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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave a 2 year old in the car while nipping to corner shop

59 replies

Arnie123 · 05/08/2013 12:38

I have always left my son who is 2 in the car when I am going to pay for petrol at a garage as I genuinely feel he is safer in the car than around other cars and petrol. I always make sure it is one of those garages where I can watch my car from the queue.
Today I was in a rush but wanted a bottle of milk from a tiny corner shop. I could see from stranding next to the car there was no queue but in the end decided to take my son in the shop with me.
Is it unacceptable behaviour to leave a toddler in a locked car while nipping in a corner shop?

OP posts:
Scrounger · 05/08/2013 21:33

Plus I'm sure all the other drivers would love having to wait 5 mins whilst I got them in and out.

pianodoodle · 05/08/2013 21:33

I did recently leave DD to pay for petrol. Locked car etc... Saw there was no queue and could see her from shop. I still felt a bit anxious though and practically ran back out to the car probably ridiculous though!

It was the first time I'd done that though and I wasn't sure if people did it or not and whether someone might see her and complain!

Val007 · 05/08/2013 21:37

Well, do you care more about the other drivers, or about your own child?

Rhetorical.

frogspoon · 05/08/2013 21:38

Probably not a good idea, just in case something goes wrong.

My mum once got stuck inside a petrol station for about an hour (automatic doors broke). She was alone fortunately, but had she had a child locked in the car at the time (especially on a hot day) the consequences could have been devastating.

FrogsGoWhat · 05/08/2013 21:40

I wouldn't because my 2 yo would scream her head off as soon as she realised I was not in the car with her. If she didn't do that, then yes I probably would.

Whothefuckfarted · 05/08/2013 21:40

It only takes 15 minutes for the temperature of a car to reach dangerous levels in the sun. qazxc that woman was lucky. She could have been longer and her child would have cooked to death in the car. Thank god you were there.

Like the others say (most of them) Two minutes, and not out of sight... is okay...

Any longer is not reasonable, and not out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind...

notanyanymore · 05/08/2013 21:42

i always leave mine in the car at the garage as i can see them the whole time (and usually try to go when i don't have them with me, but not always poss) i once left dd1 (or maybe 2?) in the car while i nipped in the butchers, or rather stood in the doorway of the butchers and called my order out to him, he didn't mind!
also have left them in the car right outside the chip shop, people walk past and do a double take sometimes! but i'm right there and they're always in my line of sight. if i couldn't see them i wouldn't. partly because my doors don't lock so i really do need to be able to see them at all times.

libertine73 · 05/08/2013 21:48

you never leave your child in another room?!?

Jesus you must be exhausted!

I'm going to stop clicking on these kind of threads Hmm

SanityClause · 05/08/2013 21:53

It's always a judgement call.

In the main, it is safe, but you need to take all the circumstances into consideration.

Do bear in mind that compared to the chance of your child being injured in the car journey, the chances of the car spontaneously combusting are vanishingly small.

Also, in the situation outlined by frogspoon, could not the staff have phoned the police, if there was a young child in danger in the car? Or would the phone also be out of commission? Would there be no passers by?

YoniRanger · 05/08/2013 21:59

I have never seen anyone with a toddler in a petrol station. Surely everyone leaves them in the car?

If anyone was to attempt to break into a locked car on a forecourt I'm pretty sure it would catch your attention!

I live in the middle of nowhere so it's common to leave kids in the car to go into the shop for a minute.

What do people really think is going to happen?

LimitedEditionLady · 05/08/2013 21:59

Jesus

pianodoodle · 05/08/2013 22:00

Well, do you care more about the other drivers, or about your own child?

Was this in response to my post or the OP?

Scrounger · 05/08/2013 22:10

Pianodoodle, it was in response to my comment about annoying other drivers getting my twins in out. Val005 then put 'rhetorical' so I shouldn't feel the need to answer.

However I do feel the need to answer, my second comment was more of a joke really. However my first comment, stating that actually getting two children in and out of the car at a petrol station is more risky than leaving them in, the likelihood of them being hit by a car is higher than kidnap / stolen car / fire / doors getting shut etc. Have you ever tried to manage to 2 two year old who love to run off in an area with cars driving 1 foot away with no footpath? I use reins all the time when I'm with them on my own but that still isn't safe enough in that situation.

Val007 · 05/08/2013 22:18

Piano, no, it was a response to Scrounger.

Scrounger, no, I have no experience of twins. I can only imagine that it is twice as hard as with one. I don't want to be judgemental. I apolgise once again. I just shared my point of view.

Plonkysaurus · 05/08/2013 22:18

I've always left ds in the car when I pay for petrol. Clearly I'm blind to all the babysnatchers lurking behind the pumps Hmm

LimitedEditionLady · 05/08/2013 22:21

You know,ive never thought of babysnatchers in the petrol station.I thought of carjackers but nope not baby takers.

FrussoHathor · 05/08/2013 22:23

I left the baby and the dog in the car earlier today to pay for my petrol.

Just can't win.

Scrounger · 05/08/2013 22:31

Val007, thank you.

milkysmum · 05/08/2013 22:33

Val2007- how old are your dc's?? And you never even have them in another room- really,really????
I would leave mine age 2 and 4 whilst I run in for petrol, milk etc for what it's worth

Val007 · 05/08/2013 22:40

milky, 18 months.

plonky, limited, it only takes one babysnatcher and I certainly don't want this to happen to me. Plus, it's not only that - it's a host of reasons.

frogwatcher42 · 05/08/2013 22:46

I wouldn't leave my dc in a locked car since my car spontaneously combusted - (obviously not the same car that I have now as it was burnt out and written off!).

According to the police and fire brigade who attended, it is not that unusual. It happened so fast, it was shocking. The electrics can go too I believe, so somebody locked in may not be-able to get out even if they use the door handles (I have since been told this but not sure if this is right).

I would leave them in an unlocked car now that they can get out if there is a problem, as long as I can see them.

LimitedEditionLady · 05/08/2013 23:04

I honestly wasnt having a dig val007,really havent worried about that but to be fair my ds is my shadiw,we are always together.
Just a thought,why dont we just pay at pump?

foreverondiet · 05/08/2013 23:46

Petrol station in emergency - ok although try and get petrol when only have one or no kids with me - would prefer not to.

Def no to anywhere else - need to take them out of car.... But would leave an older kids eg 9 year old.

And yes would probably call police if I saw unattended child in a car - if hot day - children can die in heat in car and as passer by cant see how long they have been there.

DontPanicMrMannering · 06/08/2013 01:25
DaleyBump · 06/08/2013 01:29

A man once tried to abduct my mum when my gran left her in the car for two seconds. He managed to get in the car and everything. It scared me so much (when I was told, I obviously wasn't there at the time) that I personally would never, ever take that risk.