Stupidity: Once on the freeway, cars are beeping at Karla's erratic driving (trying to catch up to Frankie's kidnapper). She doesn't put her headlights or emergency flashers on, which could have helped alert other drivers of a problem and avoid causing accidents. She should've also used her horn to draw more attention, hoping someone would call 911 (much sooner than occurred). Stopping to flag a motorist to dial 911 would have been safer than speeding and risking her own life as well as others'. (00:13:50 - 00:19:00)
Stupidity: Karla tells her son Frankie that she has to take a phone call "over there" (away from the carnival crowd) where she'll be able to hear. Instead of keeping a close eye on him, she tells him not to move and talks on the phone with her back turned to Frankie. She does occasionally say "Marco" and listen for him to reply "Polo", but that's not how to watch a 6 year old? child. Karla should have also previously given him a "secret word" that a person must know before he will go with that person. (00:09:52)
Stupidity: When sneaking into the hillbilly's house at the end to find her son, Karla for some unknown reason places the loaded sawn-off shotgun (which she stole from the hubby) on the kitchen table and replaces it with a knife. As a result the hillbilly wife finds it and tries to use it on her later.
