I got pulled over....

April · Jul 3, 2008

Yeah so I forgot to post this, but someone mentioned it in another thread so I just thought I'd give the story.....

I got pulled over at a roadside check last week. And they were not checking for seatbelts, only car seats. I was so excited I actually gave her a high five, what a geek I am!

So I had four seats, but only one occupied. First thing she looks at my Radian and says "What is this? Is it Canadian?" (I'm Canadian) She asked where the sticker was and I said it was on the other side and then she never even looked for it. (It is a CDN seat though, but if it wasn't, she'd have never known). She asked the age and weight of the child who usually sits in there and wrote it down, pulled the seat side to side, and checked that the tether was good.

Then she comes around to my Apex. Let me tell you, Riley was not happy to have some stranger messing with his seat!

She looks at it and says "Oh yeah, Safety 1st, they're good" and then asks me if the harness goes to 40lbs and if it converts to a booster. :doh:

So of course then I tell her I'm on my way to a friend's house (QuassEE) to play with her Frontier and she says "what's a Frontier? Who makes that one?" Oh boy......

She didn't check my boosters at all, but it was clear that they were buckled and unoccupied.

Anyways, the whole point being that the lady didn't really have a clue about a lot of things. However she did have this really fancy reflective vest on that said "CPS TECHNICIAN" on the back. I want one of those. So I'm signing up for a CPST (well CRST in Canada) course in September. Yay!

snowbird25ca · Jul 3, 2008

proudmomofriley said:
Anyways, the whole point being that the lady didn't really have a clue about a lot of things. However she did have this really fancy reflective vest on that said "CPS TECHNICIAN" on the back. I want one of those. So I'm signing up for a CPST (well CRST in Canada) course in September. Yay!

Hahaha, this part made me LOL. Congrats on taking the course this fall though.

Sounds like she was not too up to date, although I wouldn't really expect her to be familiar with the Radian - they're just not common seats to see at checks.

:doh: on the 40lb comment though.

Jewels · Jul 3, 2008

That's crazy!

If it makes you feel any better I don't have a fun reflective vest to wear to seat checks

snowbird25ca said:
Sounds like she was not too up to date, although I wouldn't really expect her to be familiar with the Radian - they're just not common seats to see at checks.

I just got an email from the MB coalition reminding techs of seats that go to 65lbs and if parents have one then to recommend using it to 65lbs. It was missing the True Fit, Frontier and Boulevard. I emailed her thoses seats and a new email was sent out right away with the added seats.

Wife&MomX3 · Jul 3, 2008

:doh

oncha love when U know more than the 'professionals'? LOL
(btw, I have a Griffin, too

)

My Sweet Blessings · Jul 3, 2008

I am just impressed iwth the fact that there was even a check for carseats. I've never even heard of that!

Stretchy Glue · Jul 3, 2008

My Sweet Blessings said:
I am just impressed iwth the fact that there was even a check for carseats. I've never even heard of that!

I would so sit on the side of the road to be a part of one of these! We only have one law enforcement officer here that is a CPST, but I'm sure he'd let us all sit in on a check if our county would ever allow it. I think I might go on a ride along this summer though, either with him or the other officer that my family knows really well.

April · Jul 3, 2008

Stretchy Glue said:
I would so sit on the side of the road to be a part of one of these!

I seriously wanted to just park and hang out with them for the day! I'm sure they thought I was a nut, since I was all hi fiving and "Yay! Check my seats!"

wendy1221 · Jul 3, 2008

I got pulled over once--for a speeding ticket. lol. But the cop gave me a warning and said it was because I had my ds safely buckled in a properly installed carseat. Ds was about 2, I think. In hindsight, I have to wonder if it's because I looked about 16 and was driving an ancient Toyota (I had my oldest while I was still in college, so I was in my twenties.) lol

I was expecting a story more like this when I read your thread title.

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue* · Jul 4, 2008

HA! You sound like me! I get pulled over at least once every 2 months when my town or the town next to me has carseat/saftey check day.
I am all like: Sure, check my seats...check my stuff...

They just glance and go... WOW! Um, yes you can go. LOL!

Tomorrow they are having saftey seat checks in every town around me and I have to go through at least 4 towns that are having them tomorrow.
YAY! LOL, am I a dork for being excited! ;-)

CarSeatSafetyMom · Jul 4, 2008

We have techs in different police stations and CHP offices. But, I only know of one that actually does a Check Point for seat belts and Car Seats, usually twice a year (Memorial Day weekend & Labor Day Weekend) in Livermore, CA.

Otherwise, we have scheduled Seat Check days where people can come and get there seats checked all over the SF Bay Area at least once a month or every other month. The big one that is highly advertised is our Buckle Up Around the Bay in May!

Some of our CSAA (AAA) offices also offer a Car Seat Safety Service to members and Non members, as a community service.

We don't have vest either...Sometimes we have shirts with CPS Technician on it. I agree, not all techs stay current or up to date on the different seats and rules!

GOOD LUCK on the CLASS in the FALL!

snowbird25ca · Jul 4, 2008

proudmomofriley said:
I seriously wanted to just park and hang out with them for the day! I'm sure they thought I was a nut, since I was all hi fiving and "Yay! Check my seats!"

