Parents not having car seats for their children

[bicyclefish]

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?

[bicyclefish]

"Child seats save a couple of hundred lives per year."
WOW ! Words actually fail me...

[friday16]

Car seats should be mandatory in taxis too.

What about buses? And if not, why not?

[bicyclefish]

why not indeed...buses too...

[HenriettaPye]

Look bicycle in not sure exactly what you wanted- maybe us to say what an outstanding citizen you are risking your life to stand infront of the car, just so those parents didn't drive off? Maybe you should get a bravery medal or something?

I'm not agreeing with what they did- but I don't agree with what you did either.

[zatyaballerina]

I think you were extremely brave, absolutely right and probably saved one of those children from being seriously injured/killed at a future date because there's no way in hell they're ever going to risk not putting the carseats in again!

I admire your balls

[bicyclefish]

friday16, whats your phobia against seat belts and living children exactly?

[absentmindeddooooodles]

Right so......ive got a taxi a few times with my two year old.
Times when I desperatley needed to get home, or xouldnt manage all the shopping. Its a two mile walk back from town to where I lived at the time. On one occasion it was absoloutley pissing down with rain and also hailing on and off. I risked getting in a taxi without a car seat rather than letting my ds walk 2iles in appauling weather and catching a cold.
I have also had to gwt a taxi too and from the shop to get a weekley supply of food and other various essentials that keepy and ds alive....

I did not have a car seat. I dis not know anyone with one of a suitable size that I could borrow. So got in the taxi........so shoot me!

Honestly you are taking this way too far.

I think we have all established that we want to keep kids safe. But sometimes you take a risk!!

[Tabby1963]

"Next time you're at the supermarket, have you considered staging an intervention for anyone who's shopping for children but buying high-fat and high-sugar goods?" Cor blimey Friday16 that's a whole nuther thread! Go on, get it started...

[bicyclefish]

HenriettaPye - No i wanted your opinion, thats kind of the point of the forum, i just am quite surprised by some of them is all...It takes all sorts i this crazy world. I didn't come here as a fishing exercise as i'm totally happy about what i did and i will do it again, i was just interested in other peoples views and it is, indeed, interesting.
I don't necessarily advocate my approach at all and would, on teh whole, advise against it if you are not comfortable doing so, but i thought there woudl be more agreement with what i did, even if the methods were somewhat 'blunt object'

[bicyclefish]

absentmindeddooooodles - can i ask how you both got there in the first place and how you intended to get back the two miles if it wasn't raining?

[friday16]

why not indeed...buses too...

How many children have died as occupants of buses in accidents in the last fifty years? Because I believe the answer is "zero". So we could reduce that zero to, well, zero, at the expense of making buses unusable for most mothers. What would they do? Carry a child seat and then strap it into a seat in order to reduce that zero risk to, well, zero? Or would there be child seats pre-installed, but you can't get on the bus if they're all full even if there's loads of otherwise empty seats?

[WorraLiberty]

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

I'm genuinely struggling to believe that ^^

[bicyclefish]

friday16 :
" have you considered staging an intervention for anyone who's shopping for children but buying high-fat and high-sugar goods?"

sorry for not replying to this before i needed to go and check but it seems that it is NOT illegal to buy high fat and high sugar food items...
so we've all learned a little something today havent we..

[bicyclefish]

WorraLiberty - he did...i waited until he returned less than 5 minutes later

[Groovee]

Car Seat Law

It's the law to have children under 14 restrained in the proper restraint.

I wouldn't however confront anyone, I'd call 101 and report the number plate.

[WorraLiberty]

Yeah

[absentmindeddooooodles]

We walked. Its a nice walk through fields lanes etc, and we would have walked back if the weather had not haveturned so bad.

I couldnt drag him theough two miles of muddy fields and lanes in a light coat in poruring rain and hail.

We could not walk back along the main road as there is no pavement at all.

So to clarify.....the weather got bad. It was sunny that morning and turned stormy. The weather changed....it does that somerimes.

[Groovee]

Oh and I'd call the police as the driver is responsible therefore can face getting a fine if they don't.

[CoffeeTea103]

So he got the entire family out of the car just for him only to go get the car seats?

[notundermyfoof]

Yabu, they were being idiots but you were way ott!

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

YANBU to think that people should use car seats, of course not. It would even be OK to go over and say "By law those children should be in car seats" in case the driver wasn't aware of the requirements or dangers. But I think actually putting yourself in danger by standing in front of their car was utterly unreasonable and was going far beyond being a good citizen. Also not fair actually to delay them going about their business. They may have been on their way to an appointment or collecting an older child from somewhere and it isn't fair for you to delay them because they are breaking a law that after all only affects their family and not others.

[justmyview]

I admire you for standing up for car safety & hope you made him reconsider, but think it was risky to threaten to stand in front of his car

[absentmindeddooooodles]

Well said ghoul. :)

[Viasabat]

My husband and I are both blind. We are having a baby in December. We have to use taxis we have no other choice. So when I am going out with my husband our 2 guide dogs and baby, how do you suggest I carry the car seat?

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

absentminded - your situation is why the law doesn't require car seats in taxis. You can sometimes pre-book them etc but if you just need to get a taxi last minute you can without anyone worrying about breaking the car seat law.