Parents forget newborn in the back of a taxi

A German couple has proven to the rest of the world what most parents already know: baby brain is very real – for both mum and dad.

The parents were returning home from the hospital in a taxi with their newborn and one-year-old. After paying and saying goodbye to the driver, they made a horrifying mistake, leaving the baby in the back seat.

Hamburg police shared the story on Facebook, saying the dad chased after the driver as soon as he realised, but it was too late.

Thankfully, the handy Facebook Translate function helped us get to the bottom of the story …

“He attempted to run after the taxi was unfortunately not successful, whereupon the parents immediately alerted us,” the post says. 

It gets worse …

To make matters a whole lot worse, the driver had no idea about the precious cargo situated in the back seat and clocked off for his lunch break, leaving the cab and the baby in an underground carpark while he went in search of food.

“Since the baby initially made no sound and probably enjoyed the sleep of the blessed noticed the taxi driver nothing of his silent passenger in the back seat and headed directly to the well-deserved lunch break, for which he parked the taxi in an underground car park,” Hamburg police says. 

It wasn’t until he returned from lunch and picked up another passenger that the driver realised what had happened.

“The new passenger was a bit confused about the already present passengers and made the taxi driver aware of this ‘carpool’. Now was the time when the baby woke up, because it was noticeable and began to scream. 

“Now that the taxi driver had done the right thing in this situation and had informed us, after a brief examination of the child by an ambulance crew, we were able to reunite the happy family and ensure a happy reunion.”

“We already have a few plausible explanations”

While many people were quick to judge the parents for leaving their baby, Hamburg police were quick to jump to their defence.

“We already have a few plausible explanations,” they write. “Especially because such a taxi is gone within a short time, before the first time you had eye contact with your partner and there was also another toddler present. * JK”

These parents aren’t the first to do something like this, and they probably won’t be the last.

“My mother had once forgotten me before a shop,” a commenter shared, no doubt trying to make the parents feel a tiny bit better about the situation. “When she ran back, I slept soundly. She told me when I grew up. The shock was still to be noted. I had “still” the most loving mother in the world.”

“The poor parents”

And of course, many sympathised with the couple.

“Oh, God. The poor parents. But now it can only go uphill after such a start,” wrote one person.

Another added: The poor parents. 🙈 I hope you can laugh at it in hindsight. There was no danger. But you would have a new babysitter now… 😉”

One thing’s for sure; we’re glad this story has a happy ending.