AIBU to have locked my doors?

[Libett6]

AIBU, I was sat in my car on the petrol forecourt waiting for OH to come back from paying for petrol. Someone who had been at the pump in front of our car moved her car to the left and parked her car in the spaces, but instead of going back to the pump she was previously at she came and stood beside my car and was acting suspicious. I immediately locked the doors as I had my 5 year old DS in the back - she proceeded to walk in front of my car laughing and looking at me saying to whoever she was with who was stood by their car on the left 'she just locked the door'! I said in response, 'yes you're correct I did, you can never trust anyone these days'. Completely inconsequential to me but she was black and I don't know if she jumped to the conclusion that I did it because of this. I 100% did not and would have done the same regardless of colour, creed etc - I was simply protecting my child as you just cannot take any risks these days. WIBU??

always trust your instincts op, always always always

maybe she was putting rubbish in the bin, I do this sometimes

The reason I say suspicious behaviour in response to those who asked, is that I could not see what she seemed to be doing to my right (I was on the left) she was standing slightly past my field of vision & there was no reason for her to be by our pump especially as they had just used the one in front - why did she not go bavk over to that one? Hence my suspicion

OP, are you Constable Savage?

you just cannot take any risks these days.

I can't get past that, TBH.

Quite surprised people don't lock their doors as a matter of form to be honest.

It's basic safety

My car locks the doors automatically after a few seconds. I find that embarrassing also - it often happens when I've driven away from the house and am waiting at the give way sign out of our road. If any pedestrians are walking by they hear "me" locking the doors (suspiciously!) .
That said, I always lock the doors at the petrol pumps, people look to see if you've left your bag on the seat or if you left the keys in the ignition.
It was just extremely unfortunate for you and embarrassing... Next time blame it on the car doing it automatically. Or leave the country and change your name :-D Stop thinking about it, it was just unfortunate.

I always lock my doors. Once a completely drunk man tried to get into my car when I was waiting for someone. Urgh

Constable Savage .

I'm willing to wager had it been a small old woman loitering by your car, you probably wouldn't have responded the way you did.

What do you propose to do about it now? Keep driving in and out of the petrol station until you see her again so you can reassure her there were no racist overtones to your decision?

Howling at Constable Savage acasualobserver.

People should lock their doors though. Twice I have got into a car thinking it was ours. So lock your doors to keep me out!

She may well have had to come to your pump for paper to wipe her hands because there was none at hers. Could be any number of reasons.

It doesn't sound as though she was taking any notice of you or your car, in which case your reaction was quite odd. And disavow it all you like, but it seems to me that at least subconsciously, the fact that she was black probably did influence your reaction.

VladmirsPoutine - I would have indeed - if you read my original post I did say I would have done the same regardless of colour, creed, age, gender etc

Libett6
In no way AUBU I always do this basic safety anything could possible happen especially when my DS is in the car as CannotEvenDeal has said look what happened to them.! You just can't take a chance these days. A couple of years back in a big city Where i would go to to shop when people would pull up at traffic lights people used open the passenger door and grab women's handbags.!

listen regardless of if it may be OTT or the lady thought you were stereotyping you can never trust people and its better to annoy someone rather than be sorry.

YANBU. Better safe than sorry, and locking the door wasn't causing any harm so I can't see an issue.

on another note op ALWAYS lock your door regardless when you get in the car there have been incidents of women dragged out of cars are attacked. I lock my car as soon as I get in on my road ect

I am going to go against the grain and say YANBU, I would have done the same regardless of who was standing near the car (unless obviously it was my dp or someone I had travelled there with) Since she used the pump in front, she had no reason to be standing at yours and I would see that as odd behaviour.

I grew up in a city where car jackings and thefts were quite common at traffic lights. I live in a sleepy suburb with few reasons to pull up and spend most of my journeys on faster roads so most of the time I don't lock up, but I do when going into areas with slower moving traffic and frequent stops.

As to locking up in this situation, there's no obvious reasonable or unreasonable conclusion without being there. Acting on instinct is fair enough.

I always lock the doors if I'm in a town or city. Basic precaution.

I never used to lock my doors. Driving home from work one night, this man was stood in the middle of the road flagging me down. I had to slow so to not hit him and road too narrow to turn around. I thought as I had uniform on something was wrong
Anyway I realised it wasn't and he started screaming at me and ran towards the car and went to open the door. Hit lock, as I went to drive off (he was at my side of the car) he punched the car so hard it caused £900 worth of damage. I lost my no claims as it went down as fault because they couldn't claim it back off him. He did pay me £100 in £5 instalments
I was so mad I kept him running behind my cat, driving really slow as I rang 999. He was arrested when they arrived

I don't really get the point of the thread.

You had a little gut feeling that something might/might not have been a bit 'off', so you locked the doors.

A woman remarked about it to whoever she was with.

The end.

Why are you still thinking about it?

If someone's loitering by my car then yes, of course I will lock.
That's why locks are there for.

Seeyou, because bad things only happen in towns and cities?