Just Call Me the Car Seat Nazi

Today I was picking up my friends daughter from school when I saw a little girl (7 or 8 years old) carrying the cutest little baby. He looked to be about 6 months old..maybe younger.

As she's carrying him to the car I'm talking to Kevin about how cute he is then I realize that they're getting into a teeny, tiny Ford Ranger pick up that has no back seat. I sit there hoping that maybe they're just waiting for someone and that they won't actually drive off with the baby sitting on his sisters lap...in the front seat...with his head hanging out the window.

Unfortunately I was wrong. Fortunately I had the foresight to write down the licence plate number. I followed the car all the way across town to another elementary school. Once they finally stopped I confirmed the plate number and called the cops. They said they were sending an officer right away (the station is only have a block from the school). But, I didn't have time to wait around and see what happened.

What is wrong with people?!?! I mean, I don't expect everyone to be as obsessed with car seat safety as I am. I don't expect them to do months of research when they buy a car seat and I don't expect them to spend hundreds of dollars on a car seat. But for crap sake how hard is it to figure out that it's obscenely dangerous to let a tiny baby sit in someone's lap in the front seat of a pick up truck?!

Yeah, installing car seats can be a pain. Buckling your kids into them 100 times a day is annoying. But is your childs life not worth that little bit of extra time?