You Be The Judge

Let's say two hypothetical parents take their four hypothetical children to Big Arena for the Big Event. As Big Event is concluding, Child #3 needs to use the bathroom. Parent #1 takes Child #3 and Child #4 (with the hypothetically small bladder) to the bathroom. Parent #2 remains in the assigned seats with Children #1 and #2.

Since Parent #1 left just before Big Event was over, the bathrooms are still empty. Children #3 and #4 do their business and they exit the bathroom quickly. Now Big Event is over and they are in the crowded hall of Big Arena. They do not see Parent #2 and Children #1 and #2 because they are still waiting patiently in the seats where they were left.

That's when Parent #1 sees a random exit door. Parent #1 decides to use this exit door to get out of the crowds and drags Child #3 and Child #4 out the door, despite the fact that it is on the wrong side of the building, it's thirty degrees outside, Child #4 left his coat in his seat, and Parent #2 and Children 1 & 2 are still sitting in their seats waiting!

Meanwhile, Parent #2 is beginning to wonder just how crowded those bathrooms are. Almost everyone else has left the arena. But Parent #2 knows that Parents #1 and #2 will only be able to find each other if Parent #2 stays right where he/she was left (since Parent #2 regrettably left his/her cell phone at home). Parent #2 does leave Children 1 & 2 in their seats and steps out into the hall several times to look for Parent #1 and Children 3 & 4, not venturing very far lest the safety of Children 1 & 2 be compromised. Finally, a security officer asks Parent #2 and Children 1 & 2 to leave the arena. They do. They check all the now empty bathrooms for Parent #1. They walk the entire hallway and even check the autograph line, knowing that Parent #1 would not be there but not thinking of anywhere else to look. They look everywhere except outside b/c there's no way that Parent #1 would have left the building without Parent #2, especially considering that Parent #2 is carrying Child #4's coat and it's COLD outside.

Parent #2 is beginning to panic. Could Parent#1 have had an accident and been whisked away in an ambulance with poor little scared Children 3 & 4 along for the ride? Did Parent#1 lose Child 3 or 4 and is now sitting in a security office trying to remember what they were wearing? Maybe Parent #1 decided to walk to the van two blocks away? No, that doesn't make sense.

Finally, Parent#2 begs the use of someone's cell phone and calls Parent#1's cell phone. Parent#1 is livid that Parent#2 is not outside in the freezing cold walking around the entire city on the off chance that perhaps Parent#1 is outside with Child #3 and poor coatless Child #4... and also that Parent#2 forgot the cell phone which they pay a lot of money for and why do they even have a cell phone if it's not going to be used... blah, blah, blah.

So, the choice is yours.. which Parent is at fault here? The Parent who waited patiently where he/she was left... or the Parent who exited the building without first checking for the other Parent where he/she was left?