This reminds me of a funny behavior I noticed when I visited Iceland - parents would simply leave their kids outside in a pram when they went into a cafe or a restaurant. Struck me as something you would never see in the States but I guess other places just have higher levels of trust.
Here's a blog with a little info on the practice: http://reykjavikdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/10/could-not-be...