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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:
StarfishSandwich · 26/11/2018 12:57

I try to go to a petrol station where I can pay at the pump but failing that, I’ve left him in the car once or twice. We have a Joie Every Stage car seat so it’s not like I can just carry him in in the car seat and it would completely unsettle him to be unclipped, carried in etc. So doesn’t seem worth it when I can have eyes on the car the whole time and be back within 2 minutes.

BringOutTheDancingGirls · 26/11/2018 12:58

Leave the baby in the car.

Safest is to leave the baby at home obv, but I made an informed decision.

lovetherisingsun · 26/11/2018 13:02

Had to take oldest with me as he never slept in the car seat amd was a screamer. Other two were fine to be left for a minute.

Topseyt · 26/11/2018 13:02

I used pay at the pump where it was an option, but if it wasn't an option, or wasn't working then I just locked them in the car and went to pay. Never an issue.

Craft1905 · 26/11/2018 13:08

There’s no correct answer

Yes there is. It's far riskier to carry a baby across a slippery garage forecourt (spilled diesel) with cars moving about and reversing, than it is to leave a baby in a car.

M3lon · 26/11/2018 13:14

petrol and diesel are carcinogenic and toxic to boot. I wouldn't ever handle a child after filling the car unless I could clean my hands first.

TowerRingInferno · 26/11/2018 13:14

Leave them in the car. I’ve never seen anyone take a baby or even older child into a petrol station to pay. I think it’s one of of those ‘only on mumsnet’ things.

We don’t have any pay at the pump petrol stations in this area.

Nodancingshoes · 26/11/2018 17:41

I have always paid at pump but it wouldn't worry me to leave them in the (locked) car either. Most petrol stations are glass fronted so you can see your car at all times

busybarbara · 26/11/2018 17:48

This is such a weird thread. I reckon if the question were that you had to pop out to the postbox or similar a minute's walk from your house people would go nuts if you said you left your baby in a locked house

Woooman · 26/11/2018 18:09

I have been driving for 20 years and I have very very rarely seen a child brought into the petrol station to pay. I have also never seen a car crash, a car being stolen, a car on fire etc on the forecourt during that time. I have however seen people racing off the forecourt after paying and a number of near misses between cars and pedestrians. I think when weighing up the odds that it's far safer to leave the baby/child in the car than parading them across the forecourt with cars manoeuvring around the place.

Fatted · 26/11/2018 18:12

Pay at pump or local Asda petrol station is a drive though Kiosk.

EwItsAHooman · 26/11/2018 18:15

Policy at our local (not a chain) petrol station is that no under 16s are allowed on the forecourt so all children must be left in the car. If you want to take your kids into the shop with you to pay then you have to pull into one of the parking bays next to the door and take them in so they're going along the path rather than across the forecourt.

I always leave DC in the car with the door locked whichever station we use, they're much safer in there than on the forecourt and I don't get fleeced for garage-priced sweets.

nevermorelenore · 26/11/2018 18:17

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baby taken into a petrol station. It’d be such a faff unstrapping then and waking them up. And then you’ve got to strap them back in when you’re done, potentially with a big queue behind you.

I’ve never known a garage to not have a big window overlooking the forecourt, so it’s not like they’re even out of sight.

Bamchicabaawaa · 26/11/2018 18:17

Was of the opinion that children shouldn’t be left in the car until I was out alone with DNs and tried to walk across a forecourt with a 4 mo in her cabriofix, hooked onto my arm. A 2 yo on my shoulders and a 5 yo holding onto the car seat hand.
I’ve run 20Miles. That 100 yards in the forecourt was harder.
Never again.

Schlecky · 26/11/2018 18:18

Credit cards always work at pay at pump if you have one to use instead of a debit card. I work in banking and I could explain all the reasons behind this but it's boring technical stuff. Anyway if you have one just use your credit card instead for pay at pump.

ColdCrumpetsAndButter · 26/11/2018 18:24

If I can't pay at the pump then I Use pump nearest the kiosk and lock car.

I've done the carting the car seat across the forecourt before and it's difficult. They are heavy. Sleeping baby usually wakes up once the cold air hits them. Once you have more than one child it's a bit tricky trying to herd them amongst the cars etc.

It's all personal choice.

BarbaraofSevillle · 26/11/2018 18:28

I have NEVER seen anyone take children out of cars when filling up

Ha ha. I did once. Woman with a baby and a pre schooler. You'd think she was crossing a battlefield the way she did a 'duck and run', one arm cradling the baby and tucking it under her chin and crouching so she could hold the hand of the toddler, who was propelled across the forecourt as fast as his/her little legs could manage.

I know there's probably the world's tiniest risk of Something Bad happening if they are alone in the car, but it's got to be hugely lower than crossing a busy supermarket petrol station forecourt.

babysharkah · 26/11/2018 18:57

Left both babies in the car shock horror! Getting baby twins in and out on a forecourt the minimal times I had to do it would have been a convoluted nightmare. It was generally planned so that I didn't have to but even as they got older I locked them in the car.

Lovingit81 · 26/11/2018 18:58

I would never leave my children alone in a car. I can't believe everyone saying they leave them. Mine are my 100 percent my priority so no I don't leave them alone in a car at any point.

SoupDragon · 26/11/2018 19:03

Mine are my 100 percent my priority

Are you implying that other people consider their children lesser priority?

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 26/11/2018 19:03

I've always taken DD out of the car to pay with me if no pay at pump. From when she was a baby and even now at 5.

Its never added loads of time on or been a mad dash across the forecourt. It also doesnt take that long to strap them in.

SoupDragon · 26/11/2018 19:05

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

This!

FannyFanackerpants71 · 26/11/2018 19:06

My DC's are grown up now and before the days of pay at pump. I planned my petrol filling and more often than not went out went out on my own, leaving DC's with DH when I needed fuel. Failing that I took my
DC's with me and took them out of car and in station with me when I had to pay. Never ever worth the risk.

NerrSnerr · 26/11/2018 19:06

Mine are my 100 percent my priority so no I don't leave them alone in a car at any point.

Ah, that's where I'm going wrong. My children are only 4% my priority.

It goes the other way though doesn't it. I leave my small children in the car because they are 100% my priority and I don't want them to be hit by a car while we cross the forecourt.

CharlieandRabbit · 26/11/2018 19:07

Pay at pump or leave them in the car, locked. We're not in the Australian outback or rural Texas FFS.