Dad chooses Batman over son

by Jennifer Jordan (Subscribe to Jennifer Jordan's posts) Jul 22nd 2008 11:00AM

Categories: Toddlers, Safety, In The News, Weird But True, Childcare

File this in the list of the stupidest things people do, you know, that list that makes you wonder how it's possible for some loser to be a parent when there are so many great people out there who can't have kids? Some jerk decided it was a good idea to leave his son in the parking lot in the car while he went in and saw The Dark Knight, the latest Batman installment.

Oh, yes he did. David Farnham, candidate for father of the year, left his two-year-old son alone in a locked car while he took in the more than two hour movie. Naturally people who were actually concerned about the boy's wellbeing noticed him crying and sent for help from the police. When the boy was retrieved he was dehydrated and scared but otherwise in relatively good condition.

7 Signs You Should Call Child Protective Services(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Inappropriate clothing for the environment

The cops noted it was 87 degrees and the windows of the car were rolled up. I think about this kind of thing all the time living in New York where the temperatures get surprisingly hot. Aside from the basic, common sense fact that no child should be left alone in a car, it was too hot for him to be out there. Did I mention it was in the middle of the night? Oh, yeah, the father went to see the 1:00 AM screening of the movie. I know an R-rated movie is no place for a child, certainly not a two-year-old, but isn't it better than being left alone in a hot car? Or, wait--I know the answer: GET A SITTER. If you can shell out the ten bucks to see the movie you can certainly afford a few dollars more to get someone to watch your kid.

Source

Comments (128)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)

Darlene 7-22-2008 @ 2:46PM

That's disgusting! I hope he's in jail.

paul 7-23-2008 @ 10:17AM

we should have a cell where the equivalent of the heat in a car to a child equal to what it would be to an adult and have these idiots sit in the cell, sun beating down with heater on for 2 to 3 hours to see how it feels, then take the child away......obviously the man has mental handicap issues

pamela 7-22-2008 @ 4:41PM

He should have been, and i hope he was put in jail!,Obviously he dose'nt hold his childs health or safety in high regard! At least cps should have been notified, and that "father" should be investigated to see if he is even fit to have that child in his care!

Jen 7-23-2008 @ 9:57PM

I'm so tired of reading about parents who neglect their kids. I hope they all lose custody. Better yet, stop having them! I have a 18 month old who is my entire life! I could NEVER forget I had him in the car, or purposely leave him in the car, neither could my husband. It's not stupidity, it's plain not wanting the child. Give them up for adoption so they can have a decent life with someone who will love them.

hec 7-23-2008 @ 6:51AM

Um you moron..the movie was PG-13...not rated R

Priscilla 7-23-2008 @ 8:55AM

This is what you're focusing on???? You've called him a moron?

gdlyman25 7-23-2008 @ 8:56AM

The only thing you can say is it was pg-13, not R? Are you serious..???? It's people like yourself who think to look for the way out of something instead of seeing the real trouble in the situation...... THE KID WAS 2 AND LEFT IN A CAR FOR 2 HOURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.....WHO CARES WHAT THE FRIGGIN RATING OF THE MOVIE WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cat 7-23-2008 @ 6:38PM

lol...yes! how can the "author" not research this....lol pathetic...

amber 7-23-2008 @ 11:34AM

moron?? rated r....rated pg 13.....who gives a big shit??? the child was left alone to have his lil brain fried in the heat!!! who cares what the movie was rated??? you obviously arent a parent because you are totally missing the point here!!! the lil one is the point and the only thing youre worried about is the movie rating?!? you would be the idiot here my friend!!!!

Debbie 7-23-2008 @ 1:08PM

What difference does it make what the rating of the movie was! The whole point of the article was that a little boy was left crying, in a car, at 1am while his Dad was watching a movie!! If anyone is the moron its the idiot that left the little guy in the car alone, in the heat, at 1am! Perhaps you should read it again.

Elliott 7-23-2008 @ 3:13PM

Yeah, that bugged me too. Makes me wonder if there are any other incorrect facts in the story.

hec 7-24-2008 @ 9:56PM

It makes a difference to me if the movie has the wrong rating posted by the author, makes one wonder who does the actual fact checking?

Jeremy 7-23-2008 @ 6:56AM

The world needs an enema.

And to the writer, The Dark Knight was not rated R. It is PG-13.

Another tidbit: Officers found Farnham inside the theater, stopped the movie and arrested him.

"We all looked around to see where he was," says moviegoer Katty Zlochevsky. "He stood up and went down the stairs. And then people kind of threw stuff and started booing and no one knew what to do."

from http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=519705

Linda 7-23-2008 @ 7:59AM

Another fine example of investigative journalism brought to you by the wizards at AOL> PG, not R.

VP 7-23-2008 @ 10:58AM

Actually Linda,

It was PG-13. Pot and Kettle much? Stay on the point please...

amber 7-23-2008 @ 11:33AM

pg not r??? you linda are focused on something so stupid as a movie rating when a lil ones life is in danger???? omg!! dont be a mother ..........please

Nancy 7-23-2008 @ 8:05AM

Thank God there were people that got involved and called the police .I can only hope that if the Mother of the child has more brains then the father and isn't still with this mornon.

alekos 7-23-2008 @ 8:08AM

let's not forget the large numbers of mothers that sneak out of the house in the middle of the night to put their ankles up in the air when they have small children sleeping and no one watching them, iy is true what he did was not right....

hotmama 7-23-2008 @ 8:37AM

alekos............yes, you're right because women are wh*res. Moron. This is a perfect example of why men are morons. I'm assuming you're a man, if you're a woman you're even stupider than I thought.
Trying to change the subject matter of these comments is stupid and sound like they come from someone who's mommy had extra curricular activites. Get a life and some therapy while you're at it.