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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do you leave kids in car whilst paying for fuel?

192 replies

elm26 · 13/06/2026 12:50

I’m not saying which one of us does which but here’s the scenario, 9 month old and 3 year old in car. You cannot pay at pump (we have one of these which is miles from us).

You’re only paying for fuel, you’re not choosing drink/crisps or anything else, literally in, pay and out.

YABU - you’d take both kids in with you
YANBU - you’d leave them in the car

OP posts:
JustToBeMe · 13/06/2026 16:47

FckThisShit

Only on Mumsnet do so many people argue against leaving kids in the car whilst paying for fuel… just this really. 🙄😉😆

Weekmindedfool · 13/06/2026 16:42

JessLou80 · 13/06/2026 15:48

Absolutely not -it’s neglectful

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Weekmindedfool · 13/06/2026 16:42

LilacMeadows123 · 13/06/2026 14:08

Everyone I know who has children at that age brings them with them

Show quote history

Sure they do

SpareVanKeys · 13/06/2026 16:33

I always left mine in the car, but there were three dc (at one stage all under 3yrs) I remember one friend was horrified because she said always took hers with her-but she only had one dc. The logistics of 3 are somewhat multiplied

mindutopia · 13/06/2026 16:20

Yes, assuming I could trust the 3 year old not to get out. But yes, mine always stayed in the car. They slept in it in the drive too. They are teens now. No one has stolen them yet. 😂

TheGlitterFairy · 13/06/2026 16:19

Stade197 · 13/06/2026 13:00

I take my 3 year old in with me, I saw a thread about this before and someone did mention they were told by staff at a petrol station that if there was a fire anywhere by the pumps they wouldn't be allowed to let you out to your car to get your child

I know that's an unlikely event but I'm not risking that

Yep, my DS comes in with me too. I’d rather be wasn’t left in the car in his own

Glittertwins · 13/06/2026 16:19

Always left them in the car, it’s never a trek to the kiosk. Would have been annoying and difficult to cart twins over to pay as well.

GisGasGus · 13/06/2026 16:18

JessLou80 · 13/06/2026 15:48

Absolutely not -it’s neglectful

Did you forget the winky face emoji?

FckThisShit · 13/06/2026 16:17

JessLou80 · 13/06/2026 15:48

Absolutely not -it’s neglectful

Oh give over 😂

JessLou80 · 13/06/2026 15:48

Absolutely not -it’s neglectful

completelylostagain · 13/06/2026 15:16

DH used to fill the cars on the way to/from work so whichever car needed fuel he would take. That eliminated the need for either of us to leave or not leave the kids to pay for fuel.

Papster · 13/06/2026 15:08

Leave kids in car. 9 month going nowhere. Good training for 3 yo to be told what to do and comply.
Maybe small reward offered

Oneandanotheroneistwo · 13/06/2026 15:04

Leave in the car, but we generally try to fill up when there's either 2 of us or no kids in the car - helpfully there's one on the way back from DC2's nursery so I pop in after dropping him off if we're getting low

987654321abc · 13/06/2026 14:56

I always take my 3 year old with me! I had no idea it was not the done thing! Quite a relief as I’m about to have another baby, but I’ll have to get over my own personal anxieties about it! When I was at school, a patient escaled from a mental health facility and doused himself in petrol and set himself alight on the forecourt. It was right by our school, I didn’t see it happen but it’s given me the heebie jeebies about petrol stations ever since. That said, my parents always left us in the car and obviously it was fine.

For those posters saying they’ve never seen or heard of anyone that takes their kid out of the car at a petrol station - hello! It’s me, I’m the one person that does it!

Yetone · 13/06/2026 14:55

Really, I would make sure that I filled up when the children were not with me or when there was another parent there.

ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer · 13/06/2026 14:49

Very freaky timing but I did this today for the first time ever, left my 11 month old, two year old and dog in the car. It was at 7.45am so the petrol station was empty, I stopped nearest to the door, locked the car on the way in and had my Apple Pay ready as soon as I got to the till! Basically I was completely OTT yet my heart was still racing by the time I got back 😂 reading some of these comments though maybe I might chill the hell out next time

edited to add - I am slightly paranoid as I once had a group of balaclava clad men try to car jack my car while I was in it which probably doesn’t help my paranoia!

bittertwisted · 13/06/2026 14:39

GisGasGus · 13/06/2026 14:07

Does anyone else with grown up children wonder how they managed to keep them alive to that age given all the things they realize from here they never taught them?

It never crossed my mind that car evacuation policy was a must teach 😀

Show quote history

Yes me
I’m so proud ls myself keeping 3 alive right through to being adults
whilst
never taking them in to a petrol station
sitting them in forward facing car seats before they were 18
never tracking them
letting them walk or cycle to school in year 4

CurlewKate · 13/06/2026 14:36

They’re safer in the car than in the forecourt.

user293948849167 · 13/06/2026 14:35

Safer to leave in the car I think as long as it’s locked, it’s not too hot etc. you can usually see your car through the window while paying anyway. I would only take the baby in if they were likely to start crying if I wasn’t there

Owly11 · 13/06/2026 14:26

Leave in car. Dear god if we have got to the stage of hysteria that kids can't be left in the car for 2 minutes....

MagnesiumBathSalts · 13/06/2026 14:19

AgnesMcDoo · 13/06/2026 12:51

Yes I did leave in the car and so does the majority of the population.

in 30 years of driving I have NEVER seen anyone take their kids into the shop with them when paying.

kids should not be on a forecourt

Edited

It depends on the set up of the gas station.
if there is no que and I can see them from inside il leave them in the car (especially if my 10 year old is in the car aswell)

but if it’s one where I can’t see them from inside or there is a long Que i would take them in (which I don’t think is practical so generally DH fills up my car for me anyway)

GisGasGus · 13/06/2026 14:15

LilacMeadows123 · 13/06/2026 14:08

Everyone I know who has children at that age brings them with them

Show quote history

Really? Firstly how do you know that about everyone you know? Is it a normal topic of conversation and secondly what a statistical anomaly that must be. Surely no ones entire cohort of "people they know" acts in that same way about anything

How many people do you know? I bet previous generations had a rather different attitude.

GisGasGus · 13/06/2026 14:11

LlynTegid · 13/06/2026 13:49

Everyday is a school day. Unless getting them to choose something, I cannot see why they would not remain in the car. I am surprised by the responses.

This is such a well worn topic of discussion and from that i have found that so many posters live in places where cars burst into flames, children let off handbrakes and accidents are common place on their local Shell forecourt

Thankfully not anything I've experienced

bignewprinz · 13/06/2026 14:09

GisGasGus · 13/06/2026 14:07

Does anyone else with grown up children wonder how they managed to keep them alive to that age given all the things they realize from here they never taught them?

It never crossed my mind that car evacuation policy was a must teach 😀

Show quote history

Some things we learn through our jobs, some sadly through experience and hindsight.

Luckily my job taught me.

LilacMeadows123 · 13/06/2026 14:08

AgnesMcDoo · 13/06/2026 12:51

Yes I did leave in the car and so does the majority of the population.

in 30 years of driving I have NEVER seen anyone take their kids into the shop with them when paying.

kids should not be on a forecourt

Edited

Everyone I know who has children at that age brings them with them