Pram left overnight in the garden!

[dontcomeatme]

Definetly not "end of the world" stuff, but I got quite angry about this.
We have a double buggy that doesn't fit through our front door so needs to be built up outside every time we want to go out, not an issue. Monday mornings are nursery run mornings, I need to get the 7:20am bus. DW always at work. We're both females.
She was sorting jobs out last night while I got the baby settled for sleep. She came upstairs and told me she had built the pram up and just left it in the garden! We have never done that before and I don't like the idea of it. She said it wasn't going to rain so didn't see the issue. Problem is we saw a rat in the garden last week and after speaking with the neighbours turns out that 3 doors down have a rat problem.
I didn't shout at her but I did irritably tell her to go and get the pram in the house because I didn't want rats touching it and she said I was being absolutely ridiculous.
So..
YABU - Leaving the pram outside (weather approving) clearly saves time.
YANBU - Rats carry diseases and its not safe to leave it out.
And would you leave a pram outside at all regardless of the rats?

Get in touch with an exterminator today. Clean the pram and get on with your day,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14203517/Invasion-buggy-snatchers-Interactive-map-reveals-hundreds-prams-stolen.html

To be fair, this might depend on where the Op lives... I discovered this morning that DH had left the garage door wide open again last night; I was mildly irritated (and my bike was still there, which is all that matters to me), and our front door is never locked - so a buggy could sit outside our house forever and never be nicked...

I'd be more worried about theft.

The reality is that most of us leave garden furniture, kids swings, slides etc out all night and they probably have animals on them, but it doesn't harm us! I don't really see a pram as any different.

For context my DW drives and never normally deals with the pram. I don't drive (don't want to) so I use the pram every day. She never normally even touches it, I build it up every day in the back garden as it fits through the side gate. I don't mind building it up, not a big deal to me at all it's quite a user friendly pram.

I just didn't want to lie my baby in something a potentially disease riddled animal had crawled on. He is only 3 months so currently doesn't use the slides or garden furniture 😅

Ah yeah, fair point!

Doesn't sound like a stately home with 24 hour security patrols and a perimeter resembling Buckingham Palace, what with there being a door too narrow to get a double buggy through, neighbours a couple of doors down that opened their door to discuss seeing rats and the OP catctching a bus into work rather than waiting for her Driver to bring the Jag around.

We need the laugh button back 🤣 100% accurate. I live in an old council estate/cul de sac type town.

You don't have to leave it outside, she thought she was helping saving you baby wrangling and building it up, you can go back to your way, but it will be fine.

Bike cover that is zipped up?

Good idea!

That’s a fair point BUT do you wipe down the slide every time your kid uses it? Or bring in the trampoline every night? The garden tables and chairs? Disinfect the washing line before you put the clothes out? 😄 agree it does sound gross when you think about it but nothing bad is realistically going to happen. Also you could have put it away yourself? Also get a cover.

No but ours and my toddlers immune system are most likely a lot stronger than my 3 months old who is yet to use the slides or furniture 😅 I didn't want to lie the baby in the pram if little rats paws had been all over it 😬

Well as it’s a double pram I’m assuming you might have an older child who probably snacks in the pushchair? So I’m sure lots of crumbs in there that creatures would like to come nibble on.
But either way, we’d end up with slugs in it for sure. And even though it says it won’t rain, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t. We’ve had drizzle this morning!

Hmm, I didn't think rats would be interested in our garden furniture as there was no food involved, but they basically moved in overnight and left wee and shit and some kind of terrible stain in there - maybe gave birth, I don't know. All cushions and covers had to be deep cleaned. And now they are brought in overnight.

But if you clean it then you are wiping any germs or whatever off, everything else is just you and the thought of, that's what you need to deal with.

You beat me to it 😂

All sorts of animals will be interested in it. Local cats will probably piss all over it especially since you’ve already had one scratching at your door !
Its also likely do be stolen. Years ago my parents lived in a top floor flat (4 floors) and left my brothers buggy on the landing. Someone came in the stair and stole it overnight !

But her whole reason for leaving it outside was to save time. If I have to wipe it clean every morning that makes her reason moot surely? Cleaning it vs building it probably takes about the same amount of time. Cleaning probably more so.

I wouldn’t like this. The problem is rats can carry weil’s disease which can be deadly if not caught in time. They frequently urinate which is how it is spread. A cover would work.

YABU to get irritated and ‘tell’ her to do something she thinks is unecessary. There’s a range of opinions on this. If you think something is important that the other person thinks is a waste of time and effort, you get on and do it with good grace, or at least ask them nicely.

But it is your issue she thought it would be fine. She didn't think of anything being on it, just it wouldn't get wet.

Ours goes in a wheelie bin storage container it just about fits but I have to dismantle the running buggy though to also fit in which is a pain in the bum!!

Could you get some kind of storage box type thing for it?

Very true. But even after I explained my worries about animals and diseases she still said I was being ridiculous. We had to agree to disagree so I was interested to see what others thought.