Woman telling me to open my car windows

[Youknowitsnotthesameasitwas]

The other day I went to the petrol station with my 6 year old in the car. She’s currently off school as isn’t feeling well and we stopped to get petrol before heading to the Drs.
It’s our local petrol station, a small one. I always park at the pump closest to the large front window where the cashier is, it’s about the same distance as sitting on the sofa and watching tv.
Dd didn’t want to go in as she doesn’t feel well, it was a warm day but because Dd wasn’t feeling well she didn’t want the air con on or windows open. I parked outside and nipped in, being able to see her the whole time. I was behind one man in the queue paying and a woman came in and started asking if it was my child in the car and saying how the car windows should be open. I said to her, it literally takes me less than a minute to come in here and pay. She was still going on about it, at this point I started to feel pissed off and said ‘It’s ok, it’s my daughter, I know what I’m doing, she’s not very well and didn’t want the windows open and I’m just nipping in and out and can see her the whole time, ok?’

Was I in the wrong or was she?

You should have said to her that her sticking her nose in like that actually meant that you spent MORE time away from your DD than you would have done if she had kept her gob shut!

Some people just HAVE to prove that they know everything, its like they have some sort of hero complex or something. You can bet your sweet ass that she has spent the rest of the day alternately slagging you off and bragging about how she "educated" you. Silly cow.

Really? At a petrol station, where obviously the time the parent is away from the car is very short? Is that medically true, or just an opinion not based on fact?

Is it worse for a dog then?

She wouldn't have said this if you were a dude 🤨

I’ve just been sat outside having a drink in the sun not 5 mins ago in Cumbria

Are you quite alright?

Dogs wear fur coats. Perhaps you have noticed this?

Well, yes. Dogs have fur and they can't sweat. That's why they pant.

I’ve been driving for over 30 years and I have never noticed such an increase in temperature in my car in a short space of time. She needed to mind her own business!

There's no law or rule against having your car windows open.

I would have told her to F off - ffs why do we have this epidemic of these interfering prats? Totally with you OP.

I don’t know I still would have left one of the windows open slightly. Was the car locked could she open the doors if she needed too? What if you got delayed cars do get hot quickly.

How long did she think your child would be left in the car park for at a petrol station? 🤣 Maybe if it was a supermarket or something I'd half get it.

I know you knew your child was ok (I do the same to be honest) but if I didn’t know the situation a child was in (or could be in) I’d rather say something and be wrong, than stay quiet and be right…. If that makes sense. Yes a busy body, you wasn’t being unreasonable but maybe she thought she was doing the right thing… so a well intentioned one though.

ETA she could have just been on one and wanted some drama but I like to think the best of people!!!! Hope your little one feels better now.

Agreed.

I had numerous women giving me 'helpful' guidance when my DC's were young. Strangely enough DH received none.
This includes the time I felt societal pressure to tell my child not to talk to strangers whilst I went to get a teaspoon from the counter in a cafe (knowing full well that she wouldn't utter a word anyway) and returned to a full on lecture about how rude I was and how it's important for children to communicate. My long awaited cup of tea lost it's appeal after that.

I had the door open once talking to dh and I got called out over the loud speaker thingy. So thought windows open might be the same sort of thing?

At 6yo, your dd has agency to decide if she wants the windows open or not and kick up a fuss if it’s an issue, but no earthly mammal is going to have an issue at five minutes in an enclosed car in the current weather.

No one was being unreasonable here.

I’m with the “busy body” on this one. She saw a child in locked car was concerned for the child’s safety and spoke up about it.

This.

I wouldn't have bothered explaining myself to her, I'd probably ignore or tell her to mind her own bloody business!

Don’t let it get to you too much, OP. We all do
things differently, I guess. I do worry about my kids being in the car alone for other reasons but I appreciate I’m the minority. The shell app is a lifesaver as I live in an area with no pay at pump. People will always have an opinion about everything, if you know your kid was okay, let it go over your head.

“Leave me alone and mind your own business.”

I think it was one of those situations where you shouldn't have done it (left DD in a car by herself) but practically, you didn't have many options (if you needed fuel, you needed fuel, and dragging a poorly child out of a car wouldn't have been fun for either of you).

It’s always “just a minute”. Until it isn’t.

The woman wasn’t wrong.