Mom hammered for TikTok video on why she doesn’t return shopping cart

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LOS ANGELES (WJW) – A Los Angeles-based psychologist and social media creator is receiving a lot of backlash after posting a TikTok about shopping carts on Thursday.

Leslie Dobson, a mother of two, made a TikTok about not returning her shopping cart once her kids are in the car, to keep them safe.

“I’m not returning my shopping cart and you can judge me all you want,” Dobson said in the video. “I’m not getting my groceries into my car, getting my children into the car and leaving them in the car to go return the cart. So if you’re gonna give me a dirty look…”

But many of her videos’ more than 11 million viewers disagreed with her statement and actions.

“Small things like this is what shows character in a person,’ one TikTok commenter said. “I am not a parent but even if it’s raining or snowing I return my cart.”

Another commenter said, “Wow I raised three and managed to put (the) cart away every time. Decades. Brought them with me to put the cart away teaching them responsibility. Carried them to the car. We can do hard things, mama.”

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Under each critical comment, Dobson responded the same way, saying, “I want women to feel empowered to trust their intuition if they feel unsafe, ignore judgment. Risk isn’t worth it and our lives are precious. I have seen lives destroyed. I hope you never don’t.”

On Friday, Dobson posted a follow-up video to her TikTok page.

“It’s May 31 and about 6 million people have freaked out over me not returning my shopping cart because my kids are in the car. So I want to give you some statistics,” Dobson said. “Last year 265 children were abducted in parking lots in America. Half of those were sexually assaulted. As a single mom returning your shopping cart, you are prime for a predator to watch and grab you.”

Dobson did not cite her source for the information, but a nonprofit called Kids and Car Safety showed the same statistic she mentioned. However, the nonprofit said law enforcement does not keep statistics on children abducted in this manner and implies that the exact numbers are unreliable.

In the follow-up video, Dobson goes on to say that in many states it’s illegal to turn your car on and walk away from it.

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“Many comments said that they would turn the car on, leave the air on the kids and go return the shopping cart. Well, in Los Angeles in one particular parking lot, that’s at least a 12-minute walk. You could go to jail. There are reports from the Bureau of Justice saying 10 percent of crimes occur in parking lots.” Dobson said.

Dobson continues by saying it’s important to check out your surroundings and make sure it feels safe for you to return your shopping cart. If not, she says she plans to continue to trust her gut and intuition.

“If you get to a parking lot, you should look at the lighting. You should look at security guards. You should look at how the parking lot is laid out. If it feels safe, go return your cart,” She said. “If it doesn’t feel safe, trust your gut. Trust your intuition and keep you and your family safe. It’s not worth the judgment you’ll get.”

She finished by saying, “There are actual lawyers who specialize in parking lot crimes and they sue the grocery stores, and guess what? I’ve been a part of those cases. So if you want to be ignorant, go ahead. But I also have videos on the mind of predators, pedophiles, and why child trafficking occurs and how victims are targeted.”