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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parents not having car seats for their children

363 replies

bicyclefish · 27/09/2013 15:50

The other day I came out of the supermarket and saw a couple getting into their car with the lady in the back seat strapped in with a CHILD on her lap (less than a 2 year old) and a slightly older child (maybe 4 or 5 ) strapped in but with no child seat or even a booster. I went across to them and told them in what was probably an overly abrupt manner that they should under no circumstances do what they were doing and that i was taking his number down and reporting him. He told me to F off and that he was 'only going up the road anyway'. Oh right thats ok then, accidents never happen on the short trip back from the supermarket... ahem..a little wound up by his lack of care for the people in his care i then told him that if he got back into his car and tried to drive away i would physically stand in front of it and sue him for assault if he drove into me... I know, i know..
upshot is, he got the family back out and went home and got the car seats that they did actually own but didn't see fit to put into the car..FFS
AIBU or should i have minded my own business?

OP posts:
Pachacuti · 30/09/2013 15:26

Did... did the OP just use the phrase "without an iota of disagreement" to refer to Mumsnet ?

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 15:27

friday16 - as you have clearly just found out, Simpsons Paradox is not only relevant to the question of smoking, the principles involved can be widened to encompass (yep, my word!) all forms data correlation.
My POINT in raising it was not the study matter itself but the underlying principle of the findings in general, being that you cannot rely on statistics alone to gain a full understanding of the facts in practice.

Statistically, the average person in this country has less than two legs but this sounds totally counter intuitive to most people.

OP posts:
Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 15:30

friday16 - Sorry, I wasn't aware that my speeling was of any relevence hear, but cleerly you find it importent to point it out to me so thank you for trying to help me better my gramer.

OP posts:
friday16 · 30/09/2013 15:30

but isn't a likely explanation for your data that the children aren't dying in car accidents because they are in carseats?

The rate of child deaths in cars has fallen at a lower rate than child deaths as pedestrians in car accidents. An equally plausible explanation would be anti-lock brakes. Anyone who can untangle this will get a good paper out of it.

friday16 · 30/09/2013 15:33

being that you cannot rely on statistics alone to gain a full understanding of the facts in practice.

No. You need to yell at people in supermarket carparks in order to get the full nuance.

Theodorakiss · 30/09/2013 15:35

the op is really peculiar.

Maryz · 30/09/2013 15:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

colleysmill · 30/09/2013 15:48

I haven't read a post that actually says they disagree with the overall use of carseats though.

Some posters have said they haven't in unplanned journies/emergencies/when you can't fit a car seat and the law allows for this. Others have responded that this a risk they are not prepared to take and that's perfectly acceptable too - we all weigh up whether individual risks are acceptable or not for our children and make our choices accordingly .

The question is whether people would confront others not using a car seat for their children. Personally I wouldn't but then I'm a big wimp when it comes to confrontation.

K8Middleton · 30/09/2013 15:52

Did you pause briefly to pop your pants on over your tights and unfurl your cape? Or did you just go in as you were?

And do you only battle car seat crime or do you take on general bad deeds?

Thank you kindly :)

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 16:10

K8Middleton - wherever there is danger and a deed that needs to be done......
I will fight for justice and the rights of those that cannot fight themselves.

OP posts:
friday16 · 30/09/2013 16:11

Statistically, the average person in this country has less than two legs but this sounds totally counter intuitive to most people.

The use of "average" for discrete data is a bit dodgy though, isn't it?

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 16:14

friday16 - i think we actually have something we agree on!
Can we stop there and leave on a high note?! Grin

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 30/09/2013 16:16

Statistically, the average person in this country has less than two legs but this sounds totally counter intuitive to most people.

er no, the average number of legs per person is less than two, which is subtly but importantly different!

The average person in this country doesn't have approximately half a fanjo! Grin

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 16:19

ErrolTheDragon - you could be right but i think it depends on what 'average' you median mean....
sorry..Blush

OP posts:
Theodorakiss · 30/09/2013 16:27

Seriously do you get off patronising people like that? I bet you're one of those people who rides his dadbike in the middle of the road. Unpleasant tone you have.

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 16:35

Theodorakiss - I give as good as I get and reply to comment in the tone in which they are received. Frankly given some of your comments are:
"I would have happily driven over you."
"personally I would have thought you were on a day out and would have been looking over your shoulder for the carer."
and of course the one deleted by mumsnet.
I don't think you are in any way on the moral highground, do you?

OP posts:
Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 16:42

Theodorakiss - ref: "I bet you're one of those people who rides his dadbike in the middle of the road " - do mums ride dadbikes?

OP posts:
Theodorakiss · 30/09/2013 16:56

I was quite serious about running over a person who threatened me, wasn't being nasty. There is something about your manner that makes me uneasy. I can't go into dadbikes, they make me queasy.

Bamboobambino · 30/09/2013 16:57

OP. Can you answer some questions for me. I'm genuinely interested in the answers.

  1. Do you have children of your own, and if so, do you use rear facing car seats once past the first stage?
  2. Can you point me to, or comment in the morbidity data for your smoking study, as opposed to the mortality data.
Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 17:02

Bamboobambino -
1.) Yes, no - but i do use what i HAVE instead of leaving them in the shed/garage etc if i'm only going on a short trip because the chances of anything happening etc etc etc yawn....this is a tired arguement
2). No. it's not my study and the content was not the important bit it was the holistic use of data and statistics to skew and arguement that i was alluding to.

OP posts:
Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 17:03

fyi - I leave any spelling mistakes i make in now, as i know how much one specific poster loves it so...

OP posts:
heartisaspade · 30/09/2013 17:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Theodorakiss · 30/09/2013 17:11

I thought it was bad form to slate people's spelling? Cheap way to win an argument.

Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 17:16

heartisaspade - in fairness, my point has never really been that those guys were not doing everything possible to ensure their childrens safety, more that they were doing nothing to ensure their childrens safety. I've never maintained that I am perfect in my ways but, as i previously say, at least i use what I have, which is more than can be said for the people who i objected to..

OP posts:
Original poster
bicyclefish · 30/09/2013 17:18

Theodorakiss - it doesn't win an argument, it simply makes you look petty, but it is something that one poster assumed was relevent to raise.
Yep, relevent.
Wink

OP posts: