Double Standards

Excuse me if I vent and rant a little today. There are a few things in my life I am passionate about - my family, my religion, education. I'm also passionate about a few issues. One of those related to children is car seats and car seat safety. Maybe I am just a paranoid fanatic. Maybe it's because my husband and I know what it is like to lose a child (not in a car accident, but the thought of losing another in any way freaks me out). Maybe I am just crazy (a likely possibility). But car seat and car seat safety are very important to me.

Mark and I researched car seats carefully before purchasing one. We checked Consumer Reports, read reviews, talked to others. We took the time to have both our car seats professionally installed. We learned all we could about the proper use and restraint of a car seat. We've done some research and have decided to keep Camden rear facing until he is at least 2 if at all possible. We want to keep Camden as safe as possible in our car.

So it drives me crazy when I see people ignore the importance of car seats, booster seats, and proper restraint. I bite my tongue because I am not a confrontational person, but I silently scream inside. I know I need to speak up more about this if I feel strongly and I intend to in the future. The other day my mother in law came over to pick up my sister in law (the one not on bedrest) and her 5 month old son. She also picked up my other sister in law's (the one on bedrest) two children and took them all back to her house - 30 minutes away. The only one properly restrained was the 5 month old. The other two children - ages 5 and 4 - were placed in regular seat belts with no booster seat of any kind. The 4 year old was also placed in the front seat. As I watched them drive away, I turned to Mark and said, "I am never letting Camden ride with your mom. And I should have said something about K in the front seat."

Now comes the one that really annoys me. Camden is in daycare about two days a week. The past few weeks, when I have come to pick up Camden, there is a local police officer there picking up his son who is probably 4 or 5 in age. He picks up his son in his city issued police cruiser. Each week I watch this officer place his son in the car and drive off. I've looked and not seen any sort of car seat or booster seat. It has bothered me, thinking his son is not properly restrained, but I wanted to make sure I was right that there wasn't any sort of proper restraint in his police cruiser. Yesterday, the officer was there again. This time I decided to walk by his car on my way out with Cam and look carefully. And sure enough, there is no type of booster seat anywhere in his police cruiser. I watched as the officer came out with his boy. I watched as he placed his son in the front seat, fastened the regular seat belt (at least he did that), and drove off. This is an officer people! In his uniform and in his police cruiser! Shouldn't he have to obey the law?

I wrote down his license plate down yesterday. And today I am debating - should I call this in and report it? I really want to for many reasons. One, if that was me not restraining my son properly or placing him in the front seat, I'd be pulled over and ticketed, no matter how close to the daycare center I may live. Two, as an officer, shouldn't he uphold the law and set an example, especially in his cruiser and in uniform when doing this? Three, what if something happened to his son? Could I live with myself? But part of me holds back. Mainly because I am nonconfrontational type of person and it is hard for me to do things like that. Also I am afraid of retribution. This is a small town and the good ole boy network is still very much in effect out here. If I report him, will he start watching for me and looking for reasons to pull me over?

This has bothered me for days now, wondering how he can get away with this. And I think he needs to know people are noticing and it is not all right. If he weren't in his uniform and police cruiser, I don't think I'd be so upset. But I feel he needs to be an example to others. If people seeing an officer doing it, won't they think they can do it? I don't want to get this officer in trouble, but I do want him to know people look to him as an example of following the law.

My questions for you today - what would you do in this situation? And what issues are you passionate about? Share with me!