to get upset by parents who...........

[GhostOfMumsnet]

leave their children in the car and then go into the other supermarket to do their shopping?

kks I must say I do agree with you. I don't dare say these things as I don't feel resiliant enough atm to enter a battle .

A case in Oz a few years back, a mother went into shop for a few minutes with baby asleep in the back. Car was driven off by thief, not realising baby in there, he ditched the car when he finally noticed the baby. By the time they found the car + baby it had been sitting in the hot Oz sun. It did not end well.

personally,this issue doesnt affect me as i dont have a car,but i think it depends on the age of the child and the area you are leaving the car in.leaving older children,who can get out of the car and safely come and get you if they need to,is different to leaving a toddler.leaving a baby who is asleep while you pay for petrol or go to the cash machine is different to leaving a 3 year old who can undo their seatbelt and escape(if they are anything like mine)and be halfway accross town before you even notice

I leave ds in the car when doing petrol (petrol forecourts are not exactly safe) I lock the car and then go and pay. I also do it if it is a very very quick pop into a local shop if I am parked right in front of it.

Does it count that last week I stayed in the car and DS1 went in to do the shop? I was very good, didn't fiddle with the radio, and kept my seatbelt buckled!
(I was feeling ill, he wasn't)

Why did that person leave the car unlocked with the keys in it in the first place? They do say always lock your car when you go to pay. If you leave the child in the car while you pay then the child can see where you have gone on you can see the child. They do have big windows in petrol stations you know.

My dh once got out of the car, left the engine running with ds inside in a car park, came inside the post office to get me, we could see the car as the office had huge windows and car was only a few steps away, but I went ballistic, anyone could have jumped in and driven away. Poor dh, I barked at him like a mad dog

Yeah if your gonna leave the kids in the car then don't leave the engine running. I always lock mine whether the childs in there or not. Its just common sense.

I think its down to common sense.

I dont want to upset anyone, and only giving a past experience of an incident I was witness to (from an office window) of a car that caught fire on hot summers day. Most of car was parked in shade, but a plastic bag in the car, I think was the trigger as it was in direct sun. 2 small children locked inside. Car had been parked off a quiet road unattended with kids inside while driver went to shops. Unusual I know that a car should catch light. As I say dont want to frighten anyone.

Started to smoke and a some-one called the fire service who came along in about 2 minutes. By then some-one on the street had smashed the car window and got kids out. Parent came back after about 15 minutes to mayhem.

So Ghost, I wouldnt leave them to go shopping. Now they are older and I dont have to make that choice.

I would only leave a child in the car for a few minutes, no way 15 or more!