Mom Uses Terrible Judgment And Craigslist To Find Driver For 9-Year-Old Son

craigslistA mom has been arrested on charges of contributing to the deprivation of a minor, for consulting Craigslist to find her nine-year-old son a ride from their home in suburban Atlanta to visit his grandmother in Sarasota, Florida. An eight hour drive. With a total stranger. What could possibly go wrong?

Realistically, probably nothing. I believe the good people in the world outnumber the bad ones. It’s not unlikely that the child could have made the trip unscathed. That’s not this issue. The issue is – What in the hell were you thinking mom?

Here are the details: A man posted on Craigslist, offering to split the cost of driving to the Sarasota, Florida area. Shelia Sherrie Joyner answered the ad, saying she wanted to send her son to visit his grandmother. When the man found out the boy was nine-years-old, he contacted authorities. Joyner was arrested “after a baby sitter arrived with the boy at the drop-off point on Friday.” A babysitter. So not only does she have no problem finding a stranger on Criagslist to take her son on an eight hour drive – she doesn’t even go scope out the dude herself. She sends a babysitter. After I read that I stopped caring about her situation entirely. This mother is ridiculous.

One of the news articles covering the story had a bunch of comments comparing the situation with a child traveling on a plane alone, and saying it was no big deal:

This was a poor parenting decision, but no crime was committed.This really isn’t too different than a child flying unattended. I can’t say that I would trust some airport attendant I’ve never met anymore than I would a stranger on craigslist.
And she gets arrested in the South. How many get arrested when they do this at the airport?
Seriously? Not the same thing at all. When a child flies solo, he is dropped off at the gate and handed off to a flight attendant. You know exactly where your child is for the duration of his trip – in the air. The flight attendant hands him off to a parent at the other end. Not the same thing as sending a babysitter off to hand over your child to a complete stranger.
I think the guy was right to call the authorities. That kind of judgment is alarming.

Similar Posts