Here's a funny story... At the end of my tech class we did a roadside seatcheck which also involved the county Sheriff's/peace officers issuing tickets. One vehicle I had was a family with 2 kids. The dad was so excited and happy to be having his seats checked, it was rather amusing. What was funnier, was that he had some problems in the installation & use and ended up being given a couple tickets - and he was STILL happy about having been pulled over. (His wife on the other hand, wasn't so happy. :whislte: )

I'd be excited to go through a check around here too. To date they haven't used volunteer techs at roadside seat checks in my area, but I'd love to do another one. They are doing a number of them in varying areas every month, and I know a growing # of my friends have been through checks recently. I'd be excited to go through one - although there'd be high odds of me knowing whoever was there.

Unregistered1 · Jul 4, 2008

I just love the fact that Canada does these. Lame that the tech wasn't updated though... all techs need c-s.org

And congrats on taking the class, I loved mine.

That said, I'm totally moving to Canada. You guys rock.

Jewels · Jul 4, 2008

I've did a road stop last summer. The RCMP had a stop on the highway going out of a town on a major highway heading towards the CDN/US border and they stopped every vehicle and if there was a child or a carseat in the vehicle they were sent over to us to be inspected. We saw a lot of misuse but it was fun to do and good experience

The funny thing is, one family I had to inspect had seen the Kyle Miller video and was on their way to the US to buy a Regent. I told them why they couldn't legally use it in Canada and gave them their options but they still wanted the Regent. I wish I would have given them my number so I could have helped them install it

I told them I likely won't be doing any checks this summer but I hope to be back at it next year.

BudgieStew · Jul 4, 2008

Someone I know was pulled over for the same reason last summer in Nova Scotia. She said they had a scale with them as well.

I would hate to be pulled over since I am using our Marathon rear facing past the 32 inch limit and it is tethered which is frowned upon in Eastern Canada.

April · Jul 5, 2008

BudgieStew said:
Someone I know was pulled over for the same reason last summer in Nova Scotia. She said they had a scale with them as well.

I would hate to be pulled over since I am using our Marathon rear facing past the 32 inch limit and it is tethered which is frowned upon in Eastern Canada.

I know I thought about that too. I've never seen them with a scale.

RF tethering is frowned upon in eastern Canada?????

On another note....I wonder if I got stopped after I get certified if they would even check me if I showed them my card? Not that I'd have any US seats in the car because obviously I don't, but I'm just thinking...

Oh and yeah, the class costs $500 here!

BudgieStew · Jul 5, 2008

From my general reading here it seems Techs are not encouraged to tether rear facing around here. Course a tech could chime in here if that is not the case.
The last time I saw a class advertised in N.S. it was 125.00. I was unable to stuck around another month and a half at my parents to take it though.500.00 is a bit steep.

I have never bothered to look for a class here in Quebec though as I have my doubts that there will be any offered around here or in even in English.

SillyLily · Jul 5, 2008

Stretchy Glue said:
...if our county would ever allow it...

You mean if our country violated our constitutional rights and allowed us to be pulled over and searched with no probable cause?

Or law enforcement could actually start enforcing the laws that we already have when they pull a vehicle over(like in Washington, it is illegal to have a child under 4 in a booster).

I wonder if Washington state law considers car seat laws to be "primary" offenses. Like if an officer sees a kid in a car that is not buckled, can he pull them over and ticket them? I know that with the handsfree/cell phone law that is a "secondary" offense, so they can only ticket you for it if they pull you over for a primary reason like reckless driving or speeding.

Stretchy Glue · Jul 5, 2008

Actually, the law says that seats must be used according to the manual, therefore a 3 year old who has outgrown a convertible, and 30 lbs can ride in a turbo legally. The 4-8 law is just an extension. I hate to see 3 year olds in boosters, but sometimes it's just unavoidable for so many reasons. A booster used properly is so much better than a convertible used beyond it's limits.:twocents:

Yes, car seat usage is a primary offense and there is one officer here in our county that is a certified tech who does pull people over constantly. The majority of the officers here just don't know that much about car seats. I've been trying to get one from my town to be released from work for 4 days to attend a class, but his chief can't afford to take him off the rotation, because there just isn't enough officers employed.

tcottawa · Jul 5, 2008

BudgieStew said:
Someone I know was pulled over for the same reason last summer in Nova Scotia. She said they had a scale with them as well.

I would hate to be pulled over since I am using our Marathon rear facing past the 32 inch limit and it is tethered which is frowned upon in Eastern Canada.

Umm, neither of these would be a problem at a roadside check in eastern canada...they're looking for egregious misuse...TC follows the 1" rule for height, and if the manual says you can RF tether, you are breaking no law.

I would love to to one of these, but they're always on a weekday when I have the kids with me...someday

Misty-Bug · Jul 5, 2008

proudmomofriley said:
Anyways, the whole point being that the lady didn't really have a clue about a lot of things. However she did have this really fancy reflective vest on that said "CPS TECHNICIAN" on the back. I want one of those. So I'm signing up for a CPST (well CRST in Canada) course in September. Yay!

HEY!! are you really!! That is when I am hoping to do my course too. Mine will be in Surrey. Through St. John's ambulance. I am talking with a lady named Linda Reid. The course is up in the air right now but she said that it should be coming in Surrey in September. How much are you having to pay? Where is your course?

I got pulled over....

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