Let's not forget that the 12 year old caught up with the car and was let in. Obviously mom didn't "zoom off". Maybe not the smartest move, but I'm not that bothered by it. I remember once when we were kids my parents told us to stay out of the mud from new construction (Wakefield wooden townhouses, geez, I'm old). Of course we got cake\d with mud and clay. My dad made us walk home to our house on the other side of Bannister. They drove behind us a little ways though to make sure we were ok, but that was a long walk. Did the trick. It was a dusk when we left, dark when we got home. Oh well.