Petrol filling and kids in car

My nearest petrol station doesn't allow children on the forecourt - at all.

ive been shouted at over the tannoy but couldn't leave my DGD in the car as she would have a meltdown as she has a fear/phobia of being left alone. She has autism.

I went into pay and explain why DGD was with me and the lovely lady told me that it was not her problem

Depends on:

age of kids
location of petrol station
How busy it is
if you can visibly see the car from the kiosk

Normally my DD was asleep. So I left her in the car (AND the doors unlocked shock) so the alarm didnt go off.
If it wasn't a petrol station I could see the car from, and sprint to in under 5 seconds, I'd just leave it until I was alone or could use pay at pump.

so never alone at all, not in the bedroom, not while you nip into another room in the house…. realistically impossible

Always take mine with me. I don’t leave them locked in a car anywhere.

Plan ahead as much as possible so you can fill up alone or use pay at pump. I used to fill up with fuel as I got my food shop.
i wouldn’t leave babies/ kids in the car when it’s been as hot as it has recently but for general weather I would leave them in the car for the 2-3 mins it takes to pay in the shop.

I always took mine with me but tbh that was very rare as when I had small children, my ex would always nip out and fill my car up for me. I don't think it's the worst thing though if others do. I just wouldn't myself.

Pay at the pump - can’t think of a single place in years in the uk that doesn’t have it, and if I had kids I would not use the other kind of alone with them, problem solved

There was a petrol station fire near here - fortunately not nearly as bad as it could have been because the well-trained staff member shut off the fuel tanks immediately.
The cause was a lorry colliding with the building (presumably brakes failed or something). I don't know its trajectory through the forecourt, but possibly a child would have been better protected inside a car than not.

I just pay at the pump

Sorry but if they’re not young to be anywhere alone a petrol station is no different- the car could get rear ended by another, they could get a fright or decide to come in after you. We’re supposed to be responsible for our children, that means not just leaving them when it doesn’t suit

Because they're more likely to slip on petrol or get hit by a car than they are to come to any damage in a locked car.

I brought mine in until they were maybe 6 or 7. I’m not sure what’s dangerous about that; it’s not like I opened the car door and let them run across the forecourt.

Not this old chestnut yet again. YAWN.

Far, far too pragmatic for a MN risk assessment

I'm on team Bruce Willis

Oh my, has it been 10 minutes already since the last time we had this thread 😂

@nosleepforme check out the probably thousands of times this has come up and you will find that some people leave their children in the car some people don't and neither camp will be persuaded by the other to change their ways.

Personal preference all the way, no rules

Taking kids in is a lot more dangerous than leaving them in the car.

Though as a kid I always wanted to go in with my mum as I often managed to persuade her to buy me a treat while we were lining up to pay 😂

I think you mean 'would have a big impact'. The actual likelihood is very very very low, as indicated by the lack of stats about petrol station fires, because they don't really happen.

So not a massive risk really as will almost never occur

Risk assessment 101: what is impact, what is likelihood.

Leaving in car: kidnapping - extremely extremely unlikely, almost never happens. Petrol station fire - extremely extremely unlikely almost never happens, unclear that would be safer outside of car if petrol station on fire. Choking on random thing found in car - unlikely

Taking out of car to pay: slip, trip or fall - likely, inhalation of petrol fumes - likely, collision with motor vehicle - unlikely but does happen, shelf collapsing in petrol station and crushing child - unlikely, choking on fly - unlikely.

Overall lowest risk: in my view leaving in car.

Of course! I forgot about a hero in a vest that every petrol station keeps instead of fire extinguishers!

I can’t find any statistics on fires at petrol stations, but obviously it is still a massive risk.

I'm in the US, but I always took my kids in with me if I went inside. I usually pay at the pump.

https://www.kidsandcars.org/car-theft/facts

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/nation-world/texas-mom-tracked-childs-phone-after-car-stolen-houston/507-33b91ade-6209-4056-9d79-15b1ff504237

I'd tend to make a point of filling up when my husband/someone else is there. There are still stations that don't have pay at pump.

I never took mine out. Although I would have done if there was a queue or I needed to buy something.

It depends on all sorts of factors. The age of the kids. The time of day. The physical set up of the forecourt and shop. Whether you can see your car clearly when you go in. How sensible your kids are. Are you just paying for petrol or shipping? Is there a massive queue? There’s no yes or no answer, it’s just judgment based on the facts at the time.

The suggestion that you shouldn’t do it because the car or petrol station might catch fire is ludicrous. You might as well not then go out in case they’re struck by a meteor.

Then Bruce Willis would come and save us so that would be fine.