How do you feel about advocating the whistle blowing of parents whose children a

1. 61

   trirrrposted 17 years ago

   How do you feel about advocating the whistle blowing of parents whose children are not restrained ?
   
   How do you feel about advocating the whistle blowing of parents whose children are not restrained to keep them safest in car seats ? Calling 911 and reporting their license plate to the police? I advocate this strongly.

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2. 64

   Lisa HWposted 17 years ago

   Having been a kid in a time when toddlers sat between their two parents, in a flimsy seat hooked over the back of the front seat; I'm kind of uncomfortable with the idea of calling 911 on people.  If they were parents 45 years ago they wouldn't be "criminals". 
   
   I'm not disputing that it's a bad thing to leave a child at higher risk than he needs to be; and I have no problem with the police stopping the parent, and having a good-sized fine or other penalty.   I don't dispute the science of the safety of a car seat and/or seat belts (even though I was in an accident in which I had no seatbelt, and the other person wore one - and I was the only one to survive).   (Sometimes things don't go the way conventional wisdom says they will.)
   
   Taking a big chance with a child's life or not, most of the time the ride goes uneventfully.  Very reluctantly, I have to say I'm not all that comfortable advocating self-appointed "stoolies" There can be some serious consequences to a society where non-police start policing their neighbors and others.

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3. 61

   trirrrposted 17 years ago

   Well the world has changed since the time we were kids. Everything is under a microsope, and I am one who is totally against "BIG BROTHER" and civil liberties that I feel are envaded by government installing traffic cameras for instance...and being used for other purposes...
   
   however, when it comes to children's safety and bad parents...its not uncommon for folks to call in domestic disturbances to police, or call in dept of child welfare ( or social services) if a child is in danger..correct?
   
   Also, what is the difference between someone calling the police if you see someone on the road driving erratically and most likely they are driving drunk( they are putting the risk of other to be harmed) to that of some parent putting their own children at risk? Question really becomes its the parents right to either let their children die or not..fundamentally.
   
   I agree I would feel bad for a struggling family, because of the fines, etc. Maybe instead of fines, local courts are smart enough to force them to bring proof that the child has a car seat and installed instead to provide a second chance to them.
   
   It sickens me to see infants in arms of someone in a car, not restrained. There are programs that offer free car seats to those who cannot afford it, there is no excuse. They are endangering their child as law sees it, and socially it has become the practice now to be a "tighter" community and politically correct thing to do and be involved in the community and take action.

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