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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What do you do with baby when filling up in garage

185 replies

R3b3kah · 26/11/2018 11:44

Do you leave baby in locked car? Take baby in with you?

My Bank card never works at pump, so I have no choice but to go in.
I’m quite a new driver and I’ve not had to fill up on my own when I’ve got little one in the car with me.
What do others do?

OP posts:
amilosingitor · 26/11/2018 12:20

I was shouted at and ended up in tears recently when a man decided I was in the wrong for leaving baby in car while I paid Sad

SoupDragon · 26/11/2018 12:21

I've seen people smash into cars at the petrol station and that was enough to put me off doing it.

Why would you put them in the car in the first pace then? I've seen far more cars crash at far higher speeds when not at a petrol station.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 26/11/2018 12:23

in your scenario leave in the car- fortunately we have pay at the pump. Pretty sure if someone stole my car with my 15month inside they'd soon return it Grin

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 26/11/2018 12:25

I leave DS in the car (aged 2) and always have, unless he is upset, then I take him in. The faff of getting him in and out the car seat for 2 minutes is not worth it. I always lock the car and keep an eye while I pay, though I pay at pump where I can.

GrumbleBumble · 26/11/2018 12:26

When tiny left in car, once he could undo his buckle taken with me. Since about 6 I give him the choice and he knows not to unbuckle or move if he stays in the car. The chances of a car being stolen from a CCTV heavy forecourt is tiny and as others have said any bumps would be low speed with are far less likely to cause harm to a child in a car seat in a car than one walking/being carried.

MulderitsmeX · 26/11/2018 12:26

I take baby with me

overagain · 26/11/2018 12:27

Thesnobbymiddleclassone I've seen someone run over at the petrol station so would never take a child across the forecourt with me!

I leave DS in the car. He can't get out of his carseat and it isn't for long.

It's basically a game of pick which risks you are most comfortable with:

Risk of leaving in the car:

  • something may happen to the car (stolen/ crashed in to)
  • there may be a fire at the petrol station
  • something may happen to child (get out the car seat, choke on something, get kidnapped)

Risk of taking them out of the car:

  • risk of the child running off
  • risk of being knocked over
  • (this may be specifically my child) child is a pain in the arse to get back in the seat, making the two risks above more likely.

Personally I feel the risks associated with taking the child with you are more likely.

GrumbleBumble · 26/11/2018 12:28

Oh and babies shouldn't be in coats in car seats for padding compression and over heating reasons so standing next to a petrol pump stuffing a baby into a coat or carrying one in the cold/rain without a coat seem unnecessary to me.

Notmorewashing · 26/11/2018 12:29

Pay at pump!!

HellenaHandbasket · 26/11/2018 12:29

Always left mine in car.

Mia1415 · 26/11/2018 12:31

Always left mine in the car. I had a fuel card so couldn't pay at pump. I could always see him when paying so didn't consider it a big risk.

seventhgonickname · 26/11/2018 12:34

I have never seen a mum at a petrol stations keep her children out of the car to pay and there are vanishingly few pay at the pump garages where I am.

abacucat · 26/11/2018 12:36

I suspect statistically the risks are low whatever you do. But taking your baby to pay is probably slightly riskier.

Original poster
R3b3kah · 26/11/2018 12:36

Thanks for all the replies Grin

I’m glad a lot are on the side of leaving baby in the locked car.

He’s 11 months old and he hates getting in and out the car, he don’t like the car much as it is, so would be 1 less screaming fit.
I use Tesco and they are useless with some bank cards

OP posts:
DanglyBangly · 26/11/2018 12:37

Leave them in the car but I'd try and wait until I could see there was no queue in the shop, so that I was away for the minimal amount of time.

AlexanderHamilton · 26/11/2018 12:38

I used to leave them in the car.

I've had cars run into the back of my car with the kids in the car seat twice. Both times I was stopped in stationery traffic/at a junction, not parked on a petrol station.

HashTagLil · 26/11/2018 12:39

I've seen people smash into cars at the petrol station and that was enough to put me off doing it.

Surely if this happens as often as you imply, the child is safer in the car? At least it is in a car seat and most modern cars have inbuilt safety features. Being hit whilst walking across the forecourt would mean you have no protection whatsoever.

RiddleyW · 26/11/2018 12:40

The risk assessment piece is interesting.

I suspect DS is safer in his cot at home on his own than driving to Tesco with me but I wouldn't do that.

Banana770 · 26/11/2018 12:47

At the small local garage where I’ll only be a few meters away I leave the baby in the car. At the large one where there’s always a queue and the car is quite far away from the bit where you pay I take him in. I never go with my toddler as I wouldn’t feel safe with her walking across.

HoppingPavlova · 26/11/2018 12:50

Left them in the car. Too much chance of them bolting in an area which is essentially a high traffic area, especially when more than one so you are carrying one and wrangling others. Car was safer for us. Maybe it’s not for others.

littlemisscomper · 26/11/2018 12:51

I've always left them in unless they specially wanted to come. I did find a toddler running around a forecourt (on a major road!) once looking for her mum. We found her mum in the shop paying. She'd left her asleep in her car seat. The little one could so easily have been killed, it did give me pause for thought!

SleepySofa · 26/11/2018 12:51

I used to make sure I filled up when DS was in nursery or at home with DP, or pay at pump. Once or twice since he's been a toddler, I've left him in the car, but I don't really like doing that.

FourFuxxakes · 26/11/2018 12:54

Left the baby (now the children) in the car and go and pay. Far too much hassle getting the pushchair out and the car seat was too heavy. Even more hard work when I had a toddler who would touch absolutely everything and wasn't very good at walking unaided as well as a tiny baby. So much easier and quicker when they were strapped in the car and I was free to just run in and pay.

minisoksmakehardwork · 26/11/2018 12:54

I've always left mine in the car and locked it.

I have one bank card (NatWest) which doesn't work on some pay at pumps. Apparently it's to do with how thin the plastic card is. My nationwide one works fine and is a basic account.

Imo the risk and stress of unloading and then reloading small children on a busy car is too great. By the time I've got mine out and the time it takes to get them in again, I can usually have paid.

Alternatively if you have contactless, just put £30 of fuel in and tap the card. Don't have to worry about putting it in then.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 26/11/2018 12:55

Left in the car until they were old enough to be trying to get out of car seat straps. Then they come in.

However, I usually nip out in the evening leaving DH at home with the kids to fill up if I can. Then it's just me, usually quieter too (both in the car and at the petrol station!!)