Rampant (but repentant) Hellparenting

At a shop I worked in, I once watched from behind the counter as a little kid, no more than one and a half, walked out the front door alone. We were on a busy street so I ran after him. He was just wandering down the sidewalk, not more than a few feet from traffic. I picked the kid up (something I would never do today, what with lawsuits and all) and carried him back into the store.

The mom was near the front of the store and when she saw me with her baby (who I was now leading by the hand), she blew her top.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Bringing your baby back in from the street," I said.

Her manner changed right away and she apologized. But letting the kid get so far away for so long still makes her a hellparent in my book.