Ex leaves 3 year old in car at petrol station. AIBU to be livid?

[wherearethetrees]

DD has just told me that daddy always leaves her in the car when he goes in to pay for the petrol.
Can think of a few 'what if's' which might seem extreme & ultimate feel fucked off at his negligence. AIBU to feel this way? Or am I just OTT?

[OutsiderInTheGarden]

"Is this why you are his ex?" Seems a bit harsh and unnecessary. I get why people might think this is a deliberately provocative thread, but does anyone really need to be rude?

[Hissy]

Not being rude, but this level of ott - if indeed there is a scrap of truth in it - is ridiculous

[PinkyofPie]

This old chestnut always divides MN.

My view is it's far more da Geroge lugging a small, slippery toddler across a petrol forecourt where people don't expect kids to be running across it, as opposed than the extremely unlikely chances of anything at all happening by leaving them.

I've left DD in dice she was a newborn, it never occurred to me to take her. As long as I can see the car from the shop window it's fine. Honestly, some people! YABVVVVU

[PinkyofPie]

*since not dice!

[PinkyofPie]

Argh *dangerous not da George

[ExtraHotLatteToGo]

OTT

& utterly ridiculous.

[idontlikealdi]

Waaaaaaaay OTT.

[branofthemist]

I always hated leaving mine in the car at the petrol station.

But you are completely over reacting. Are you looking for reasons to accuse him of negligence? Because I cants understand your reaction at all

[PigletWasPoohsFriend]

Completely OTT.

[LouSavage]

I prefer to pay at pump where possible, luckily our local stations are mostly pay at pump. If that isn't an option I'm not taking my 3 and 1 year old across the forecourt and into the shop just to pay for petrol quickly. I can see my car the whole time, being there or not wouldn't make any difference if our car was to be hit and if the whole place randomly blew up (when does that even happen besides in movies?) we'd all be gonners anyway.
You're being massively over the top. It's pretty ridiculous. Your ex has just as much say in parenting choices as you do and this is his choice while your child is in his care.

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

Only on mn have I ever come across anyone with these concerns.

[ipswichwitch]

It would be far more dangerous to faff on getting my two out of the car, holding DS1's hand while clinging on to runaway DS2. Then I'd have to spend an eternity taking stuff off DS2 that he's picking up off the shelves while arguing with DS1 about why he's not getting sweets. Trying to pay would be a nightmare, with DS1 whinging about sweets and DS2 pressing buttons on the card machine. That's all before having to negotiate the forecourt getting back to the car, with DS2 trying to get in random vans and DS1 still moaning about the sweets I wouldn't get him. And finally, having to fasten them both in again, DS2 planking the whole time, and DS1 STILL on about bastard sweets. The entire horrific experience would take so long, the queue would be a mile long and I'd have incurred the wrath of half the population of the north east by the time I managed to get myself in the car, stalling it 3 times with the stress of it all, and trying to drive away without crashing as my two kids are wailing away in the back.

Sod that. I'll leave the little buggers darlings in the car and nip in and out within a minute or two. Nobody gets stressed, told off, flattened, or driven off in a random van they've managed to hide in.

[Libitina]

Is the OP going to come back in the face of a unanimous MN vote?

[DuckAndPancakes]

Hahahahahahaha
Hahahahaahahahahaha
HA HA. HA. HA.

hilarious. You definitely can't be fucking serious, that would be ridiculous.
Negligence. Brilliant.

[SideOrderofChip]

Waaaay OTT. Why would i unload all three of my kids from the car to cross a busy forecourt to pay for petrol?? When i can just pop in, pay and come back..

[Lynnm63]

Totally OTT. I have three kids inc twins so the thought of taking them all out of their car seats, trailing across the forecourt, paying and then back again. Having to unbuckle and rebuckle three car seats. Nightmare. Petrol in, run in watching car through window, pay, run back job done in less than five mins.

[Fomalhaut]

I dont think it's ott

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36697713

Car stolen with baby in the back.

[Queenbean]

[WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup]

You're being precious.

[Pimmmms]

YABU taking them in when YOU pay for petrol.

[JudyCoolibar]

Fornalhaut, the incident in that report isn't comparable. It was a car left out in the road for a length of time that isn't defined, not a car left in a petrol station for a couple of minutes in full view of the owner.

[gobbynorthernbird]

Fomal, do you have a link as to how many children were injured (or even killed) in RTA over the last 24 hours? Because I'm sure those numbers are a lot higher and the ex is negligent for even taking the child out of the house.

[MrGrumpy01]

I would hazard a guess the keys were left in the above vehicle.

I do leave mine in the car, but I took my youngest today. I am never sure about the lock/unlock thing, and she is now in a hbb so if I locked it she would set the alarm off, and if I didn't I wouldn't put it past her to climb through the front and open the door to come and look for me. I would have paid at pump but I needed bread.

However a content child, in a secure seat, then yes yabu - I think it also depends on what it is - my local petrol station is also a tesco express so you can be queuing for ages so I would imagine people being less comfortable there than my usual Sainsburys (don't have the children as I fill up when at/on the way back from work) as it is just the basic forecourt shop, 2 people serving and rarely a queue more than 2 deep.

[2rebecca]

I think I left mine in and locked the car but didn't put alarm on. I probably usually did pay at pump of filled up when I didn't have them as I don't remember fretting about it.

[FreshHorizons]

This is a regular MN thing where people can't risk assess and trail their child across a busy garage forecourt when they are much better off left in the car. In RL I have never seen anyone do it- they take the sensible option, like your ex.