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Would you leave your child in a car alone?

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  • pigpen
    pigpen Posts: 41,152 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Person_one wrote: »
    I very much doubt police or fire officers would stand around watching a child or animal suffer because 'people have been known to sue them'.

    In fact, a very quick google shows that they'll even go to that effort for a doll: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/police-break-into-car-to-rescue-baby-which-turned-out-to-be-a-childrens-doll-a6674866.html

    No lawsuit mentioned.


    Until the situation becomes 'an emergency' they wont lift a finger .. a doll could look like a dead baby. They wouldnt even attend when my son rang them.
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  • tatabubbly
    tatabubbly Posts: 909 Forumite
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    God, it's frightening to think but my mum left us lot in the car quite a bit!

    Where I live in Ireland, there is no pay at pumps locally, there is one like 30 minute drive away, you'd pass probably 6 petrol pumps by that stage. So I'd say because of this, lots of parents leave their kiddies in the car?

    I can understand why people do it but I wouldn't.
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  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    Apart from getting VERY hot, VERY quick, in summer, what if:

    - it spontaneously combusted?
    - while gone you were run over and knocked out and taken to Hospital?
    - it was stolen, or even an attempt was made, leaving broken/smashed glass on the inside until they spotted the kid?
    - the handbrake was loose and it rolled into the road/down a hill and was hit by another vehicle?
    - another/large vehicle smashed into it?
    - Mr Saville was passing and happened to have some sweeties and some puppies?

    If your child could cope in all these situations, then it's probably OK to leave them in the car.
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511 Forumite
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    GwylimT wrote: »
    I'm not surprised, what they need is a recovery service to open the car, not the emergency services.

    Most policeman can open a car if they need to .
    I managed to lock my baby in my car - (parked on the drive at my parent's house ) together with the keys.

    Took them all of 10 seconds to open my Ford -fortunately son slept through the whole thing . Not a mistake you make twice !!!

    (This was the Met and they certainly came out when I rang)
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  • Fredula
    Fredula Posts: 568 Forumite
    Personally I wouldn't leave my son (4) in the car for anything as 'day to day' as going to the shops, popping in a shop with the car direct outside, getting petrol, etc. However, if there was a road accident or an emergency, I would probably lock him in the car then to go and assist (if I could), as long as he wasn't freaked out or anything.
  • bylromarha
    bylromarha Posts: 10,085 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    hazyjo wrote: »
    Blimey, when I was a youngster, it was the done thing. Kids would be left in cars with a packet of crisps and bottle of something with a straw in a pub car park. And we would always be left in the car when mum nipped into a shop (she left the handbrake off once too and we rolled. Don't remember the outcome but she must have got in and yanked it quick...).


    The recent BBC2 programme "Back in time for the weekend" showed this very thing happening to the kids - sitting in the car with crisps and warm squash while mum and dad had a pint inside.

    Personally, I was comfortable leaving my kids alone in the car while I popped out of it for up to 5 mins as soon as I was fully confident that they knew no meant no. They were happy reading their books on the back seat.

    I kind of get the petrol station thing - my friends car began smoking when she was inside paying for the petrol, but those things are few and far between. Getting 2 littlies out of the car to walk across a forecourt seemed far more risky to me.

    I wouldn't judge a parent who'd left a child in the car. I'd hang around if the child was looking upset or distressed. Even then, I don't think I'd do anything like reporting them unless I felt the wait was too long for age of the child.

    I think the parent is the best judge of the situation and 99.9% of parents don't deliberately put their child in harms way.
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  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
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    When it comes to petrol station forecourts I think it's safer to leave your child in the car than to have them get out and dodge the other vehicles on the way to the cash desk.

    When it comes to leaving them alone in the car while you go somewhere out of sight, it depends on the age of the children and how hot a day it is. I wouldn't do it with very young children, but once they're old enough to be able to come and find you if there's a problem then I think it's OK.
  • restless6
    restless6 Posts: 469 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I never take my kids out of the car at petrol stations- I think that is more dangerous as there are so many vehicles manoevering about!

    I leave them in the car where they are safe. No pay at the pumps here so not an option
  • xHannahx
    xHannahx Posts: 614 Forumite
    Leave ours in the car whilst nipping into pay for petrol, or on the drive whilst unloading shopping, they remain strapped in.
    Or put one in the car and go get the other from inside when they were smaller both in car seats.
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