** Leaving your child in a petrol station **

[crashley]

So, hot topic tonight seems to be parenthood...

Me and my best mate, and our respective better halves have been discussing it over grub. It seems they think leaving any prospective children in the back - asleep, whilst you go and pay and buy a paper and your fuel - as totally agaist being a parent.

We both see ourselves as potential good parents, but don't see it as unreasonable as paying for fuel and leaving our potential newborns for a few minutes.

Some experience and thoughts please chaps.

Ash

[jjones]

lock the doors, if she has the mental real bad suggest she only goes to pay at pump stations

[soad]

Let them sleep in the car, it's only a few minutes. Provided car is locked and ya keep an eye on it, no issue there imho

[Orangecurry]

I'm confused - you are not even parents yet, and you are arguing about something as trivial as this?

Jayzus. Wait until you have REAL parenting decisions to argue over.

[crashley]

Good point, we will resume watching the human centipede on SyFy hd and not worry about it.

[Negative Creep]

You can't even leave your children alone for a second these days. If you do THE PEDOFILS will get them

[shirt]

in both cases ive read about where a car has been stolen from a forecourt with a baby in the back, the car was recovered swiftly a few hundred yards away as be twoccer realises the jail time ahead.

I can only concur that a baby is a better anti theft device than a tracker

[crashley]

You try telling these women how worthless histrionics are!!!

They are now questioning the strength/reliatiabilty vs Mums.com or something like that.

[Flat_Steve]

I've done it.

What's the worst that can happen? You can take that kind of protective attitude too far.

[g3org3y]

Negative Creep said:

You can't even leave your children alone for a second these days. If you do THE PEDOFILS will get them

This man speaks the truth. Be aware.

But back OT, of course they can be left for a couple of minutes while you go and pay. Parents who believe otherwise are more than likely the type that feel the entire world revolves around their children and that everyone else should bear the inconvenience.

[ADEuk]

Leave em and drive off...

[T_Pot]

proper parents make the kids go and pay for you while you wait in the warm dry car

[forks]

My ex always said she'd never leave my daughter in the car while she paid for fuel....she's 3 now and if I take her in I end up coming out with a Hello Kitty comic, and a Kinder egg every time......not a problem but its easier just to plip the doors and leave her with the iPod on!

[Papa Hotel]

Do the asterisks denote that this is an IMPORTANT ISSUE? Really, there was an incident a few years ago where a girl was stolen from a hotel room in Spain or Portugal, some one of those backwards countries where they're all called Josie. Still haven't got her back. In light of that, I'm going to learn from the mistakes of others, there's no fking way I'm leaving my sleeping daughter in a locked car 10 yards away and where I can see her, even for 2 minutes. No way man, I'm waking her up, teaching her how to use a blade and warning her about The Local Paedophile™.

Edited by Papa Hotel on Sunday 10th April 12:19

[ADEuk]

T_Pot said:

proper parents make the kids go and pay for you while you wait in the warm dry car

Quite.
My parents would regularly send either me or my sister on shopping errands. Only being about 7 or 8 my sister used to sing the shopping list so she would remember it. 35 years later I still have the song "Half an ounce of Old Holborn and 20 Number 6 tipped please" going round in my head

[stuttgartmetal]

Not a Dad then ?

There's plenty more things that will keep you occupied when you become one, and leaving a child blissfully asleep whilst you grab a red bull and pay for your squirt won't be one of them.

[sleep envy]

What I want to know is who let the child out from under the stairs?

[chieflief]

Don't forget to open the window a tad in case the weather is a bit warm.

[Pommygranite]

I find if I take my child out of the car after filling up it means I can't spend as long having a PW whilst reading 50+ Housewives in the shop before moving onto perusing novelty air fresheners (such as the iconic 3glass traffic light one). I also find that having a child with me enables me to be sufficiently distracted so that the darkly tanned Englishman serving can scam my credit card by pretending it won't swipe so does it manually.

Given these important matters I tend to not only leave my child in the car, I leave their window down and door open so that they speak to friendly fat men in white vans thus ensuring they are not bored and I have an extra pair of eyes looking over them.

If I haven't assisted enough go to mumsnet- their vaginas ensure not only are they balanced and sensible but also right. All of the time.

[ambuletz]

when I was a kid, i didnt have a problem waiting in the car. Depending on the car my dad had, he would put the keys back in the ignition and I would put it onto the on position so that I could listen to the radio (but not put the lights up on the dash, or start the car) as he goes off and pays for the petrol.
I don't see how its that big a deal. If you must, then open the passenger window slightly, so they don't feel claustrophobic.
From 18 onwards, I used go pay the petrol, while he would pump the fuel in. I know the PIN numbers for all my parents credit/debit cards, and they trust me on that.

Edited by ambuletz on Sunday 10th April 01:47