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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find Baby on board car signs pointless and rather irritating.

255 replies

VickyLouT · 27/02/2022 11:57

I just don't get it. What purpose do these signs serve? I totally understand why you might wear a baby on board badge on the tube, that has a purpose. But why a car sign? Are other drivers supposed to be behave differently around you "more safely" or perhaps just be forewarned that you may have poor driving or parking as you may be sleep deprived. Aibu to find this pointless signalling irritating? Maybe someone with one of these signs share why?

OP posts:
ComDummings · 27/02/2022 11:58

Pointless maybe but who cares? People do pointless things all the time.

Bing42 · 27/02/2022 11:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 27/02/2022 11:59

Usually when this is asked someone will come along and say it's so that if you have an accident the emergency services will know to look for a child Grin

Like they actually think that's what they do

I can't help as I have absolutely no idea what they are for.

Marvellousmadness · 27/02/2022 12:00

People with those signs in their car are 50 shades of rediculous Hmm

Lizlou85 · 27/02/2022 12:00

I was told to didply the sign so, God forbid if we were in an accident the emergency services would know.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 27/02/2022 12:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Quotes withdrawn post

DiddyHeck · 27/02/2022 12:00

This reply has been deleted

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2ndBorn · 27/02/2022 12:01

Funnily enough I thought about this yesterday! There aren’t as many BOB signs now, I think they’re getting less popular…

DiddyHeck · 27/02/2022 12:01

*Sight

Sfumato · 27/02/2022 12:01

@Lizlou85

I was told to didply the sign so, God forbid if we were in an accident the emergency services would know.
😄😄😄
GougeAway · 27/02/2022 12:01

YANBU. Of course emergency services aren’t going to be looking for a tacky sign in the event of a serious accident.

Trisolaris · 27/02/2022 12:01

How many people do you reckon even take those signs down when their kids aren’t in the car. . .

Hapoydayz · 27/02/2022 12:01

Agreed they are utterly pointless

KindlyKanga · 27/02/2022 12:02

So if you crash they know to look for a small person

HunterHearstHelmsley · 27/02/2022 12:02

I take them to mean "I'm a shit driver who isn't paying attention to the road". There is literally no point otherwise.

ClariceQuiff · 27/02/2022 12:02

I've read that the idea of them is to alert emergency workers should you be in an accident - i.e. if driver is unconscious, they know straight away that there's a baby needing to be rescued.

No idea if that's correct.

There's probably an element of people being pleased that they have a baby and wanting to show off the fact by adding a sticker.

It seems harmless or at least no worse than any other stickers people might have on their windows.

Hesma · 27/02/2022 12:02

The point is that emergency services know to look for a child if there is an accident

DiddyHeck · 27/02/2022 12:02

@Lizlou85

I was told to didply the sign so, God forbid if we were in an accident the emergency services would know.
What would they know??

If they LOOK inside the car they'll see the kid. If they look inside and don't see one, they're hardly going to waste time looking around outside it on the off chance the driver hasn't forgotten to take the sign out of the car when the kid's not with them.

MajorCarolDanvers · 27/02/2022 12:03

The original purpose was to alert first responders to the presence of a baby in the event of a car accident.

Nowadays people use them in the hope of discouraging poor driving.

diplodocus · 27/02/2022 12:03

If the accident is so severe that you can’t easily see the child I find it difficult to believe a sign stuck on with a bit of spit will still be in place and visible

DiddyHeck · 27/02/2022 12:05

@Hesma

The point is that emergency services know to look for a child if there is an accident
Ahh ok so they're going to take a few first responders away from the actual casualties to go on a wild goose chase, on the off-chance there's a kid somewhere because a £1.99 sign from Amazon says there might be?
HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 27/02/2022 12:05

@allthatfancypaintsasfair but that is exactly what they are for, to allow emergency services to know that there maybe someone in the car who can't leave the car unaided. Same as you get one for autistic / neuro diverse people to let them know that there maybe an individual in the vehicle that might act unexpectedly - you can get them as a bumper sticker or as a sleeve that goes over the seat belt.

In the dark, if a car had flipped etc it would be easy to miss if there was a bad accident and the people in the car unconscious.

MrsTophamHat · 27/02/2022 12:05

I think there's a bit of a myth that they're for the emergency services in the event of a crash.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 27/02/2022 12:06

It really wasnt

www.snopes.com/fact-check/baby-on-board/

DiddyHeck · 27/02/2022 12:07

I genuinely thought people stopped believing this crap in the 90s. Can't believe some people actually still do.