What about the crooks? Who's thinking about their welfare? Who's protecting them from the bad actions of a few parents?

Four times in this past year, parents left their small children alone in the car while zipping off to buy a Spam musubi or get a couple 20s from the cash machine.

So, the thought process goes, if the kids are in the car, then the air conditioner should be on, so the car is left running, keys in the ignition. The kids may not be safe, but eh, at least they going be comfortable.

Four times, a poor unsuspecting car thief has fallen for the bait.

Can you imagine the shock when they realized they weren't just jacking somebody's car, but also somebody's kid? Oh, no!

Much to their credit, each time this has happened this year, each car thief has done the right thing: parked the car in a safe place and left the keiki unharmed.

Perhaps the crooks are thinking only about themselves, realizing that kidnapping charges make ripping off a car a whole different crime.

But it's not like they've tossed the kids and kept going. Thank goodness.

In one instance, the carjacker had the presence of mind to take the car and the kid to a church parking lot, back up into a space near the church office where it was bound to be noticed, and leave the engine on so the baby wouldn't get hot.

The thieves have been more careful with the kids than the parents have been.

They ought to get some kind of consideration for that.

OK, yeah, you're not supposed to steal cars. But you're not supposed to put your children in harm's way, either, and that is a much greater misdeed with much more dire consequences.

It's hard to imagine people being so distracted and careless with their children, but clearly it is done all the time. All the time. So many parents have to keep up a frantic pace to avoid being trampled by the rush of modern life. You can think of a thousand reasons parents might think it would be OK to dash away just this one time.

Then again, most people wouldn't leave a plate lunch in the car lest the thing spoil if the errand runs long. Roast pork gets better treatment than some kids. Do we really need a law discouraging parents from leaving kids unattended in vehicles, as Gov. Linda Lingle has proposed? Sadly, it seems as though we do.

Thankfully, at least thus far, the car thieves have been singular in their focus — "Steal the car. Steal the car." — and have possessed enough social responsibility and morality to leave the children unharmed.

And car thieves are supposed to be these crazy crackhead ice freaks, right? Pretty good thinking for guys who are supposedly off their rockers.

Too bad some parents can't be trusted to have such good sense.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.