is this socially acceptable?

[howtodrainyourflagon]

Re Chuggington/Thomas the Tank Engine type ride-in toys for young children that you find outside morrisons and tesco etc. Is it okay to routinely let your kids climb in and pretend to drive for a bit but never cough up for an actual ride?

Yes totally. I can't rember the last time I put money in one.

Yes, as long as there's no one queueing. Does that answer your question?

Yes i think it's fine as long as the non-payers get off if someone comes along and wants a proper ride.

Don't you know that only Grandmas have the special magic tokens that make them work?

Of course. However, if a child comes over with money for the ride, I would tell my DC to come off.
The single best bit of advice I was given before having children was to never put money in these rides if it was somewhere you went regularly e.g, local supermarket.

Yes they are a rip off anyway and always eat my money

Yes, of course.

Yes it's fine as long as you vacate when someone prepared to put cash in comes over.

Yes it's fine.

Absolutely. They are usually left in public spaces, for the public to sit/climb on. Like any other things we treat them carefully and do not damage them, but there is no law saying you have to pay to sit on them. If anyone is wealthy enough to cough up 50p to put in them every time they go past, that is up to them.

Hmmm. I had an earful from a security guard as ds had been sitting in a toy car for 5 minutes and apparently it was obvious I wasn't going to pay and he could bar me from the shop. Needless to say I was gobsmacked but I guess the shop does have to pay for the rent and running costs.

Silverlace - that reminds me of our local icecream van, which only plays music when it has run out of icecream - allegedly!

Mine loses the plot if the thing actually moves. It's fine. Security guard was a tit. It's in the job description!

The security guard sounds like an arse. I'd consider reporting to store management if I were you.

I let one of my DS have a proper ride for his second birthday, what a mistake. I reckon I'd have got another year of him being happy to sit in and pretend but not after he knew they moved!
I love the idea that only Grandmas have the magic coin that makes them work.
The number of times we used to drive past a McDonalds that was always shut, one day DS said 'but the lights are on' and I told him they were cleaning it!

Contact the store manager and ask for their policy on it. Then ask them to inform their security guard of the policy (or lack of one). Sounds like he was being an arse.

It appears the world is sane after all. I don't think I've ever seen the thing used for real (I.e. with coins in the slot). I've always told the dc if they want to be rocked to and fro with lights and music they can pay me 50p and I'll put on the radio and chuck them around the living room :)

DD (2.5) was sitting on one the other day, with three seats. Another mum comes along with her two little ones, we tell DD to vacate. Other mum (very nicely) says "oh she can stay on for a ride, I'm about to put money in anyway", Er, thanks, but she doesn't know they do anything yet ;)

Complain to Morrisons HO. It's fuck all to do with some jumped up security guard.

I'd be loaded if I charged 50p a time! Never paid for those machines and have no intention of ever paying, DS has plenty of fun pretending.

My grandchildren are always told the rides are asleep whenever we go past.

My kids where always told they were broken .
My grown up son said to me that he amazed they were never fixed lol

Never worked near us, either.

Now, however, I find them a marvellous bribe. I'll happily pay 50p if it means we get round Morrisions without a full on fight....

What a surprise Morrissons. My sister was accused of stealing meat there. She hadn't and never got an apology.

sorry may have misread that.