My pet peeve is parents that don't watch their own children .
An example of how serious this issue can be can be illustrated by something I saw This past week while we were in Colorado on vacation . We were hiking on a trail that was on a ridge a good three hundred feet(or more ) above the canyon floor . Along the trail three small childrn were running around alone away from their parent ,ages appeared to be 8-10 yrs old ,not only was that inconceivably dangerous ,but they were throwing rocks over the edge ! If you had been a hiker below it could have been deadly . So I went over and told them firmly to stop throwing rocks and explained what could happen to someone below .....as soon as I turned around I heard another rock being thrown this time I turned and yelled at them in a very stern voice to stop it NOW . They walked off ... Later I saw the kids with an adult and I wish now I had said something to her too.
Another scary encounter happened in a neigborhood near my sons home .My daughter in law and I were driving into the housing area and out of no where a small toddler comes around the corner to the curb crying and obviously too small to be alone . I jumped out of the car and grabbed her hand before she got into the street . A neighbor lady walked over concerned too ,but she really didn't know where this girl lived either . We assumed a house close by with a fenced backyard with lots of toys was a good candidate. I carried her to the door and knocked several times , rang the doorbell a few times . We could see another young child in the house , Finally a man answers the door and appeared geniunly shocked she had been outside ,he said he had been in the basement . I was just glad she hadn't gotten hurt or kidnapped .