Do you leave baby in car when paying for gas?

amother

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 4:54 pm

momigor wrote:

To Amother that posted this: Many states are passing laws making it illegal to leave a child alone in a car even for a minute (and even in your own driveway!!) You need to be within 30 feet and in view of the baby at all times. If I have kids in the car when I need gas, I look for a pump that takes cc so I don't have to pay inside. Groceries come in from the car after the baby, who is safer on the floor for a few minutes than alone in the car. I used to be of the same mindset as alwaysgrateful but then left my purse, with keys in it, in my apt with an automatic locking door and 2 babies locked in my car- even though I was only gone for 20 seconds, my kids were stuck in a hot car for 30 minutes till my husband made it home with his house key......... very upsetting and changed my mind. (posting as amother because I am embarrassed...)

THE RIGHT THING TO DO in this situation of kids locked in a hot car is to CALL 911...not wait for keys!!!

911 came and called a locksmith who showed up after my husband...........

yOungM0mmy

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 5:03 pm

I can't believe so many people voted yes! I did leave my kid, once, by mistake. I had dropped off someone at the airport, and completely forgot I had my baby with me. As soon as I remembered, I RAN to the car. TG he was still asleep, but I will never do that again.
Either I continue driving with the light flashing, praying that I get home before it dies, or I go to a station which has the teller's window on the forecourt, and park right near the window, and give my card through the window, instead of going inside.
Or I shlep them in with me - yes, I have a 3 year old, 20 month old, and 4 month old. None of them get left in the car while I pay for petrol!

AlwaysGrateful

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 5:12 pm

Since everyone else who voted "yes" is still anonymous - I'd like a logical response. What exactly are you scared of? Again, this is assuming that this is a one-minute transaction (I would see your point if there were a line of people in front of you so you'd be there for more than a minute or so). Assuming that you lock the doors. Take the keys with you. You're talking about people walking off with babies. Great - just please explain to me how exactly that would happen? In less than a minute in a locked car?

I understand the danger of overheating, and that really scares me. At the same time, I highly doubt that I will forget to go back to the car after paying for gas.

frumamn

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 5:17 pm

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

It takes less than a minute for experienced car thieves to get into and hotwire a car. They don't usually check to see if there's anyone in the back seat-they see an unattended car and grab the opportunity. I wouldn't risk it with my kids.

Mirabelle

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 5:19 pm

frumamn wrote:

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

That is true.
I just don't understand what the big deal is about paying at the pump (if you live in the US, where I know it is super easy). If you always pay with cash, then make sure you get a debit card from your bank.

Mommy F.

Tue, Jul 21 2009, 6:06 pm

No way! I wouldn't leave my baby for a second! Why would you?
Someone could call child services on you, or the police . . .

What if you go in to pay and there's a big line up?
So many things can happen, we live in a crazy world.

I just use my debit card at the machine.
Find a gas station where you can pay at the gas pump and don't have to go inside.

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 1:20 am

I am not so strong about it. I am of the belief that people take safety too far. Whaddaya mean, too far, right? The safer the better no? Of course. I do though feel that many moms are into safety cuz it makes them feel like good moms. Like I am the best mom, I got the safest carseat in the planet, I never leave my kids in the car even for a split second to pick up my snood that blew out the window, I take them grocery shopping on a leash, I spy in their classroom window with binoculars, I have them equipped with machine guns in their pockets, etc. But we have to be realistic and in touch with reality, not just do what makes us feel good. Hashem protects our children and ourselves. He runs the world. We can trust that if we behave in a way that is acceptable and considered sufficient hishtadlus, that he will watch over us. For example, it is a terrible idea to leave your kid in a stroller in front of a store while you shop. It is a bad idea to drive around with your nine month old strapped into a regular seat belt and no carseat, on a regular basis. It is an insane idea to leave your kids in the car while you go pick up pizza. But to leave your kid in a car for literally thirty seconds and go into a glass-windowed kiosk thru which you can see the car in full view and its parked right outside the kiosk, pulled up to the door? You see the car fully and its two feet away. Is that really genuinely risky? To be honest, I have never done this. but if put into such a situation, I dont know what I would do.

bbmom

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:07 am

Ok, I'll explain why I think it's not being overcautious or too into safety to not consider leaving my child in a car where the motor is off and the doors are locked.

Hyperthermia isn't a joke, it can happen pretty quicky - what if you're number 5 in line, not number 1. Your 1 minute pay session just turned into a 5 minute pay session. You just left your child alone in a car whose inside tempurature is 10-20 degrees hotter than the outside tempurature and I'm sure you had valid reason for it.

