Left a note on someone's windshield!

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Please tell me I'm not the only one who has done this. lol I was at the grocery store today and looked over and the car next to me had their locking clip on the wrong side so who knows what else was wrong, so I HAD to leave a note. ;) Thankfully we have a carseat check this weekend so I put that on there too, hopefully they come. My Dh called me a loon and told me I just needed to have some pre-printed that I could fill in the blanks w/ what was wrong.
 
ADS

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Hahahahah -- I've done this about 1/2 dozen times :p (although we do have a whopping 98% misuse rate up here) :eek:

I keep flyers (from NHTSA, Safe Kids & www.carseat.org) on hand specifically for this purpose & Staples has some cute printable business cards with an outline of colorful kids holding hands -- I made my own business cards & include them with it in hopes they'll call for an appointment :rolleyes:
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I was thinking about getting some business cards too before I start that class as the cpc, but I wasn't sure.
 

Splash

New member
I LIKE the preprinted cards idea!
I have once left a note on a windshield. I saw the lady get out of the car, and she had a six month old (max) in a FF comfort sport with the straps on the second slot (not the highest one). I left the note with my cell phone number on it.
I happened to see her in the mall and approached her and told her this. She pitched a FIT! Then the person next to me (we were at a kid's play area) just shrugged and asked if I would check HER seat. I did.
Later that night, I got a call. The woman had called the cops on me.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
She called the cops on YOU?! Um, for what? Some people are so strange, I'll never understand why people don't realize that other people can care about your kids.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Splash said:
I LIKE the preprinted cards idea!
I have once left a note on a windshield. I saw the lady get out of the car, and she had a six month old (max) in a FF comfort sport with the straps on the second slot (not the highest one). I left the note with my cell phone number on it.
I happened to see her in the mall and approached her and told her this. She pitched a FIT! Then the person next to me (we were at a kid's play area) just shrugged and asked if I would check HER seat. I did.
Later that night, I got a call. The woman had called the cops on me.

LOL What'd she say to the cops?? A lady confronted me about having my six month old forward facing??? That's not legal anywhere I know. I'm sure they were very sympathetic toward her. LOL
 

Dreaming_of_Speed

Senior Community Member
No i do it too. Before i withdrew from my classes i'd actually made half sheet flyers about the risk of expired and OHS seats since we have a huge issue in that area. I also made a page about FFing in unenforced slots complete with the broken seat photo thats burning all of our corneas.

Its crazy that ppl would call the cops! My notes seem to be taken nicely (or they determined i wouldnt stop until they fixed it) since i saw several cars i recognized with new seats or RFing older ones. :)

DF just rolls his eyes when i do stuff like that and gives me 'the look' when he discovers we're out of ink in the printer. (i now have a discount at Kinko's so thats not an issue) He's just glad i'm crazy about some thing important instead of frivolous. At least i'm not pushing for a no bikes on the sidewalks law like his friends wife.
 

Splash

New member
Um, where would she like the bikes to be?
I would totally back a no bikes in the street if a sidewalk is available law though.
 

Maggie

New member
Splash said:
I saw the lady get out of the car, and she had a six month old (max) in a FF comfort sport with the straps on the second slot (not the highest one).

Just an FYI (even though I know a 6 month old shouldn't be forward facing) it's okay for the comfortsport to use the middle and the top slots for forward facing.

Infants 20-30 lbs are to use the middle or top slot ff and babies 30-40lbs are to use on the top slot ff. So as long as the child is under 30 lbs (and old enough to ff) it's okay to use the middle slot on the comfort sport ff ;)

I have left many notes, the last one being at school. I saw a car with an infant carrier strapped in forward facing in the front seat of a new Grand Am.
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Parents who come to check up events get my advice. I have learned over the past 5 years that I will never give unsolicted advice to parents about carseats. Many parents take unsolicted advice as an affront to their parenting skills (which, of course, it is) and react angrily and badly. You just never know who you are talking to it and it isn't worth my personal safety to approach people who may be quite hostile. Do you know they don't keep a gun or a knife in their car? Are you sure they won't use it? There are too many crazies out there.

