threat to pets. "Temperatures inside a parked car can rapidly reach dangerous levels even on relatively mild days, and even if the car is parked in the shade with the windows slightly open," wrote the SPCA. So it is unbelievable that one of our lead stories today is about a grandmother left gasping for air in a sweltering SUV. A server from a nearby restaurant offered the senior bottles of water until he was able to unlock the door. While the facts of this case will come out in court, the two women charged have told the media that it was an accident and they hadn't intended to be gone very long. It will be interesting to see what the courts will do with this sad case. Judges, unfortunately, can't instill common sense in the people that come before them.