But hyperthermia is just one of many reasons not to leave a child alone in the car.

It takes 60 seconds for a thief to steal a car, even a locked one.

It takes less than 5 minutes to tow a car.

Gear shifts look like fun. My mother once left two kids in the car literally for one minute while she ran inside the house to get something. The car landed up in the garage door. Let's just say BH the child who pulled the gear shift put it in drive and not reverse - the result could have been tragic.

You might try to convince me that you live in the safest neighborhood, that it's not always hot outside, or that you would never leave an older child, only a small baby who really can't get out of the car seat. I don't buy it, habit is habit, habit is very hard to break.

Again, I don't think that's taking safety too far any more than strapping your child into a carseat. What you do with your child doesn't concern me all that much.

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:12 am

habit is habit, but common sense is common sense. unfortunately, common sense seems like a lost art these days. duuh, its psycho to leave your kids in a car for five minuted while paying. if you see the line at the kiosk is long, obviously you have to bring the kids in with you. I thought we were discussing if there was no line, if the car is left under a minute, the door is locked, the babies are strapped into car seats, and the car is in your line of vision. no?

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:15 am

why does everything get so blown out of proportion? gosh. so if a mom would be ok with paying while the car is pulled right up to the kiosk where she can see the kids, and all potential car thieves chas vesholom, then she would be kewl with leaving her kids out of her line of vision for five minutes? one is not risky imho, the other is child abuse.

amother

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:17 am

ok, I think ppl are too careless when it comes to their kids sometimes. would u leave your diamond ring out in the car??? your kids are your most precious possession!! sorry ppl but I see too many terrible stories where moms would just turn their backs for a second. I can relate to it being hard bc I have two kids myself and its a big pain in the but to shlep them out at every stop but thats what I have to do. I had to wait till the eveing once to bring my groserys in till my dh got home. of corse I braught in the perrishables.

sky

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:18 am

I'm not saying you should leave your kids in the care - but a car today cannot be stolen in a few seconds if it is off , and the keys are not in. Recently all cars have chips in them and just hotwiring a car will not start it - unless you bypass the chip and that takes longer then 60 seconds. I would not leave my kids in the car if I couldn't see them (like going into the kiosk). But to walk over to the guy to pay I would do.
If I deliver food to someone and I have to carry hot soup and food I will leave my kids in the car. I don't go in the house and can see them every second. If it is hot outside I leave the windows open.
I would not let them out of my sight while doing this.
And I would never leave the car running. I have seen too many people doing that even when they are a few steps away and it scares me so much.
Growing up I knew someone where they left the car running (it was for a medical reason - long story). Someone jumped in the car in one second while the parent was right outside and drove off with 7 kids. b'h everyone was fine but it was terrifying.

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:19 am

and my friend tells me the bus that took her daughter to playgroup last year didnt buckle the kids in. what, a carseat, ha! not even a seatbelt to buckle in a two year old riding a bus. is that not insane? and here we sit arguing about if it is safe to leave your kids in a car three feet away from you where you can see them perfectly fine for sixty seconds. umm ok. strange world we live in.

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:24 am

amother, what, are you saying that I would leave my kids in the car but not my diamond ring? are you completely psycho? you think I care more about jewelry than my babies? oh kay. thats sick. I would leave my kids only if I determine the situation is safe, right? I would leave my diamonds way faster than my kids. you ppl are over-exaggerating the risk of what we are discussing.

amother

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 10:30 am

amother here. goldy I did not mean to be so harsh but ive seen too much that says otherwise. ive seen a little two yr old who can bearly talk yet, roaming in the street by himself on shabbos, lucky there were not alot of cars. I asked him where his mommy was so he said shes sleeping!! I mean come on!!! I was there a half hour trying to find someone who knew this baby!! finally found a brother who took him!!

gold21

Wed, Jul 22 2009, 11:08 am

so you think I would let my kids roam the streets while I sleep. oh key dokey. because I would leave them IN FULL VIEW three feet away from me? what is the connection between oranges and dog food? and Inspired, please explain why doing that wouldnt be common sense. what would I be afraid of? what is the risk? I would see the kids the whole time. please explain why that is risky and nonsensical. instead of exaggerating and trying to make me feel like a neglectful mom, tell me why leaving kids in your sight in a car three feet away for sixty seconds is risky. do you people think that either im incredibly dense (im not) or that I dont care about my kids more than I care about anything in this world? maybe I ascertain that the situation is safe, while you prefer to blow the risks out of proportion. waaay outta proportion.

Last edited by gold21 on Wed, Jul 22 2009, 11:13 am; edited 1 time in total