A Southern California mother of two who recently went viral for saying she never returns her shopping cart has now responded to her haters.
Dr. Leslie Dobson, a Los Angeles-based clinical and forensic psychologist with more than 300,000 followers across all platforms, made the divisive post on TikTok last week.
“I’m not returning my shopping cart and you can judge me all you want,” he professed in a clip that has amassed nearly 11 million views.
‘I’m not going to take my shopping to my car, or put my children in the car and leave them in the car to go return the cart. So if you’re going to give me the stink eye…fuck off.’
As the video gained views, many began labeling Dobson, mother of a two-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, as “entitled” or “Karen” and suggesting she bring her children with her to return the stroller. . Or consider the “shopping cart theory.”
Dr. Leslie Dobson, a Los Angeles-based clinical and forensic psychologist, went on air today to defend her stance on not returning your shopping cart.
The mother-of-two, pictured with her son, daughter and husband, claimed she feared her children would be kidnapped if she left them alone while she returned her stroller.
But in an interview today with KTLAdefended his stance, revealed how he’s been dealing with the backlash and why he thinks people are upset.
“I’m surprised, but also very happy, because I’ve received hundreds, maybe even thousands, of messages from moms saying, ‘I stopped in place, looked around, and ‘Now I’m more aware.'”
‘I know the video was provocative, but that’s what I wanted… I wanted to get attention. It’s the bigger picture of “We need to empower ourselves to trust our intuitions.”
‘Coming from the mindset of someone who’s worked with predators for 20 years, I know how they think and I know what they’re looking for, and that’s a vulnerable time.
“When you get back in your car, you’ve already been watched for a significant amount of time, so if you prefer social niceties to protecting your kids, I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to.”
Los Angeles-based psychologist and social media creator Leslie Dobson took the internet by storm after sharing that she refuses to return shopping carts.
Dobson also revealed that since making the video, she has received death threats and been scammed online.
The mother had already posted another video to respond to her critics earlier this week.
“It’s May 31 and about six million people have freaked out because I’m not returning my shopping cart because my kids are in the car,” he said in a clip posted to Instagram.
‘That’s why I want to give you some statistics. Last year, 265 children were kidnapped from parking lots in the United States. Half of them were sexually assaulted.”
While Dobson does not cite his source, the statistic appears to come from a report by a non-profit organization called Kids and Car Safety.
Dobson, who is married, claimed that single mothers returning their shopping carts were “prime for a predator to watch you and grab you.”
The group stated that they determined the number by “reviewing news stories” and acknowledged that authorities do not keep statistics on children abducted in this way, indicating that the figure was unreliable.
“As a single mom returning her shopping cart, it’s ideal for a predator to watch and grab her,” Dobson continued.
She shares two children with her husband Wesley Cook, a clinical psychologist.
Dobson then provided another excuse: Returning a shopping cart means leaving a car running and unoccupied, which is illegal in some states.
“A lot of comments said they started the car, let the kids get some air, and returned the shopping cart,” he said. ‘Well, in Los Angeles, in one particular parking lot, it’s at least a 12-minute walk. You could go to jail.
California vehicle code does not allow a car to remain on any public highway or street, largely as a measure to prevent motor vehicle theft.
In SacramentInstead in Los Angeles, it is a misdemeanor to leave the ignition key in an unattended vehicle in any public place, including parking lots.