To leave the children in the locked car when paying for petrol

[Ilovemyself]

I hate to do it but it is a pain to get the twins ( or all 3 when I have them with me which is less often) out, take them in and then get them back
In their car seats.

I don't want to do it but it seems the only thing to do.

Always left them in the car, no pay at pumps in my town. I've never had to queue for more than a couple of mins, they are under the shade of the canopy, the overheating thing just isn't going to happen. Cars are just as likely to catch fire whilst driving, I've only ever seen them on fure at roadsides, not in petrol stations.

Well in the days they didn't have "pay at the pump" I left mine in the car. For goodness sake,its a couple of minutes max!! There are cameras and you can see them (usually). The probability of something happening to them in the car is miniscule. The probability of something happening to them as you walk across a busy petrol forecourt is more likely, not to mention the faff and hassle.

And for those who say "well, anything could happen",well, yes, it could, but life is like that.ANYTHING could happen at ANY time. You weigh up the probability, not be a slave to it.

Can't even believe this is being posted as a question!! Maybe I'm lucky in where I live but it wouldn't enter my head to even think about removing my kids from the car when I pay for petrol. Bizarre.

I didn't even realise this was a Bad Thing until I joined MN. In an ideal world, then someone else would be in the car with them or pay, or you'd be alone when filling up or whatever. But I've always done it - DD is 3yo & DS is nearly 7mo. As long as I can see them & don't have to hang about, I don't think its a problem. At least it's the lesser of 2 evils - me crippling myself carrying a ludicrously heavy car seat & baby & wrangling a toddler across traffic. YANBU.

I always left mine in an unlocked car. They were strapped in carseats and either in a 2 door car where the couldn't move the seats forward to access the doors or in a four door two with child locks to prevent them being opened from the inside.

My risk assessment was that if some terrible accident happened involving fire/explosions/my parked car being hit, the doors being unlocked would enable helpful passers by to get them out especially if something happened to me or the remote locking stopped working due to the terrible accident. I could see them and if child snatchers approached the car I could run out screaming and probably attract enough attention to prevent them being kidnapped.

The worst thing that ever happened is that they would have a (verbal) argument and I when I returned I would have to referee.

Honestly I doubt people really notice let alone judge you for leaving them.

Blimey, its not something I ever even thought about when mine were young. LEft them in the unlocked car whilst I paid for petrol, and occasionally nipped in a shop to get a pint of milk whilst they were in the car.

I've paid attention to this since joining MN and can confirm that in the city I live in absolutely NO ONE removes children of any age from the car when paying for petrol

I've always left the DTs in the car if I haven't paid at the pump ie I have vouchers. The worst that happened was they set the car alarm off by messing about in their seats which they thought hilarious.

Do you use a local petrol station?

If I don't have my carer with me I sometimes have to ask someone in the garage to pump the petrol and take the payment.

Find it easier with the garage that is family run so there is only ever one or two people, who know me, to ask.

I've never seen anyone take their children in with them, how utterly bonkers.

When I had a car, I always used to. It wasn't till I joined MN that I realised it was frowned upon.

What else was a supposed to do? Take (then) baby twins out of the car, put them in the buggy, pay and then put them back? What could've taken 2 minutes would take 15, easy.

I DO...I locked up, and walk in to pay...