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Random Q...Paying for Petrol
In the spirit of trying to get things moving around here, I have a question. What do you do with your little one when you pay for petrol?
We don't have any pay at pump places round here and I realised the other day that I've managed to go five months without having to fill up with petrol on my own (apart from when S was very tiny)! I always get petrol when I'm out with H (so that often he'll pay!), or when I'm out on my own so I don't have to worry about S, but I realise at some point i'll have to. So, do you dash in and pay, leaving the baby/toddler in the car? Or do you take them in with you?
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Replies
I leave her in the car with the car locked x
I leave A in the car, I don't lock it though as he sets the alarm off! I go to our local Tesco so try to use pay at pump as much as possible, but if not I can see the car from the kiosk.
I've not had to do this yet but will need to this week - not looking forward to it as either option seems wrong!
Leave him in the car as I think that's much safer than breathing in petrol fumes and it would take longer to get him out and back in the car as it is to run in and pay.
I leave Violet locked in the car- with the petrol station you can generally see the car at all times, and I keep a good eye on it. I'd choose pay at pump for preference though.
I pay at pimp if possible but as others have said lock them in car if not. I remember when O was teeny there was a big queue and u cane back and he was hysterical....I felt awful!
Leave them in the car
Hypothetical, but I really think I would take them with me.
I always use pay at the pump (which I appreciate doesn't help you!) L has always screamed if left in the car on his own and I feel awful upsetting him if I don't have to. If I had no choice though I would have taken him in as a baby to avoid leaving him to cry, but now I would probably leave him as I feel him trying to escape and run off in a petrol station isn't a risk worth taking.
I'm so glad you asked this question as I was wondering this? I'm thinking it's ok as long as I can see baby in car?
I mainly use tesco pay at pump but on the occasion I have to go in I leave them in the car listening to the radio. You can see the whole forecourt through the window of the shop.
I've always left them in the car, as said before it would normally take longer or be more risky (IMO) to get them out and back in the car than leaving them,
I've only had this situation once so far and I left him in the car. I could see there wasn't a queue so he wouldn't be on his own for long and had full sight of the car the whole time so for me I felt comfortable doing so.
I've not had to do this yet as H tends to fill the car on the weekend when he's working, or on his way home from work on a Friday, but I'd leave him in the car as long as there wasn't a queue in the kiosk as your in and out in a minute. I don't think taking them out the car at a petrol station is safe.
Why is it bad? The fumes?
I've always left them in the car, I'm definitely not unloading all three of them just to nip in the shop for a minute! X
When they were smalls they were nearly always left in the car for the few minutes I had to go and pay for fuel. Much better than hoiking them out of the car across a busy forecourt, trying to balance purse and paying with small fidgeting child(ren), then having to wrestle said child(ren) back into carseat much to disgust of cars waiting behind me.
I remember these threads back on the PP, people used to have some very strong opinions on both camps.
I was wondering this too. If I can't pay at the pump I think I'd leave him briefly as getting his car seat out, balancing him and purse etc would be probably be longer than just going and paying sand getting back to the car.
I'm very confused (and possibly naive), why would it be frowned upon/dangerous to take the child out if the car?
I can't see it would be frowned upon. It's a question of hassle as far as I'm concerned. Those car seats aren't easy to get in and out of and for the amount of time you're gone, with the baby within eye contact at all times, I'd always leave her in.