What do you think of this? Would you have been comfortable?

Patriot201 · Jan 20, 2007

I had to go get my car inspected this morning (which is SO ridiculous since it is less than a year old and only has 7500 miles on it!) and had to wait in line for about two hours (for a 6 minute inspection!). Of course, I was people-watching as I was waiting.

I was a little uncomfortable with some of the things I was seeing, but I was not comfortable getting out of my car to say anything. Perhaps I was being overly paranoid about safety... I know we have had these conversations recently about being overly paranoid. I guess I can add my name to the ranks of people who may be overly paranoid...

1) The family in the car ahead of me had a fairly young baby (6-8 months old, I would guess) in a RF Alpha-Omega. They took the baby out of the seat to feed it/play with it/whatever. Well, everytime someone would move up in the line, they moved their car too, without putting the baby back in its seat. Granted, we were moving about 1-2 mph and were only moving about 10-12 feet at a time, but they had the baby in the mother's arms in the front seat of the car. It just made me a little uncomfortable, with the airbag there. I DOUBT the airbag would go off, but what if?

2) A woman got out of her car to pump gas (while smoking a cigarette!!!!!), reached into her backseat to hand something to a child in the backseat (who appeared to be about three???), and blew smoke ALL OVER the child. Ugh. I kept thinking, "You are an idiot. You are SMOKING while pumping gas (STUPID!) AND you are blowing smoke on your child?" Ugh!!

3) A young girl/teenager was walking a baby in a stroller out in the 33-degree weather (with a wind chill far below 30 degrees). The girl had on a stocking cap, gloves, a thick winter jacket, and a scarf. The baby had on a pair of socks, a pair of jeans that were too short, so they didn't cover the baby's legs, and what looked like a thin cotton sweater. The baby didn't have on a hat, jacket, blanket, or anything! UGH!!!

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Thanks for letting me vent!

Simplysomething · Jan 20, 2007

I wouldn't have felt comfortable with the baby out of the carseat either, even going that slow.

Heh. I dread getting the car inspected. Last year, it failed inspection...for a couple of reasons, but the one that sticks with me was that the headlights were too dim! LOL. They did something to the plastic...buffed it? I dunno--it wasn't as scratchy and I could see to drive at night again. Other safety stuff was fixed to, like oh..breaks. Breaks are good to have, I've heard. (My car is a 97, so it's gong to have more issues. lol).

I've never been to a drive up inspection station. We usually get it inspected at the closest dealership, now. Not because they are a dealership, but because they have a childrens play area. It takes longer than 6 minutes though.

Patriot201 · Jan 20, 2007

Simplysomething said:
I've never been to a drive up inspection station. We usually get it inspected at the closest dealership, now. Not because they are a dealership, but because they have a childrens play area. It takes longer than 6 minutes though.

The other cars (and my old car!) took about 15-20 minutes each. The cars getting inspection and emissions took about 30 minutes. When the inspection guy told me he was finished (6 minutes after he started!), I was shocked. He said, "There isn't much to check on a new car!"

southpawboston · Jan 20, 2007

Patriot20171 said:
I had to go get my car inspected this morning (which is SO ridiculous since it is less than a year old and only has 7500 miles on it!) and had to wait in line for about two hours (for a 6 minute inspection!).

that's not so ridiculous... just because the car is relatively new doesn't mean that it may have some safety inspection failures (burnt out brake light, for example). public policy has to dictate these things because the majority of people are too stupid to check these basic things themselves (i'm not in any way suggesting that you are among them, just justifying why these policies exist). i saw this firsthand when i lived in california, where there is no annual safety inspection (only emmissions testing). i saw more cars with burnt out brake/turn signal/tail lights than in any state that has an annual inspection program. would you want to be following someone at night whose brake lights weren't working?

