Last Thursday I was in line at my son's school awaiting to pick him up. In front of me was a newer Ford Focus, and in that car was a little head bobbing all around the back seat, and poking up through between the front seats. I could tell this child was no more that 2-3 years old. I was enraged, it brought back memories of 10 or so years ago, when I saw a toddler get ejected from their vehicle and land on their head a good 30-40 feet from the vehicle. So I sat in my truck contemplating should I get out and reprimand this mother who is allowing this..
Well, I did get out and go to her window, gave it a knock. She was a mid 30's Hispanic woman, her child was more than eager to poke up to the front to examine me as well. I said to her, ma'am you need to have your son in a car seat. Not only is it incredibly unsafe, but against the law and the police are usually here at the school looking for unsecured children to give out $400 tickets.
Her response was "nodding her head, with confusion" I asked her if she understood what I had just said, she said "si, si..gracias" so in my best Spanglish I repeated it to her. I said "Buenos Tardes" and went back to my truck.
School let out and her comes her other 2 children maybe 7 & 9. They 7 year old gets in the front seat and the other piles in the back. Still the toddler is unbuckled, no car seat in vehicle by the way and she drove away.
So yesterday, again I am in line awaiting my son's release, and there she is in front of me again..That grey Ford Focus, however this time I can see that there is a small child's head atop the back of the car seat. Yes apparently my Spanglish was good enough and she understood me, and had her small child secured or at least sitting in a car seat.
I am hopeful that I made a difference somehow, or maybe law enforcement did. However, I would like to believe that is was one mother's concern for a child of another that affected her.
Would you have taken the initiative and approached a stranger in this situation? Or would you have sat back at stewed about it?
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