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Original poster

leave children in car?

83 replies

julen · 05/07/2004 12:17

Stupid maybe, but I have been wondering about this recently - what do you do when you go and pay for the petrol you've just put in your car? Get your kids (in my case a 2 yr old toddler and a 2 month old baby) out and take them in with you, or leave them in the car? The first seems a lot of hassle but the latter doesn't feel very safe...

Having just joined a carclub (highly recommended, BTW!!) I am suddenly faced with this.. (normally using public transport I've just never thought about it..).

OP posts:
muddaofsuburbia · 05/07/2004 12:20

Leave them in, strapped in their seats and lock the car door - I really don't think there's any way round it for petrol. There are always huge glass windows so you can see the entire forecourt so you'll still be able to see them. Worry not

what's a carclub?

hana · 05/07/2004 12:25

I either fill up when I don't have dd with me or use the payment option at the pump. Don't like locking her in when I'm not in the car myself

bunny2 · 05/07/2004 12:25

I leave my 4 y/o in the car and lock it, then I can watch the car while I am paying to make sure he is ok. I dont like doing it but it is the easiest and most practial way.

bunny2 · 05/07/2004 12:26

hi hana, that's a good idea, pay at the pump. I have never tried it, will give it a go, that will also keep me away from the choccy bars in the shop.

daisy1999 · 05/07/2004 12:26

I never leave them in the car, it's not worth the risk. I used to make sure my husband filled the car up for me on a weekend but now I go to the "pay at the machine pumps" (they have them at our local ASDA but I'm sure other places do them). You just put your switch or credit card in the machine at the pump).

muddaofsuburbia · 05/07/2004 12:28

What could actually happen? For me, it's no different than running upstairs to get laundry. Just curious - may get all panicked now....

daisy1999 · 05/07/2004 12:30

Someone could steal the car!

gothicmama · 05/07/2004 12:34

I use a petrol station where i can pay at the pump failing taht I send DH out on his own to fill up or I go whilst they stay at home - not worth the risk of anything happenning to leave dd in the car

Original poster
julen · 05/07/2004 12:35

I'm usually on my own so I think I'll just go with locking them in and keeping an eye on them through the window - at least they don't know how to work the locks yet .

With a car club you can book a car whenever you want (up to 15 minutes before you want it or straightaway in the car itself) - you just pay for the time you use it and for the mileage, and not worry about tax, maintenance etc etc. I love it, even if just for an occasional drive to somewhere out of the way.. (I sound like an advert don't I - sorry! It's just that I've only just discovered it..)

OP posts:
Caribbeanqueen · 05/07/2004 12:36

I make sure I put in £20 of petrol exactly, or another amount I have the money for, then I can just get the money ready, lock the door, run in and bung £20 on the counter and run out again, making sure I'm looking at the car all the time.

gothicmama · 05/07/2004 12:38

why not to leave children in car - some of my more likely fears
they could get upset
someone could crash in to car
There could be a fire
The car could be stolen
They could get out and be run over /lost
in my paranoid world anything is possible

ponygirl · 05/07/2004 12:44

I'm afraid I leave mine in the car, strapped in and car locked. They do have those pay-at-pump things at my petrol station, but they never work. And the logistics of manouevrering (sp?) 3 small children across the forecourt with cars moving seems even more dangerous than leaving them for (literally) 2 minutes, when I can see them at all times. I agree, all sort of things could happen, but if I always took that view I would never leave the house!

Bad mummy, I know!

Original poster
julen · 05/07/2004 12:44

Ouch, gothicmama - sounds scary... You're probably right - anything could happen; but then anything could happen anytime anywhere whatever you do..? AT least when they are in a locked car they can't get out and no-one else can get in .. (and I'm not leaving them there for hours..)

OP posts:
hana · 05/07/2004 12:46

if they are left in the car ( apart from the car being stolen) they can accidently set off any alarm system because of movement in the car

iota · 05/07/2004 12:52

I always leave my 2 in the car - I leave it unlocked and take the keys with me. They are aged 5 and almost 3.
You can see them all the time and it only takes a couple of minutes, so what's the problem?

twiglett · 05/07/2004 12:55

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twiglett · 05/07/2004 12:55

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mrsflowerpot · 05/07/2004 12:58

our ASDA has a drive through cashier, you put the petrol in then drive forward and pay. No getting out of the car, no getting your card stuck in the pay at pump machine! I go out of my way to fill up there as I'm a bit of a paranoid mummy when it comes to leaving ds in the car.

lydialemon · 05/07/2004 13:01

I leave them in the car. Maybe I'm not paranoid enough, but the chances of my (locked) car being stolen, bursting into flames or being hit by a meteorite are pretty damn small.

But then I'm a bad bad mum who will leave sleeping DD and DS in the car () rather than wake them when picking up from school - provided I can park right outside the school so I can see the car from the playground.

lailag · 05/07/2004 13:02

leave them in the car and try to keep an eye on the car

daisy1999 · 05/07/2004 13:10

Petrol forecourts are notorious for car thefts. Car fire risk is also higher at a petrol station. Why would any mother risk losing her child?

NomDePlume · 05/07/2004 13:14

When my time comes (hopefully soon, I've got my test in the VERY near future), I'll prob take 22 month old DD in with me if it's busy (a long queue etc) but I'll more than likely leave her in if I can be sure I'm the first at the counter. The only prob s that our car has a movement sensor attached to the alarm and a slight flinch of DD inside it when locked will set of the alarm . I dunno. Perhaps I'll come back to this thread and give another answer next month (fingers crossed).

lydialemon · 05/07/2004 13:14

Every time I leave the house with my kids I 'risk' something happening to them. We were involved in a car accident last year in which my car was written off, do I never drive them again in case it happens again?

NomDePlume · 05/07/2004 13:18

DH leaves all 3 kids (12,10 & almost 2) in the car when he's got them on his own (rarely). Although our Tesco pumps have got that pay at pump thingy so, in all likelihood I'll use that.

daisy1999 · 05/07/2004 13:20

It's unlikely that you will crash when you travel 1 mile to the local shop but I assume you would still strap your child into the car. It is the same at the petrol station.