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Original poster

Is it an offence to leave a baby in the car whislt paying for petrol?

60 replies

TheSleepFairy · 13/01/2011 22:34

I have always deemed it much safer if my children stay in the car whilst I go & pay for petrol.

Today I have read on another forum that it is an offence & apparently a mother was approached by a social worker who took her details & arranged a home visit & advised her she would be "in serious trouble" if it happened again.

Would leaving my child in the car be viewed as abandonment &/or neglect on my behalf?

OP posts:
ItsMeMo · 13/01/2011 22:39

I wouldn't think so. I can't see why it would be as long as they are safe eg no keys in car, doors locked, within your view.

cece · 13/01/2011 22:42

Never heard of that. In that case the sw are going to be kept very busy... Doesn't everyone leave their baby in the car when they pay for petrol?

Are they serioously suggesting you unstrap your baby, carry them to the kiosk, pay, carry them back to the car, strap them back in every time?!

Spero · 13/01/2011 22:44

There is no fixed age/circumstances which automatically means leaving a child is a criminal or social services matter. It all depends on circumstances.

So - leaving child securely fastened in car seat while you take five minutes to cross forecourt and pay for petrol = highly unlikely to attract any penalty.

Original poster
TheSleepFairy · 13/01/2011 22:48

cece

Are they serioously suggesting you unstrap your baby, carry them to the kiosk, pay, carry them back to the car, strap them back in every time?!

That was my point exactly. I have never seen anyone do this & would find it very strange if I was waiting for a pump & the person infront started herding children in & out of the car Hmm

OP posts:
seimum · 13/01/2011 22:51

I have always left kids in car under these circumstances, and have never seen anyone take their kids out while paying for petrol.

Sounds like an urban myth in the making.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 13/01/2011 22:54

yy to urban myth in the making.

Can you imagine getting, say, a family of three under five out of the car, across the forecourt, with cars driving off. Hmm

cat64 · 13/01/2011 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MadamDeathstare · 13/01/2011 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SharonGless · 13/01/2011 22:57

The only offence I can think of would be child neglect and believe me this would not constitute neglect. Not feeding your child. Not bathing your child. Living in squalor.

Leaving child in full view whilst you pay for petrol is not an offence.

However if you leave a small child in a vehicle whilst you got into a bank/shop out of sight for a long time it may be classed as neglect especially if it was hot weather or the child is distressed.

OmniumAndGatherum · 13/01/2011 22:58

I always, always, always did the unstrapping-and-carrying thing with mine when they were small. It was pretty horrendous, but no way would I have left them in the car, even for five minutes. I don't think it's an offence, though.

LoopyLoopsIsNoLongerFestive · 13/01/2011 22:58

Wow MmeDS, that's a lot of driving through! I'm jealous!

Original poster
TheSleepFairy · 13/01/2011 23:02

Where do you live madam

This is the new post after someone said the poster was lying telling urban myths:

My friend's husband is actually a policeman and they did check it out and it is not illegal to leave a child in the car whilst paying for petrol. However as a complaint was made by a social worker there was no challenging the fact that the child was being put on the at risk register.

OP posts:
LoopyLoopsIsNoLongerFestive · 13/01/2011 23:05

I think she's in southern US. That right?

SharonGless · 13/01/2011 23:05

Sorry don't understand the last bit of your post SleepFairy.

Is the last bit from the other forum?

A child does not just get put on the "at risk" register by a social worker like that.

More urban myths abounding.

QueeferSutherland · 13/01/2011 23:08

I thought it was illegal, although I do leave them if they are asleep.

I use pay-at-pump whenever possible, but I live in a wee village and feel safe leaving them strewn about the place tbh.

Original poster
TheSleepFairy · 13/01/2011 23:11

Sorry sharon. Yes the last part is from another forum.

OP posts:
Maybee · 13/01/2011 23:16

I leave mine in the car for practical reasons but do get an irrational fear of the petrol pumps exploding as I pay at the till!

elphabadefiesgravity · 13/01/2011 23:18

Having had a van reverse into me(me personally, not the car) oas I was filling up with petrol on a garage forecourt I think that they are far safer in the car.

If it was illegal then social services would be visiting half the families in the country at least!

MollieO · 13/01/2011 23:20

I have never left Ds in the car whilst paying for petrol. Not once. Yes it is a pain when they are young but I would never leave him in a car anywhere. These threads always surprise me at how many people seem oblivious to the risks.

WimpleOfTheBallet · 13/01/2011 23:22

Why is it safer to leave them in the car?

SharonGless · 13/01/2011 23:24

MollieO - everything you do with your child requires a risk assessment. Your choice is that you don't feel comfortable leaving your child in a car whilst you pay for petrol.That's fine, that's your choice. However lots of other people do their own risk assessment and decide it is fine to leave DC in car whilst they pay for petrol.

OP was asking is it illegal and the answer is no, not per se.

HeadsUp · 13/01/2011 23:25

NO

mamatomany · 13/01/2011 23:26

I think it's safer if we just don't take the DC's out at all tbh, If somebody stopped me claiming to be a SW i wouldn't be giving out my details I'd tell them to go and get a warrant for whatever crime they think i've committed.
Do people really hand out that sort of information willy nilly ?

MollieO · 13/01/2011 23:29

I was commenting on the who on earth would go to the hassle of unstrapping a child a d taking them out of the car pov on this thread. Just saying that I am of those parents who doesn't think it is a bother to take good care of that which is most precious to me. Of course it is an assessment but I'm not always sure that people do actually contemplate the risk rather than just the inconvenience.

mamatomany · 13/01/2011 23:32

when you have one child in the infant carrier type seat, it is no big deal to take them in with you, I do that every time it's just me and DS because he'd cry if I left him. But to take out 4 kis from 10 to 6 months, unstrap them all, get them to walk not run away nicely across the forecourt, they'd all want sweets and cry when the answer was no, Ds would cry so not to be left out, frankly I'll leave them in the car singing along to Katy Perry and they won't even notice i've gone if that's ok.

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