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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to take my baby with me?

95 replies

redwinefine · 13/02/2020 19:52

When I go to the petrol station I take my baby out of the car and in with me while I pay. My husband says I'm being ridiculous as I can see the car the whole time and am disturbing the baby unnecessarily. AIBU? It goes against the grain to leave my baby unattended!

OP posts:

LuluJakey1 · 13/02/2020 22:57

If the DC are in the car, I always go to Morrisons for petrol where there is a Pay at the Pump.

DivGirl · 13/02/2020 22:59

People have to do what's best for them. Last week I left terrible sleeper DS asleep in the car while I went to Tesco for 3.5 minutes. A huge Mumsnet faux pas. It was what was best for me at the time (on a remote island, before we got on a ferry for 18 hours, when DS is a total wreck if he doesn't nap and that's without factoring in the aforementioned boat, plus we needed boat snacks).

I also also wouldn't think twice about leaving him in the car at a petrol station if he was asleep (awake I would take him in with me).

I work in a role that brings me very very close to all kinds of child abuse/assault. The people at petrol stations are not the ones to fear.

bd67thSaysReinstateLangCleg · 13/02/2020 23:58

Surely just lock the car? You're only going in for a few minutes.

The static build-up caused by you wrangling your child out of the car marginally increases the chance of a forecourt fire, although, in the UK with our dead man's handle pumps, the chance of a static spark igniting a fire is still very low. (Most forecourt fires in the US are caused by the driver letting go of a lock-on fuel pump's grip to retrieve her handbag from her car, getting static charge on her, touching the grip again and discharging the static as a huge spark into the petrol fumes coming out of her fuel tank.)

ferrier · 14/02/2020 07:11

I'm surprised any petrol station would let u16s on forecourt, none of my local ones do confused
Ive never heard of them not being allowed. More rules!

Probably the place where all the mumsnetters who take their babies with them live (nowhere near me - I can't remember ever seeing it). They probably got fed up with the delays this was causing and made up this rule.

Yabadee · 14/02/2020 07:27

I’ve never taken DD into a petrol station. Not allowed on forecourts here either! And I have a bank card that doesn’t allow me to use pay at pump so have to go in. So much hassle, and I can see her from inside. She waves and makes funny faces at me!

From when she was old enough to understand, I just told her to keep an eye on the car for me, she was in charge, and I’d be back in 2 minutes. She loved the responsibility!

Highlights12 · 14/02/2020 17:29

I'm sure more accidents happen on roads than forecourts so do you not drive on roads with children in cars

Kaykay066 · 14/02/2020 17:36

When mine were small we didn’t have pay at pump so you have to decide which is safer, leaving them strapped in car seats and go and pay for fuel or drag 4 children out of the car and take them with you. I chose to leave them. My eldest was 10/11 so could undo car seats if needed but it was safer to leave them where they are. Now have one pay at pump so use that quite a lot kids much older now though

Original poster

redwinefine · 15/02/2020 20:10

For all those who said about Pay at Pump, this isn't available at my local garage. I've already been the victim of an attempted car jacking, hence why I don't want him left in the car.

OP posts:

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/02/2020 00:14

Dripfeed or what?!

00100001 · 16/02/2020 10:17

You're still unreasonable.

What would you do if you had twin newborns ?

Tombliwho · 16/02/2020 10:45

I always use pay at pump because all the local garages have it.. However if I'm using a garage away from home I'm not dragging three young children across a busy forecourt because I'm not an idiot tbh. Anyone can see that puts them in a more risky situation in terms of immediate dangers.
The attempted car jacking is a huge convenient drip feed

Skyejuly · 16/02/2020 10:46

I always pay at pump. If I need to grab some bits I take her in.

BecauseReasons · 16/02/2020 10:46

Dripfeed or what?!

This. You'd think OP's DH would be aware of any carjacking and that it would have featured in the OP if this had happened, as it's OP's primary reason for her stance. Really interesting that it hasn't come out until this point.

Darbs76 · 16/02/2020 10:48

I used to take my baby in with me until I read a post on Mumsnet where most people didn’t so I stopped. Just parked where I could see the car and locked it. Pay at the pump is easier, or she’ll have an app where you can pay now

bd67thSaysReinstateLangCleg · 17/02/2020 00:18

I've already been the victim of an attempted car jacking,

Carjacking will be a lot easier if you are spending a long time stood at your opened car manouvering a small child out and in. Lock the car with the child inside. Without the keys, the carjacker will struggle to get in and is going nowhere if he does.

Vulpine · 17/02/2020 00:25

Its only when i came on mumsnet that i realised parents took kids out of the car to pay. All mine survived.

davies308 · 17/02/2020 00:33

I leave mine in the car. If I'd been victim of an attempted carjacking I'd probably start using a different petrol station.

Pumpkinpie1 · 17/02/2020 00:33

I would never leave a child in a car unsupervised. Any doubt I’d refill at with payment at pump. My daughter was an escapee and couldn’t be trusted to not run away

Original poster

redwinefine · 26/02/2020 12:53

Dripfeed or what?!

Not a dripfeed, just something that occurred to me. It wasn't at that garage it hadn't. It must be nice to be so perfect :D

*You're still unreasonable.

What would you do if you had twin newborns ?*

but I don't have twin babies??

OP posts:

bloodywhitecat · 26/02/2020 13:53

I remember an incident of a forecourt explosion caused by two lorries colliding and then hitting cars on the forecourt of a filling station. It was a horrific situation, a freak accident and at the time I remember being nervous about leaving the kids in the car while I paid but on balance decided they were safer in the car than crossing the forecourt. I now have a 15 week old and a 3 year old and if I need to fill up I leave them in the car with the doors locked

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