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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have done what I did today?

94 replies

superbagpuss · 18/01/2014 20:19

OK I'm ready for a flaming as I feel guilty about this

normally I always check the petrol in my car so I have enough

however dh drove my car and he always drives the mpg down ( a personal bugbear of mine) and so I find myself with DC in their PJ in the car with barely enough petrol to get home

so I stop at a petrol station, but there are no pay at pumps so I have to go in the shop and leave DC in the car

they are 4 and were very tired and sleepy, and had been good up to that point

of course there was a queue so I was away from the car for 5 mins, had to leave the car unlocked so the alarm didn't go off but could see the car at all times

all was OK but I hated doing it, DC where very well behaved

if I did the wrong thing what should I have done?

and yes I should have checked petrol level when dh was in the car earlier in the day - that's not a helpful thought

OP posts:

Mrsmorton · 18/01/2014 20:34

bohemian actually laughed out loud at coal powered phone.

The reason they banned this was because they thought the mobile phones would interfere with whatever dongle sends info from the pump to the till, nowt do do with causing buncefield.

picnicbasketcase · 18/01/2014 20:36

Re phone sparks - I was expecting somebody to come along and rant about that being a possibility and therefore a reason to never leave children in the car, rather than actually thinking it would happen myself, IYSWIM. It's the type of thing that gets brought up on threads like this

Mamafratelli · 18/01/2014 20:36

I once saw a policeman shout at a lady for taking her kids out of the car to pay. He was ranting about fumes. You can't win. Just lock them in the car. Thats what I do.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 18/01/2014 20:37

Hell no. They always stay in the car otherwise i'd have to budget the price of kinder eggs and Ribena into my petrol costs.

HicDraconis · 18/01/2014 20:38

Mine get left in an unlocked car! We don't have pay at pump here at all and I'd rather they had the ability to get out if the car burst into flames. Which is as likely as someone stealing them, or them getting out for a wander.

All forecourts are bristling with cctv, all pumps have cameras - they're far safer inside the car than walking across to the shop to pay.

BoffinMum · 18/01/2014 20:44

I think it depends on a lot of things, including time of day, design of forecourt, whether there are dodgy looking people nearby, that kind of thing. I probably would have done the same if I could see the car. I would always leave it unlocked as the risk of fire is greater than the risk of random butters in that situation.

2tired2bewitty · 18/01/2014 20:51

Yup, I always leave the car unlocked too, as i would much rather someone could get her out if there was an emergency.

Jinty64 · 18/01/2014 20:52

But I daresay that's wrong because someone in another car could text someone, making a spark from their phone and the whole place could go up.

I think, on Mumsnet, cars can combust spontaneously.

I don't take mine in.

BohemianGirl · 18/01/2014 20:56

whether there are dodgy looking people nearby

cries< Jesus wept. I assume these people are just waiting to add to the spate of sparking phones? Exactly what are these people going to do? Never in my life have I seen groups of marauding dodgy people at the local Shell garage.

KeatsiePie · 18/01/2014 20:58

Bohemian I just have to see this again Sparking phones? WTF? Is yours coal powered or something? Bloody urban myths. If that were remotely true it would be The Law to empty your car of all manner of stray people from your mother, husband, friend and great aunt Hilda. And how would people get back in the car? Would there be some sort of 1 minute texting amnesty whilst people did a mad dash from the pay kiosk?

Man I laughed hard at that.

I've actually never seen anyone take their kids out of a car and into the gas station if they are just buying gas. But do you not have pay-at-the-pump?

bordellosboheme · 18/01/2014 21:00

Ywnbu

BohemianGirl · 18/01/2014 21:02

What happens at pay at the pump?

These sparking phones that make your car explode. How are you and your children protected by standing between a car with an open petrol tank and a discharging nozzle in the pissing rain? I demand you tell me!

ChippingInWadesIn · 18/01/2014 21:05

Spend more time in real life, only on MN is leaving children in the car when you pay for petrol 'not the done thing'. Honestly, it's what sane and normal people do.

SaltySeaBird · 18/01/2014 21:05

When DD was a newborn I used to lug her in to pay. Now she is 16mo if there is no queue and it is quiet I leave her locked in the car. If there is a queue and I will be more than a few mins I get her out and carry her in.

I try and go where you can pay at the pump. Or just play petrol roulette with DH. I can bear to leave it on the light longer than he can so luckily I don't have the faff of getting petrol too often!

KeatsiePie · 18/01/2014 21:09

Maybe it's American? You get out, put your debit/credit card in at the pump, take the nozzle out, fuel the car, replace nozzle, decline receipt, and drive away. So you never have to go inside.

Of course people are constantly exploding on the spot mid-nozzling b/c they are texting, or thinking about texting, or someone else is thinking about texting while walking by, so it is a bit hazardous in its way.

procrastinatingagain · 18/01/2014 21:09

sparking phones bollocks

CassCade · 18/01/2014 21:11

I have told my three that children are not allowed in the petrol station. Partly do not want them loose on forecourt but also because they would ask for sweets in the kiosk. They always stay in the car! I do usually lock car but not always if in clear view of kiosk. Don't feel bad! I think you were sensible, actually. I once ran out of petrol very close to home with baby in car (3m old!!) and had to be rescued. Never again... so don't feel guilty! :)

littlewhitebag · 18/01/2014 21:14

I never, ever took my DC out the car at a petrol station when they were small AND i never, ever locked the door when i went to pay. Still don't.

Original poster

superbagpuss · 18/01/2014 21:18

we do have pay at pump but not at all stations and I didn't want to waste petrol driving around until I found one

OP posts:

KeatsiePie · 18/01/2014 21:22

Ah, of course.

Was so distracted by sparking phone thing that I forgot to say YWNBU.

ThePigOfHappiness · 18/01/2014 21:23

My mum took the kids away for the weekend and had to get petrol before she collected them so she wouldn't have the internal debate about whether to take then in or not. She is the only person I know who worries about things like this. It's perfectly fine, don't worry :)

SoonToBeSix · 18/01/2014 21:36

I would have paid at the pump.

Sparklingbrook · 18/01/2014 21:41

Op says that wasn't an option Soon.

picnicbasketcase · 18/01/2014 21:42

I do know it's bollocks, it was an example of the kind of shit people say about not leaving them in the car. Apparently we also need to write (sarcasm) after posts as well as (lighthearted) in the titles now

DirtieBertie · 18/01/2014 21:49

That link said that most forecourt fires were caused by static electricity so as long as you dress your kids in natural fibres, they should be fine.

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