Chicken or Egg Question: Which came first? Leaving kids in cars alone became less socially acceptable, and pay at the pump gas pumps were developed, in part, to meet the needs of a changing society? OR, did the convenience of pay at the pump gas pumps help spark the change in social conscious regarding leaving kids in cars?
I've tossed this around for YEARS, LOL.
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I think pay at the pump sparked the change in social conscious. But if I need to I have still done it over the years with my kids-be it run into a office front door to drop off a bill-run in to pay for gas, no that they are a little older run into a grocery store for a few items.
This is what my husband thinks. He said that pay at the pump started to help prevent drive-off's and then, because it was convenient, the idea of not leaving your children alone in the car started to take hold.
Quoting Peanutx3:Good question! I am gonna say the convenience of pay at the pump helped spark the change in social consciousness.
Write in Jon Huntsman for President
"People no longer trust that their government is working for them. They see the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street, the influence-peddling, the backroom deals, and the crony capitalism.
This is what I think too. I don't think PATP was created as a response to kids in cars at all. I think it was a response to non-paying drive offs and also allowing people to get gas w/o needing the store open. I think it then became another piece of ammo in the kids left in cars issue. Another way for moms to judge other moms who leave their kids in the car for a minute. "You can just pay at the pump. There's no need to leave them alone."
Quoting eema.gray:
This is what my husband thinks. He said that pay at the pump started to help prevent drive-off's and then, because it was convenient, the idea of not leaving your children alone in the car started to take hold.
Quoting Peanutx3:
Good question! I am gonna say the convenience of pay at the pump helped spark the change in social consciousness.
Do we have a designated age for it to be socially acceptable to leave your kids in the car? It seems so arbitrary. I've definitely left my kids in the car, at least a few times, especially if I can see the car (e.g. a convenience store). They were a bit older before I left them if I ran into a place where I couldn't see the car. They're 8 and 10 now, and I refuse to take them into some places ;)
To answer your question, I'm going to go with the pay at the pumps being the push factor behind it being unacceptable to leave kids in cars.
Some states have said kids have to be as old as 12 before they can be left alone; some states are a little younger, and some have no regulations at all. Judging from CM, regardless of state laws, it is socially unacceptable to leave your child alone before they're teens. :-)
Quoting krysstizzle:Do we have a designated age for it to be socially acceptable to leave your kids in the car? It seems so arbitrary. I've definitely left my kids in the car, at least a few times, especially if I can see the car (e.g. a convenience store). They were a bit older before I left them if I ran into a place where I couldn't see the car. They're 8 and 10 now, and I refuse to take them into some places ;)
To answer your question, I'm going to go with the pay at the pumps being the push factor behind it being unacceptable to leave kids in cars.
Write in Jon Huntsman for President
"People no longer trust that their government is working for them. They see the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street, the influence-peddling, the backroom deals, and the crony capitalism.
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- eema.gray
on May. 31, 2012 at 3:12 PM