Dilemma

[Mum2b_Claire]

Sobersadie I feel the same as you but people have to do what they're comfy with I guess. There are other risks that others think it's fine to take, that I don't!

 

[mum2bee]

ive read a few storys about peoples cars being stolen with baby in the back!! i know its very rare but still wouldnt risk it

 

[Kit]

There are 3 places I leave LO in the car - one is petrol stations (although I did dither like mad about it the first time - the petrol fumes were the deciding factor), the second is a tiny local shop in a quiet road if I can get into the parking space right in front of the door and if the shop doesn't have a long queue, and the last place is my drive when unloading the car. If he is asleep he is always the final thing I take out of the car.
With the exception of my drive, I always worry a little about doing this, but as another poster said, the risks associated are considerably lower than other things I do with him on a daily basis and I wouldn't think twice about most of those things.

 

[ellismum]

To be honest with you i dont see the problem with leaving them just to pay petrol or send a parcel seeing as we leave them for 12 hours in the night... They're just as safe in a car seat in a locked car as they are in a cot/crib in a locked house...

i disagree. its alot more risk of your car beeing hit by another car, or stolen than it is for someone to break into your house and they cant take the house away with the baby in it like the car.

I think everyone is a bit over paranoid - i mean what are the chances of someone actually taking ur car with baby inside wile u are buying petrol (and how exactly can they drive ur car away if u take the keys with you??) Or hitting it? You have more chance of being in a car accident and this doesnt stop you taking baby out in the car does it? If u can see the baby from the petrol station i dont see the problem. Also why not just get petrol when u are alone?

I have 3 kids and wud not risk taking them all out the car and across the garage forecourt with all the other cars driving about. I think they are safer in the car.

I hate seeing kid's running around a forecourt, seen a few near misses Usually OH gets it for me (and I get out of paying) but if I have too then I leave Ellis locked in the car. More risk of getting car jacked at lights or loading your car in a supermarket (Although no ones going to want my car!)

 

[mommyof3co]

I get all 3 boys out, carry Hayden and hold Landon and Casen's hand, they know how to behave in a public area, there is no chance of them getting hit by a car unless the car is hitting me too. Here it gets VERY hot in the summer, over 100, which is why it has become illegal here to leave your kids in the car, a closed up car takes just a couple of minutes to heat up even more than it is outside, can cause heat stroke and other things...say you're standing in line to pay behind 3-4 people who knows how fast it could happen, they could get over heated. But my main concern is there are sadly tons of crazy people in this world, they could see them sitting back in the seat and break a window or something and grab them out before you could make it back to the car. Very scary thought, I'd much rather take the time to take all 3 out than the chance of something happening. With that said though I will leave them in the car while I run back into the house for something, we live in a VERY safe neighborhood and everyone knows everyone so I know the chance of something happening there is very unlikely and though the chances might not be great for something to happen at the gas station there are tons of strangers around you just never know. Plus I live in a big city so it's pretty busy.

Did someone say yall dont have pay at the pump? I don't think any stations here no longer have them. Might sound stupid but I wonder if the stations are set up the same as they are here? Like distance to the door, and how the pumps are...hmm

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

No we don't have pay at the pump in Kent, UK for some reason. In London there are some, and in plenty of other places in the UK, so not sure why Kent is so behind with the times.

 

[mommyof3co]

Seems so crazy, I honestly don't think there are any stations here without it....except maybe some really old mom and pop type of places, but even most of those are upgraded.

 

[charliebear]

No, I'd never leave AJ in the car. I also take him to the loo with me.

 

[tinyme77]

Always leave LO in the car. I don't worry that my car will be stolen because I always lock it. The story in the Daily Mail was about someone who left their keys in their car and the doors unlocked. How stupid can you be?!! (There are plenty out there: 3 people had their cars stolen today as they left the keys in the ignition, motor running to defrost while they were warm in their houses).
I'll also leave him if i need to pop into a shop and he is asleep (when i am confident that he will stay asleep).
Obviously i'd never leave him in a hot car but that should be common sense.

 

[Abz1982]

MG, I must be really bad then! When out shopping in town, if there is something I want to look at in a shop that is not buggy accessible I leave her in sight then go have a look.

 

[Sweetie]

I always worry about this. I've only ever done it once and that was because we had just gotten in the car and she had fallen asleep in the block it took to go to the station. While the car was fueled and payed for I was never more than 10ft from the car at a very quiet, very very small station.....

I'm always so worried that if something happened to me in the station, say I slip and fall or knock my head or something that no one may notice that she is alone in the car and in warm conditions cars can get hot really fast 3-5 minutes sometimes

 

[Duffy]

Here where I live its illegal to leave your babies/kids in a vehicle with out an adult present. I personally would not feel comfy leaving my daughter alone for any amount of time, too much can happen.

To each there own.

 

[Kayleigh09]

I found out yesterday that pay at pump doesnt take visa electron so i cant do that.

Sweetie - What if you fell over holding your baby? surely that would be worse

 

[dali]

hi , i dont drive but before i had lo , i worked in a petrol station for 6 years.
just wanted to say that in my time there i lost count of the amount of people who drove into others parked cars there, or into bright orange reflective parking cones, and even petrol pumps ( yes whole great big petrol pumps, being taken out) - seriously lost count...

personally i wouldnt leave lo in the car to pay for petrol, but i can see the point that people have made about walking across the forecourt being dangerous too. each to their own , it depends on what you are comfortable with, but i would rather get lo out of the car and cross the forecourt carefully than leave him in the car.

incedently i dont live too far from kent , and the station i worked in has only very recently had pay at the pump pumps put in ( and only 4 out of the 12 in the station) obviously this would be the prefered option , if not available i would try to avoid filling up while alone with lo , or take him in with me ( and try to get a pump close to the entrance door so the walk is fairly short)