I have just been told of by a woman in the petrol station for leaving my 10m old in the car while i paid for fuel. I dont normally use our car as I have a van and rarely have my son with me when im driving on my own. But have left in the car whilst ive paid before. Now for some abuse for my lack of parenting skills.

Tell the nosey woman where to go.

WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN

Course not – unless you leave the keys in there too, they might drive off 😀

Punch her in the face.

Punch her in the face.

Punching a 10 month old baby in the face? Thats a bit strict innit 😯

Silly person. The baby is male.

That is just ridiculous, nothing wrong with that fella and tell the nosey dogooder to do one!

had 3 kids, always left/leave them in the car – tell her to…

tell the nosey woman to get ****

oops freddy, I thought you were in the competition for world strictest parent then. I mean, even if the kiddie did try to steal the car 😀

Should be fine, as long as you leave it something to protect itself with.

Sorry Zulu I sounded a bit curt. Am currently on the bog sporting a pretty good hangover. 8)

I think your child was safer in the car. Walking across petrol station forecourts can be quite a hairy experience, and clearly (from your evidence) there are mental people in the shop. Not to mention that never leaving your children is bad for them, and in my opinion abuse.

What’s the point in disturbing them for the 2mins it takes to pay for fuel, I always do it, once they get older it’s best to leave them in thcar or you end up arguing about the number of sweets they are not allowed to buy

i worked in a petrol station many years ago and i remember the boss not allowing anyone under the age of 16 to operate the pumps, because of health reasons. would the same reasoning apply to keeping a kid in the car?

Only if they have really long arms.

It’s only a matter of time until boffins make a baby with long enough arms to operate a petrol pump from inside a car. Mark my words.

Yeah, she should have probably called a social worker

You should have asked her where the clearly marked out path showing ‘safe access’ from the fuel pump to the pay kiosk was. In fact, I would have demanded that she produces her company’s risk assessment on the procedure. And perhaps added that I wasn’t prepared to pay for the fuel until she had done so.

It’s only a matter of time until boffins make a baby with long enough arms to operate a petrol pump from inside a car. Mark my words.

won’t somebody think of the face-ripping dogs…!?

i worked in a petrol station many years ago and i remember the boss not allowing anyone under the age of 16 to operate the pumps, because of health reasons. would the same reasoning apply to keeping a kid in the car?

What you mean because the petroleum spirit regulations make it illegal for a person under 16 to dispense fuel in a petrol station that this in some way affects leaving a child in a car – not dispensing the petrol? Is it the fumes that disable the brains of petrol station staff, or do they start off that way?

No, not wrong at all.

absolutely fine. I’d lock the car as I always do when going to pay. I don’t have kids, but if I did I would leave them in the car whilst paying for petrol.

haha, thanks poly, the argument i was poorly trying to make was that the benzine etc fumes would affect something or other in younger people. and therefore perhaps it may be safer for a kid to be in the car than walking through the forecourt.

EDIT i just read the responses to my earlier comment and had a proper LOL 😆

Was it in case your 10m old started using a mobile phone?

You do need to know how your alarm works so you can lock them in without the risk of deafening them though…

Looking back I seemed to spend a large portion of my childhood waiting in cars whilst adults transacted some business or other.

As above, tell her to do one.

Put the kid in the boot…?

I would tell her to do one. There is ‘pay at pump’ at some stations now though should you not want to leave your child in the car.

i think it is safer and easier to leave them in the car.

i certainly would not drag my three out the car and across the forecourt just to go and pay for fuel. it would be more dangerous for the kids than leaving them in a safe locked car.

I think it’s just that some folks get all uncomfortable when you leave a baby unattended.

In future, to avoid argument put the baby in a cardboard box.

The distance from the door to pump one at the garage I use is probably about the same distance that I am away from my two boys now. I always leave them when I pay

I always make them put their fags out though. So I’m quite responsible really

OK,

If you spotted a car parked up, 50 yards down from a school entrance, with its engine running & the drivers door wide open!

& in the back was a baby in a car seat! No sign of an adult anywhere, the street was clear of anyone!

What would you do?

[happened to me last year & no it was not, you’ve been framed]

Slung the baby and nicked the car ?

Depends how nice the car was.

Thanks for a your opinions. I was expecting mostly ” how could you ” type replys, She must have looked closely through the windows as the rears are tinted very dark .didnt cross my mind that it may be wrong until she she shouted ” excuse me you have left your baby in your car”. I have now asked my wife if she does the same and she does . I didn’t want to ask and be told of course you don’t 🙂

In future, to avoid argument put the baby in a cardboard box.

I may have some experience in that department …

“excuse me you have left your baby in your car”.

Could have shouted back “where the hell did that come from?” or “it’s ok, it’s not mine”

I always make them put their fags out though. So I’m quite responsible really

😆