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Original poster

would you leave your baby in a locked car?

213 replies

Friendlygirl · 11/10/2005 10:47

have left my baby sleeping in my locked car while I dashed into the supermarket to buy a couple of things. Would any of you do that? Is it even l;egal? It worried me but I would rather do that than wake them up and sometimes I just have to get sometyhing from the shop for tea.

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Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 12:25

But what's gonna happen to it? It's in a locked car in a supermarket car park! It's VERY doubtful that someone is going to steal a locked car in broad daylight from the supermarket anyway, even more so it there's a baby inside! I leave ds in the van (sometimes unlocked!) whilst I nip into the school with dd. Safer than having him run around the bleeding car park with cars reversing all over the place!

OrribleOliveoil · 11/10/2005 12:27

Is anyone else getting deja vu?

Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 12:28

Absolutely!

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CountessDracula · 11/10/2005 12:31

I leave dd if I can see her ie to nip in to pay for petrol/to dry cleaners etc

frannykenstein · 11/10/2005 12:35

No, I wouldn't.

queenoffe · 11/10/2005 12:43

I go to a petrol station which is small and i leave my boy in the back (its a camper and he can see me) while i go and pay. We wave the whole time and he stays smiling. Point is i'm still looking after him.

Go to the supermarket -???? Who is looking after the child(ren) while you are in the shop? I think that is abandonment and you need to have a word with yourself.

SoupDragon · 11/10/2005 12:44

Has this thing kicked off yet?

Bozza · 11/10/2005 12:45

I let DS have the choice whether to come into nursery to collect DD or not. Sometimes he comes, somtimes he stays in the car. He is out of sight the whole time while I am having a quick chat with the staff, putting on DD's coats/shoes, getting her sheet, "artwork" and bag etc and also waiting for the door to be unlocked. He is 4.8 and sensible.

Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 12:46

Just had a word with myself for leaving ds in the van whilst I drop dd off at school. Still feel fine about it!

anniebear · 11/10/2005 12:51

I think petrol is ok if you can still see them, but would never ever leave them in a car whilst I went into a supermarket.

You are not meant to leave you dogs in cars so why your kids?!!

queenoffe · 11/10/2005 12:54

Everyones environment is different. Someone was murdered up the road here last w/e, so get out the vehicle if your gonna be out of sight is how it works for me.

Stone me, still can't quite buy the go shopping bit tho. Take a chance on me, i'm only your child?

Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 12:57

If you are nipping to buy a few things, like Friendlygirl did, I don't see the problem! Just what is going to happen to the baby? Could someone explain to a thicko like me the dangers of leaving a sleeping baby in a locked car in a public place for a few minutes please?

handlemecarefully · 11/10/2005 13:04

I would and have at a petrol station where I can observe the car at all times, but not when popping into a shop....

anniebear · 11/10/2005 13:09

sorry, cant do links

Just read the below .....

handlemecarefully · 11/10/2005 13:11

Well rhubarb,

for example: there was a fault on one model of car where after switching off the engine and leaving the vehicle, the engine kept ticking over or something (I'm not technical!) and there were cases of the car combusting! There was a recall of this particular model

I'm not strongly against leaving a baby in supermarket carpark, I just personally wouldn't feel comfortable with it

doormat · 11/10/2005 13:13

there was a little boy who was strangled by an electric car window a couple of weeks ago, he was alone in the car

handlemecarefully · 11/10/2005 13:14

How did the electrics work with the engine switched off and no key in the ignition? You can't operate my electric windows if key not in ignition

queenoffe · 11/10/2005 13:16

I agree the outside world getting in is preety unlikely Rhubarb and to that degree you/we all measure where we take or leave our kids on a "how safe is it?" basis. Or to put it another way, removing as much risk as possible from harm coming your childs way.

Locking the car is not child care, by no definition.

How many times could you cross the road without looking before you got hit. Probably loads. Doesn't make it safe.

doormat · 11/10/2005 13:16

I think there was a fault with the car but I am not sure, it was is in the daily mirror a couple of weeks ago and cried my eyes out when I read it.

handlemecarefully · 11/10/2005 13:18

Definitely a freak accident and desperately tragic

doormat · 11/10/2005 13:19

Yes handle, definitely a tragedy.

Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 13:20

Friendlygirl said her baby was just that, a baby, which I presume would be strapped into a baby seat, unable to open windows or put the key into the ignition.

My ds is 22 months old, he cannot yet unstrap himself out of the car seat. I regularly leave him in the van (locked or not) whilst I take dd into the school where I cannot see either him or the van. That is a risk I choose to take, having weighed up the consequences and figured that he is more likely to get a car reversing into him in the busy car park whilst I am holding onto dd's hand, plus all the things she has to take into school with her.

Life is full of risks, we cannot live wrapped up in cellophane. I agree that some people overdo it a bit, but we are talking about a BABY in a car for a few mins whilst mum got some necessities from the supermarket!

Rhubarb · 11/10/2005 13:21

And in that story, the toddler was not in the car, he was alone playing outside.

doormat · 11/10/2005 13:22

Rhuby he got in the car as it parked outside

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