Do you leave kids in car whilst paying for fuel?

[elm26]

I’m not saying which one of us does which but here’s the scenario, 9 month old and 3 year old in car. You cannot pay at pump (we have one of these which is miles from us).

You’re only paying for fuel, you’re not choosing drink/crisps or anything else, literally in, pay and out.

YABU - you’d take both kids in with you
YANBU - you’d leave them in the car

Yes I did leave in the car and so does the majority of the population.

in 30 years of driving I have NEVER seen anyone take their kids into the shop with them when paying.

kids should not be on a forecourt

Mine have always been left in the car, I have 5 kids

Mine are adults now but it was always a dilemma, especially when they were tired or grumpy and it would require a wrestling match to get them out / in car seats.
I left them in the car providing I could see them from the pay point.

Yes as long as I can see the car and I’m quick in and out. My youngest is 11 now but I did used to do this. I usually had at least 4 youngest kids with me aged 8 to newborn it would have been a nightmare unloading everyone to go in and pay.

Yes. Only a completely irresponsible parent would take their child out of the car and walk them across the petrol station forecourt to pay for fuel.

Much safer to leave them in the car.

I have never in 35 years of driving ever seen anyone take small children out of the car to pay in a petrol station. I did not do this with my children.

The effects of exposure to fumes, and the risk of being in the forecourt far outweigh the tiny risk of anything happening when you are inside paying.

9 month old i would leave. 3 year old depends if they can get out off their car seat or not. Ideally i would get petrol when they are not in car but not always possible

I take my 3 year old in with me, I saw a thread about this before and someone did mention they were told by staff at a petrol station that if there was a fire anywhere by the pumps they wouldn't be allowed to let you out to your car to get your child

I know that's an unlikely event but I'm not risking that

I actually did have to take my daughter in to pay if I couldn’t use pay at pump. She’s autistic, single parent, would have quite literally been hysterical and unsafe if I’d left her in the car- was able to remove herself from her seat and get out of the car (locking with the key set the alarm off). Now she’s older I leave her in the car but from about 3-8 she had to come with me

Electric car so pay via an app! No need to leave.

On the odd occasion I couldn't either pay at pump or go to Asda which had a deive through kiosk, I would leave them in the car, but keep my eyes on the car. I felt incredibly stressed the whole time, but figured they were probably safer in the car than being taken across the forecourt - especially when I had a baby and a toddler.

That's one thing I don't miss about mine being small. That, and the faff of having to take everyone to the toilet when you are out (because you can't leave one) - especially somewhere like a busy coffee shop when your table might be occupied by someone else and your coffee cleared away when you get back.

I left mine in the car. I took the view that wrestling twins in and out of the car seats and across a forecourt was riskier.

They're statistically far safer in the car so I always left mine, but I also watched the car like a hawk.

If I was with one parent, they usually locked the car whilst paying.

I usually pay at pump, but if I can’t I leave my 2 year old in the car and get my 4 year old out, as he can unclip himself and could potentially let himself out of the car and run across the forecourt.

You genuinely think if there was a fire everyone would just stand and watch if a child was in the car...

She's much more likely to come to harm being out on the forecourt than she is in the car.

Just adding that his door is obviously child locked, but he could climb through to the front seat and open one of those doors to get out. He’s done this once when I was dropping something at a friend’s doorstep, luckily he got out straight onto a pavement and then ran across her driveway but it could have been much worse.

I used to work in a petrol garage. No one ever took their kids in to pay (neither do I), kids are far more likely to suffer an incident on the actual forecourt than waiting in the car for a minute. Only on Mumsnet do so many people argue against leaving kids in the car whilst paying for fuel

Obviously leave them in the car, I have never seen anyone get their kids out that's the beauty of petrol stations, it's the one place you can also grab a snack without having to get kids out

At that age, no way. They need to come with you. I know it's an utter pest but voilà

I used to work in a petrol station. A mum left her child in the car and another car drove into it and pushed the car into an electricity box. So accidents can happen.

Of course I left them in the car, I've never even considered this and would have thought anyone who suggested otherwise bonkers.

Maybe some of the huge gas station forecourts in the USA might have given me pause for thought but UK is all very close and visible.

In the car it’s far safer than going back and forward with them. I’ve worked in a petrol station and it’s pretty much it’s what everyone does.

I never took them in with me. I learned that this is tantamount to neglect, but…oh well.

This is such a 2008 question 🤣

do whatever you like. It’s fine to leave them if that’s easier for you