I have a fear of children falling from shopping carts. Too many parents pile children into the cart, or when they're in the child seat don't restrain them. Children DIE falling from carts on to the linoeleum-covered concrete floors. A friend wasn't fast enough with her 9-month-old who managed to fall from the child seat. She was lucky she only broke her leg.

In stores I have lunged to stop children from standing in that child seat and caught parents' eyes, reminding them the kids need to sit. I've told children to sit down, and I can even say it in Spanish, though I only know a few phrases, learned from my Puerto Rican ex. I sometimes just remind them that the floors are concrete and I invoke my friend's bad example--"it could be worse than a broken leg." There was one day at the checkstand when I stopped a toddler from pitching out and the mother scolded me for taking her to task in caring for her child. I think I asked if she expects her child to survive childhood with her. She was so worried about how SHE looked that she would disregard the safety of her child.

SRS