to leave kids in a locked, alarmed car in broad daylight, and dash to cashpoint for 2 minutes

[cilitbang]

Is it realistically, really dangerous to do this? Has anyone ever heard of kids coming to any danger in this situation? Its a very occasional habit that I am trying to stop doing at all but am interested to hear of anyone who knows,realistically what danger a child could come to in this situation if its just for 2 minutes. Some nosey cow had a go at me for doing it this morning and I now feel so, so guilty.

DH was worried because it's the same sort of car we just bought! But it can happen to any car. Apparently a fuse box problem.

Not meaning to scare-monger but it can happen.

Blimey, KBear....that is just the shock I needed to get me out of this habit...thank you.

What type of car was it if I may ask?

Renault Scenic. But my cousin's BMW X5 caught fire last year - she'd parked and gone into a restaurant and half an hour the car was ablaze outside.

Kbear - did it spontaneously combust??

OP - I'd have told the silly old moo to mind her own business as well! Far more dangerous to get 2 kids out on the roadside and drag them to the cashpoint IMO, and it doesn't matter if you can't see them at all times, presumably they were happy and not distressed?

Renaults are shit for electrical problems - we have an S reg Scenic and the hassles we have had with the electrics are unbelievable. Never again am I buying a French car!

Mini Coopers and Scenics seem to have been the cars that had the greatest number of these incidents when I worked in an insurance repair garage.

But yes you're right, it can happen with any car.

No, I made it up. For a laugh.

yanbu
I was left for hours sometimes!

Renaults really are the worst for electrics. In particular they're prone to having the ABS light display when there's nothing wrong.

personally I couldn't do it, but that's only because I would worry about things, and get myself into a tizz!

What if a car crashed into the back, what if the car was hijacked, what if the lo joked on vomit (had an aunty that died like this) so now have a great fear of this.

Here in the US we have drive through ATMs, drive through pharmacies, pay at the pump petrol and even drive through dry cleaners. It makes life so much easier for mothers of small children.

ATM is a cashpoint btw

I think everyone was left in the car back in the seventies and eighties. It was of those things. My PIL used to leave four kids under the age of 10 in the back seat of an Escort and then be surprised when they came back to hysteria and bloody noses all round.

Lots more pay at the pump petrol stations now - so handy. Morrisons are introducing them.

I LOL'd at the drive through ATMs when I first went to the States, I thought "lazy buggers" but now I realise what a fantastic idea they are.

And then the US wonders why it has an obesity problem Madam?

KBear - i wasn't being arsey, I was just asking and x-posted with your explanation. No need to get snippy!

Fleur - we were all left outside pubs in cars in the 70's, a bottle of coke and straw and some Smiths Cheese and Onion crisps and "NO FIGHTING".

Dryad - seemed like you were implying that I was lying! I'm a sarky cow. Sorry

STOP beating yourself up. OF COURSE yanbu.

Good point, Falcon, about fear of abduction drowning out other real dangers.

No. Not at all.

Sorry - seems like our sarcasm crossed the international punch line there!

LOL

Bottom line is, that probably your kids will be safe. I am Mrs Cautious and have always got the kids out of the car and taken them with me, it's a PITA sometimes, they might be sleeping or it's raining or whatever but I am also married to Mr Really Over Cautious so I just always get them out of the car or I hear his voice in my head ha ha!!

yanbu the kids will be fine.

this however is the worst crime admitted to on this thread.

" I have to go to my local Asda to do it and park in a disabled bay to keep her in view about 10 yards away (if that) and i lock the car too. My only crime is parking in the wrong place for 2 minutes. "

if you're not disabled don't park in a disabled spot. you not wanting to unload your child from the car so you can get money out is not a disability.