3) A young girl/teenager was walking a baby in a stroller out in the 33-degree weather (with a wind chill far below 30 degrees). The girl had on a stocking cap, gloves, a thick winter jacket, and a scarf. The baby had on a pair of socks, a pair of jeans that were too short, so they didn't cover the baby's legs, and what looked like a thin cotton sweater. The baby didn't have on a hat, jacket, blanket, or anything! UGH!!!

yeah, this bugs me a lot. i get especially annoyed when i don't see infants and toddlers with hats on in cold weather, in addition to adequate jackets/sweaters/mittens.etc... but the head is the single biggest source of heat loss and it pains me to see toddlers in sub-freezing weather with their wispy hair blowing in the wind.

chaoticoctopus · Jan 20, 2007

I don't think the child out of its carseat would have bothered me terribly, although it would to a slight degree. It's not what they *ought* to have done, it wasn't the safest option, but was probably a reasonably low-risk situation the way you described it.

The smoking mom would have ticked me off. I might have left my vehicle to report her to the station attendants-- smoking is not just discouraged, it is PROHIBITED within 50 ft. of the pumps! Poor baby, too. You can surmise, if she's not careful about where her smoke goes in public, she's probably not giving it much thought in her home.

Underdressed baby would've had me struggling not to get out of my vehicle and chastise the child pushing the stroller.

It sounds like you got an overdose of your daily ration of stupid people doing stupid things...

mominabigtruck · Jan 20, 2007

What do you get your car inspected for? I've never heard of that before.

Starlight · Jan 20, 2007

Some states require annual inspection of the car to ensure that it is roadworthy... offhand, I know Hawaii, California, NY & Texas do. Illinois might too, I can't remember.

I wouldn't have been cool w/ any of it. Sometimes ppl just don't think.

southpawboston · Jan 20, 2007

mominabigtruck said:
What do you get your car inspected for? I've never heard of that before.

what state do you live in? most states have their own annual or bi-annual inspection requirements. you usually get a sticker in the corner of your windshield showing when your current inspection expires. you can get some serious fines in some states for driving with an expired inspection sticker.

that said, here are the common things they inspect to ensure proper function:

- all exterior lights (brake lights, turn signals, tail lights, backup lights, headlights (including proper aiming and brightness of headlights)

- brake pad thickness

- check for any loose/worn suspension components

- tire pressure and remaining tread depth

- horn (yes it is considered a safety item)

- all window glass (a cracked windsheild or a stone-chipped windshield may cause an inspection failure)

there may be other stuff as well, and some states may not inspect the above items, but those are the biggies. in massachusetts, they combine the safety inspection with the emmissions test. safety inspection is every year and costs $19 (state fee). emmissions test is every other year and costs $39 (which includes the safety inspection).

i have no idea what states don't have a program like this... but IMHO they should have one. as far as i'm concerned, it's a safety issue, just like having a properly installed and operated child seat.

southpawboston · Jan 20, 2007

starlight said:
Some states require annual inspection of the car to ensure that it is roadworthy... offhand, I know Hawaii, California, NY & Texas do. Illinois might too, I can't remember.

I wouldn't have been cool w/ any of it. Sometimes ppl just don't think.

california has an inspection program? when i lived there between 1995 and 2001 they did not, AFAIK... i only remember having the emmissions test, which was expensive. but i could be wrong.

skaterbabs · Jan 20, 2007

virginia has one as well. our cars are inspected yearly.

FWIW, on the hats on kids thing.

My boys never would wear hats when it was cold out - to my horror, they'll wear them when it's 100* out, but will throw them when it's 20*.

Joyjoy won't wear her hat & mittens except to play around the house, and they're even pink with Princesses on them! Trying to get her coat on her is a nightmare.

Honestly, unless you're talking about below-freezing temperatures, a child above newborn-age is not going to freeze to death or get frostbite from a five-ten minute walk. They'll be a little uncomfortable, but for short amount of time it's not a safety hazard. If you're talking even 40* or so, they'll be cold, but not dangerously so, on a twenty minute walk.

Keep in mind that children typically run hotter than adults anyway. I'll be freezing with multiple layers on, Joyjoy will be happily playing naked. (inside the house of course!)

We'll go out and I'll have on my heavy coat and scarf, she'll be happy with long sleeves and cotton tights. It would take longer to force the issue with the coat than to just walk into wherever we're going anyway. Plus, it's not like it's safe for her to wear the coat in the car.

scatterbunny · Jan 20, 2007

All of those things would have bothered me.