If you see an egregrious car seat situation, call the non-emergency number for the police. Call 911 if you see something egregrious in a moving car.

I can barely stand to go to the grocery store. I see so much stuff that is so bad wrt carseats when I do. I do my best to just get into the store. It is really hard.

I do a lot of events every week. We barely have time to see the people who want our help. I try to concentrate my efforts there. I know I am helping children at these events. But I have finally realized that I can't help everyone.
 

Dreaming_of_Speed

Senior Community Member
Splash said:
Um, where would she like the bikes to be?
I would totally back a no bikes in the street if a sidewalk is available law though.

Our town has at least 100 marathon bikers who ride thru downtown on the sidewalks in packs. If you're walking or sitting in on of the cafe tables your in a dangerous position. They are packed so close they cant get over and just push whomever is in their way out of the way. There have been a few injures caused by them (one a toddler who got knocked over and hit by two bikers). I think we need to ban them to back roads if they want to ride in packs not on our busiest roads. On the roads they of course pose a danger too but if i had to choose one i would prefer them in the road if they ride in packs. Children on bikes i would prefer banned from downtown all together.
 

Simplysomething

New member
Hi.

I like the idea of the pre-printed cards...it gives an air of official-ness. Someone might be more willing to follow the "advice" if they think it's from someone who could get them in trouble.

That's not to say impersonate anyone or imply that you are anything but what you are, but sometimes, if you state your title on a piece of paper in a very official, bureaucratic way....someone might assume that you've got more clout or power than you really have.

(Note, I'm not in anyway saying imply that you are law enforcement or anything like that...)

Those of you with pre-printed things, what do they look like?

And goodness, what did the cops say to you?
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Emily that's great that you guys have so many resources for people to come and get their seats checked etc. We are severely lacking in that area (we don't even have a Safe Kids coalition here in town) and it's sad. It's probably why 40% of our state doesn't use seats at all (who need to by law) and more than 90% of the ones who do are doing it wrong. :( We have one permanant fit station here in town (the largest city in the state) and one in the next city over. We manage about 1 check a month in the warm months and then nothing all winter.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Yes, Emily -- I make sure never to leave specific handwritten notes (anymore) ... only generalize flyers from the organizations above with my card -- & only if the person can't see which vehicle I get out of/in to :eek: I think this way it isn't as personal to them so there's nothing to take offensively :confused: :) (& my business card does NOT have my address; I'm not listed in the phone book)
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Well, I tried to search the Staples website for a picture of the cards I got -- no luck ... & I can't figure my flippin' scanner out!

Anyway, it's a packet of maybe 50 sheets with 10 blank cards on each sheet -- the outline has a circle of colorful kids holding hands ... I just wrote the medical clinic & daycare facility names, my 1st & last name, credentials, ID# & phone#
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
My business card has my name, title, cell number (a prepaid with no connection to anything I do personally) and email (again, a free acct.)
I also include some statistics about proper use.
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Unfortunately, it is never enough. I live in a county with over a million people and we are extremely fortunate to have the resources we do (although they are more limited every year!). We check about 7500 seats a year which is huge, but doesn't begin to address the population of kids in seats (or who should be in seats) in this county.

Over the years, I've just encountered more than my share of parents who didn't want (although they needed it) my unsolicited advice. So I've stopped talking to people. I even hesitate to put sheets on windows. I think I have an obligation to my family to be safe. That's my decision.

I applaud all of your enthusiasm for wanting to spread the word on CPS best practices. I really do. It is really a personal decision. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. I just know what works for me and my personal experiences have taught me it may not be safe in some situations. I rely heavily on the police. I just wanted to share some of my experiences with you because I don't want to see any of you in harm's way.

Take care!
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
I understand - and I would never approach anyone that alerted my "mommy sense".
Unfortunately my county doesn't do checks any more. And the neighboring counties only do them a couple of times a month by appt for residents.
The local police dept is sending people to me. :rolleyes:
 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member
Splash said:
Um, where would she like the bikes to be?
I would totally back a no bikes in the street if a sidewalk is available law though.

Bicycles are considered a VEHICLE, and belong on the road, not the sidewalk.
 

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