to leave the baby in the car while I pay for petrol?

[GnocchiNineDoors]

Light on...needed petrol sharpish. The only pay at pump (which is what I usually use) was miles away and it was rush hour.

Dd was asleep in her carseat.

I parked in the patrol bay right outside the shop (when you walk out of the shop you have to walk around the car in bay one to get passed) and locked her in. There was no queue and i could keep my eyes on her the whole time.

Im now not sure if I did the right thing

Have always left them in the car, why on earth would I not.

And it is NOT illegal to leave a child at home alone. Not the right thing to do but not illegal.

Good point, how is taking a supermarket trolley back while leaving baby in the car any different. You might have to walk across a big car park, maybe lost sight of baby for a few seconds. Even if you can see the car at all times, it could still catch fire or be stolen in those few seconds.

I always wonder this, as I take my iPhone with me in case someone nicks it, but leave DS.

Yes, because cars regularly spontaneously combust with the engine switched off.

knowitall you is bad

I think it's different because the trolley parks aren't far from where I'd park my car and I'd feel like if an opportunist went for my car I'd be able to get to it in time. Wheras at the petrol station I may have my concentration on paying, miss what was going on outside and the car could be gone before I had a chance to leave the till, go outside and get to it.

I know it's far fetched but not completely unrealistic!

LittlePandaBear, I think it unlikely that someone would try & break into a car at the pumps at a petrol station during the day - most petrol stations have cars coming in and out frequently, so plenty of potential eye witnesses, plus cameras. And an unattended car at the petrol pumps almost certainly has an owner in the kisok, so won't be unattended for more than a few minutes.

So I think the risk of car theft is very small. Unless of course, you're in the habit of leaving your keys in the ignition when you go into the kiosk to pay.

Opportunistic theft is more likely in the supermarket car park because the cars are unattended for longer, there's less people around, and less cameras.

I dont think children under 16 are allowed on the forecourt anyway ? Imo its fine

I wonder how my children have lived to adulthood (well nearly, one 12, one 15 eldest 19). I never thought about taking them out of the car whilst paying for petrol, often left them in the car for a quick nip in a shop etc...but we are talking about a few minutes, not half an hour, or an hour! Its a chance you take. Obviously I would have been devestated if something had happened, but you can't live your life thinking worse case scenario all the time. You check for no apparent danger and weigh up your balance of probabilities. Freak accidents /incidents occur occasionally, but you can't forsee those, can you? And the chances of them happening are tiny. You need some perspective .

frankwippery you are right that there is no legal minimum age for when you can start leaving a child at home, but it is illegal to leave a child in a potentially risky situation. Leaving a small child at home alone would fall right into this category.

As someone who works in a petrol station - please leave you rkids in the car if you can see them. It is far safer than dragging across a forecourt, and as for the idiots who think it's a good idea to let the kids fill the petrol tank up, don't get me started! Seriously, if you have ever seen anyone get a drop of fuel in their eye from splashback, and then you think that your DC is at eye level with your fuel cap, then you would think twice! I had a policewoman who was shorter than average, shall we say, and I've never heard an adult scream like it!

Noqontrol, like I said - it may not be illegal but it's not wise either. Depending on age obvs. I often leave my children at home, but they are 18, 17, 15 and 3, so I'd imagine there ain't no worries there

Although, when the big three were younger, perhaps 10, 9 and 7 I absolutely would have popped to the shop across the road or posted a letter at the end of the street. I suppose it depends on the children really doesn't it.

Where does one draw the line? My middle two have both fallen out of trees they were climbing. One was fine, one fucked her arm. Was I meant to stop them climbing trees? DD1 jumped in the pool and broke her foot. Do I ban my children from ever jumping in the pool again?

I had a twat drive straight out of a junction and smash into my car a few years ago. Do I now tell my older two that they can no longer drive their cars?

I struggle to see any risk at all in leaving my youngest child in the car while I get petrol/whizz into shop/chemist etc and that is exactly what I have done with all of them from tiny baby to annoying teen.

I have never done this... but only because I can't drive!

IMO, the risk is not much more than parking your baby and pram at a table in a café when you're on your own, before queuing up to get your order. I think my DS was 5 or 6 weeks old the first time I did this.
I would find it hard to believe that more people struggle in a queue with a pushchair and tray than what I did, and same with the OP's situation.

Of course YANBU. I never take the kids into the petrol station with me-what a bloody arse about that would be!!!!

what else would you do? I always left mine in the car when I bought petrol. wouldn't have occurred to do anything else.

I only ever took DD out if she was awake - asleep it was fine.

I did a new thing yesterday though; I took my awake 4 month old son out to the shop and left my awake 4 year old DD in the car. Is that acceptable? She doesn't cry for me if I leave her anymore, and she was locked in.

I get the dog to mind DS while I pay for petrol, nip into the shop for bread, drop something off.

I honestly don't know why this is an issue. Clearly, it'd be safer to stay at home with the DC, in a locked house or secure garden, and never go out at all. I have always, always done this. I cannot see why any sane and balanced person would think this was a huge risk. It's a little, tiny risk, sure - but so is putting them in the car in the first place, and do people really live like that?

I also put the DC into the car and then take the trolley back. Must leave them unattended for up to 45 seconds!

Mind you, I do recall an instance back when our PFBs were still tiny newborns, and I'd stopped off at the petrol station in the village to fill up. DS1 was blessedly asleep, but I'd have left him awake, too. I met an antenatal friend in the petrol shop - she had her own tiny newborn in a car seat (asleep) and when she saw me without my own, she was vv shocked and said 'Reshape! Where is DS1@' Um, in the car, you loon. All of ten yards away.

I have done it. Fine IMO.

i understand completely.

and i have that vision of the car going up in flames and me/you watching from the paydesk.

my daughter's 30 this week. the thought still fills me with horror. she was asleep in the car once and i nipped into the co-op. one of many stupid things i've done in my life. i got away with it but the 'what ifs' still hang around.

However , recent situation at local Sainsburys caused some upset. Different from petrol forecourt: woman parks big 4x4 right on pedestrian crossing outside main entrance to superstore ...lots of parking spaces nearby..leaves window open of front passenger seat with baby asleep in carry chair, in back seat is petulant seven/eight year old boy.

The mum goes swanning into Sainsburys, and is gone for fifteen minutes. Security staff, trolley collectors and other customers becoming quite distressed and pissed off at the whole thing, police are called as woman has not responded to tannoy calls.

Senior manager comes out with female staff to keep eye on baby, boy in back getting angry with them, telling them to piss off and mind their own business, eventually mum arrives back, managers inform her police are coming, she freaks out, how dare they, she has only been gone a few minutes (about twenty minutes) total arrogant cow. Member of the public turns up and informs her he is
a senior social worker and has reason to be concerned for the well-being of her child..total fury and vile rage from woman, no acceptance that she was in the wrong at all. police arrived, had a few words, she calmed down and left still swearing.

So..was she right, and was the baby safe? Let's not judge her for parking her fucking monster truck in such a bad way and for having such an obnoxious twat for a son... please ..tee heee

Just don' watch if your paranoid.