Honestly, I can’t remember the details. I turned the nob to preheat the oven not realising it was gas. Later came back to check, opened the door to a strong smell of gas. Maybe it had cut out by then, not sure.
Was I dumb? Yes, but I’d just driven for hours and was trying to unpack, handle the rest of the family and cook dinner all at once and was still in the mindset of the electric oven I had at home.
Doesn't sounds like it. I mean in general it is bad form to blame users for safety problems. Even more so in an unfamiliar environment.
If the oven had a safety thermocouple and it was working correctly there should have been 0 gas smell after what you say you did. If you did that and smelled gas then the oven was either faulty or very old.
Was I dumb? Yes, but I’d just driven for hours and was trying to unpack, handle the rest of the family and cook dinner all at once and was still in the mindset of the electric oven I had at home.