Not so much the "no hat" on baby--Hayley refuses to wear hats or hoods most of the time, even in winter, and I have quit fighting her on it. She just yanks them right off, and has since she was an infant. She HATES anything on her head.

That baby still should have had a coat on, a blanket over him, something covering his legs and body.

Starlight · Jan 20, 2007

Hmm... we lived in CA for awhile, and I thought we had some yearly test. It could be the emission test, but now I'm not sure.

mominabigtruck · Jan 20, 2007

Hmm, I'm in Ohio and I've never heard of that before. I have to get DOT inspections every year for the trucks but I've never heard anything about cars having to have it done.

beeman · Jan 20, 2007

In Saskatchewan Semis and School buses and all those commercial vehicles need inspection every 6 months, but private vehicles only need it when the are first registered when purchased out of province, or if they haven't been registered for a few years. It costs $100 for an inspection though. We don't have anything on emmisions to my knowlege. Random checks are done by the highway traffic board or the RCMP, and they can pull your vehicle off the road if it doesn't pass, and every oil change place and tire shop will do an inspection when your vehicles in, so it's not like were doing without any safety regulations. It would probably be good to have anual inspections, as long as you don't have to wait for 2 hours. It would be good for road safety.

scatterbunny · Jan 20, 2007

In Oregon only the "city folks" have to get inspections done. I know my family living in the Portland/metro area have to get it done, but out here in the boonies we don't.

tjham · Jan 20, 2007

Arizona here - emissions inspection only.

Child out of carseat while moving forward in line - probably wouldn't have bothered me. Maybe the mom should have sat in backseat but I don't think airbags are that sensitive. My daughter was rear ended and her truck hit the car in front of her and her airbags didn't even go off then.

Smoking mom - that's awful! JC, how was she getting gas while in line to be inspected?

Cold baby - my kids also hated hats, but the baby should have been covered otherwise. Hopefully, they didn't have far to go.

southpawboston · Jan 20, 2007

in NY and in MA, about 40-50% of the car service stations are also certified state inspection stations, so it's never a problem finding them, and i've never had to wait for an appt... just drive right up. i think i waited about 10 minutes for them to pull my car in the last time, and the inspection itself (with smog check) took about 15-20 minutes.

as for children not wearing hats, i'm sure the people on this forum are responsible enough and know what's good for their children... so i'm not questioning any of your own dressing codes for your children.

BUT, the original post described an underdressed "baby". babies, and even young toddlers, are a LOT more susceptible to heat loss/hypothermia by not having head covering than an older child or adult. in babies under one year of age, 70% of heat loss (SEVENTY PERCENT!) is through the head. also, since babies can't self-regulate their temperature as well as older children, it is recommended to always dress babies and young toddlers with at least one additional layer than you would wear yourself. once kids get a little older, then they are capable of telling you whether they're warm enough. they're also capable of better temperature self-regulation.

adamsmommy · Jan 20, 2007

I live in Illinois and do not have to get my car inspected. I know Missouri does. (I am right across from the border) I 'think' if you have a car that is older you have to get it inspected in Illinois. Maybe 10 years? We never make it that far. I am a trade in car junkie. Longest I have ever kept a car is ALMOST 3 years.

My mom smokes and I throw a fit if she is outside and walking with him while smoking. If I would have saw that, I would have said something. I smoked for 10 years and am very anti-smoking now. Too many people I have cared about are gone because of cigs.

broken4u05 · Jan 20, 2007

In maryland we only have emissions. The baby would not bother me that much. The smoke would of and none of the kids i take care of till one of my twins i watch would ever wear a hat. Now Jack will wear one anytime. It is a purple eggpant hat. It is funny

southpawboston · Jan 20, 2007

i can understand older toddlers and post-toddlers refusing to wear hats, but for babies and young toddlers, it is simply a training situation. i know that our 7-month old DD2 has no clue as to how to pull her hat off. until she gets to be a few years older, she will have no choice (when she is with us, at least) but to wear a hat in cold weather. period. when i hear "refusing" to wear a hat, i interpret it more as the parent's willingness to put up with the child not wearing the hat.

What do you think of this? Would you have been comfortable?

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