I have relatives who can't seem to stop reproducing. My cousin, about 30 years old now, met his wife and at that time she had two children from a previous marriage. And they have since added four children of their own to the first two. That makes for a family of eight, with the kids ages from 13 years to infant.

Before we go any further, yes, everyone else in the family realizes they should have stopped having kids. Feel free to call them names, we understand.

But back to the story. This morning they posted a picture of the family going out for the day. They were inside their mini-van, their only vehicle. Mom and Dad were in the front seats. The two smallest children, still in car seats, were in the second row. These are captain's chairs, just like in the front row. And in the third row, squeezed in tight, were the 6, 9 and 11 year old.

And that accounts for all seven seats and restraints in this vehicle. But the eighth person, a 13 year old girl, she was sitting behind the passenger seat, in front of the second row seat, on the floor. Which, I have to assume, must be her normal spot whenever they go anywhere as a family.

And this picture got me thinking, what would a police officer do to them if they got pulled over? Obviously they would get a ticket. But I am guessing he would not let them leave the scene with an unsecured minor? Would child services be called?

It's like at the end of an episode of Survivor, the police make the family take a vote, and whoever is the least popular child has to "leave the island", so to speak.

^^^
Yep. Someone will take care of 'em.

Yep ticket and a child seat is coming to the scene before they leave. If not CPS will respond.

quote:

Originally posted by ceptor781:
Yep ticket and a child seat is coming to the scene before they leave. If not CPS will respond.

A child seat for a 13 year old?

I left my son in the car the other day with the windows cracked, while I went in the store. I'm not sure a teenager has enough common sense to get out of the car if it gets too hot, but I hope so.

I don't know about CPS for merely not being in a proper seat. It is possible, but doesn't seem a likely outcome if that is the only problem. Maybe I am wrong.

The 6yr old needs at least a booster here and the 13yr old needs a seatbelt to go along with a seat

If they get into a good enough accident and that 13 year old will be in the middle of the road.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I don't know about CPS for merely not being in a proper seat. It is possible, but doesn't seem a likely outcome if that is the only problem. Maybe I am wrong.

Sadly they are more responsive in this type of scenario than when we call them about much more serious abuse.

I'd be more worried about what will happen when they get into an accident than what will happen if they get pulled over.

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
A child seat for a 13 year old?

A seat belt for the 13 year old, child seats as appropriate and a seat and seat belt for every occupant. The driver would be cited for whatever I pulled him over for in the first place, the seat belt violation and instructed not to drive until all passengers had seat belts or car seats as appropriate.

If he DID drive away without rectifying the problem and I caught him he'd be arrested for failure to follow the traffic instructions of a peace officer and misdemeanor child abuse if it was one of the children who was left improperly secured.

quote:

I'm not sure a teenager has enough common sense to get out of the car if it gets too hot, but I hope so.

Does he have enough sense not do be thrown thru the windshield in a crash... because that's what we're talking about.

quote:

Sadly they are more responsive in this type of scenario than when we call them about much more serious abuse.

Same here... because this kind of thing doesn't require that they actually do any work, unlike a malnutrition scenario or physical abuse.

quote:

Originally posted by holdem:
That makes for a family of eight, with the kids ages from 13 years to infant.

Well that just makes them average for around here!

I would expect they'd get a ticket here in Utah, but I don't know if the police would prevent them from leaving the scene without installing another seat in the vehicle. I still see boy scouts riding in the back of pickup trucks as they plant flag poles in front yards for all the holidays, and a fair number of off road vehicles seem to get driven around the quiet neighborhoods without anybody getting arrested.

My daughter just got a mini-van as they are adding child #4 in the next couple of weeks. But they did get the bench seats not captain's chairs. There's no reason your cousin can't trade out for a different vehicle with more seating capacity.

7 Passenger van....Family of 8!

Sounds like their vehicle is inadequately configured for the size of their family. They need to ditch the 'captain's chairs' in the second row and get a bench seat! Maybe you should suggest they check with some salvage yards for more appropriate seating. And if they won't do it, maybe you could/should check for them.

The oldest is usually considered the toughest, but certainly not expendable! Their current situation is a tragedy waiting to happen!

quote:

Originally posted by tanksoldier:

quote:

I'm not sure a teenager has enough common sense to get out of the car if it gets too hot, but I hope so.

Does he have enough sense not do be thrown thru the windshield in a crash... because that's what we're talking about.

Common sense and teenagers are often no more than passing acquaintances.

In NC it's 8 or 80 lbs...for a car seat/booster

But, if there are no more seat belts or the car was manufactured w/o seat belts then no citation should be issued.

It is also OK for a child to be unrestrained as long as you are attending to his/her "needs"..ie changing a diaper, or breastfeeding that requires the child to be out of the seat....

GS 20-135.2A
GS 20-137.1

I don't know how many hundreds of miles we kids logged in the bed of an open pickup truck. Sometimes we sat on the open tail gate going down the road. Had zero injuries.

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
I don't know how many hundreds of miles we kids logged in the bed of an open pickup truck. Sometimes we sat on the open tail gate going down the road. Had zero injuries.

^^^^^THIS! OH, but, sure! Let's have some MORE GOVERNMENT to save us from ourselves. Yeah, we NEED that, don't we?

And to the OP: Who the hell are you to tell someone that they "should have stopped having kids"? NOYB. Period.

quote:

Originally posted by SapperSteel:

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
I don't know how many hundreds of miles we kids logged in the bed of an open pickup truck. Sometimes we sat on the open tail gate going down the road. Had zero injuries.

^^^^^THIS! OH, but, sure! Let's have some MORE GOVERNMENT to save us from ourselves. Yeah, we NEED that, don't we?

And to the OP: Who the hell are you to tell someone that they "should have stopped having kids"? NOYB. Period.

Well, ya know, when they're unable to adequately pay for and take care of the kids they got, maybe those around them should gently remind them of the fact, before they start shitting out more.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
In NC ... if there are no more seat belts or the car was manufactured w/o seat belts then no citation should be issued.

I thought I remembered that law from growing up in NC. if everyone has a seatbelt on who can have a belt on, then it's okay.

Best case? Tickets.

Worst case? Arrested and the kids taken into protective custody.

Either way, they are fucking idiots for making that choice. A kid sitting on the floor of a van, at highway speeds, is going to die in a serious collision. I'm a bit tired of dealing with traffic crashes from people thrown through teh windshield, and those were all idiots that had the option of a seat belt and chose not to.

Another expample of idiots allowed to reproduce unchecked, while I don't get to.

I can't afford children, because I won't go on government assistance (although eligible), and waiting till 36 years old to make the decision as opposed to those at 18 who don't think twice about it.) But I'm still taxed for all their fuck trophy's.

Apparently natural selection has been reversed where only stupid people can breed.