Car Seats ..Not Just For Kids

I read your blog today(Exiled in Toyland) during lunch and thought of the child seat I was in when I was a toddler. It was not meant for safety but as a lift up to the view of the car window. It was equipped with handles that also doubles as a let in for seatbelt straps. The legs of the chair were longer in the back and shorter in the front to allow a level view of the window.

I remember my son's 5th birthday! I made a big deal about driving to the park to feed the ducks as part of his coming of age...no more car seat! After feeding the ducks I realized I had locked the keys in my car. Buggery, buggery, Buggery! Oh well, we walked to a pay phone (olden days term for public phone) and called the police to unlock the car door. It was about the time the police thought it was a bad idea to unlock cars and then ask for the registration. The policeman arrived and then said "We have a problem." I assured him the registration in the glove box was mine and I gave him my drivers licenses. He then asked my son how old he was? My son proudly said "I am a whole FIVE years old today!" The policeman said "Yes, we have a problem. As of midnight last night a new state law was placed to active. Children 6 yrs old and under must be in a car seat."

My jaw dropped! I was feeling a lot of emotions the largest portion was panic! How was I going to get my 5 yr old back into a car seat after making such a big deal about being a big boy on his birthday and no more car seat? There was also the question of how were we to get home with no car seat? Then would the policeman unlock the car so I could get my keys to at least get into our house once we arrived?!

I explained the birthday situation to the policeman and he looked again at my drivers license. He saw we only lived a few blocks from the park. He unlocked the door only after pointing out I must have the car seat back in the car immediately and made me promise to be extra careful driving home. "Missy, most car accidence's happen in a 1 mile radius of home."

In the new state we live in I passed a billboard I thought read " 4' 9" is the magic number" with the fairy godmother from Cinderella pictured waving her magic wand over a car seat. I thought to myself, well Grandma and Auntie will need a car seat to visit us. After reading the safety seat laws for this state on the web it is 0-3 yrs in a car seat and 4-8 yrs in a booster seat.