Car safety seat? What car safety seat?
So, it's 9:15 PM (or so) on Monday evening here in the Philippines. I just got back to the Catholic boarding house, where I'm comfortably housed in the St. John Room (see previous posting about Jesus being everywhere.) I'm checking the email, updating the Facebook, and checking the headlines from the news, when I run across this gem of a headline from the Anchorage Daily News:
Infant survives ejection from SUV in accident..
First thought: AAAH!! That wasn't EL/NH's SUV and their son flying out the window?
I hurridly read the article and see the age isn't quite right. Tell myself that I probably don't need to worry.
I then go on to read comments section, where I see this: "Are you kidding? A baby out of a car seat? The parents should be doing a PSA in case other parents have been living under a rock and didn't realize kids shouldn't be unrestrained in a vehicle."
Second thought: Wow. Car Seats. Sucn an American idea.
In the three months I have been in the Philippines, I've noticed a lack of child safety ANYTHING. If a parent is carrying a child down the street, it's sure not in a baby bjorn. I have seen no infant carriers. I have seen on numerous occasions infants and toddlers being held on jeepneys and even on tricycles, most certainly not attached to anything at all. And it's not just children. Seatbelts for adults? Forget it! That's crazy talk!
Now, I'm sure that the PHL parents love their children and care for their safety just as much as American parents do. It just doesn't translate into widespread use of child safety restraints, that's all.
*EDIT* So, after posting this, I later found out that I did, in fact, know the couple who were in the other vehicle (the Honda Element). They also have a 5 month old baby, who THANKFULLY was strapped in and did not fly out of the window. Parents were a little banged up, but it sounds like everyone's going to be ok. Hmmm. Won't be making snide comments about local headlines again any time soon....so glad you're ok, M/MR and OR!!!!!
Small world, Anchorage, small world.
Infant survives ejection from SUV in accident..
First thought: AAAH!! That wasn't EL/NH's SUV and their son flying out the window?
I hurridly read the article and see the age isn't quite right. Tell myself that I probably don't need to worry.
I then go on to read comments section, where I see this: "Are you kidding? A baby out of a car seat? The parents should be doing a PSA in case other parents have been living under a rock and didn't realize kids shouldn't be unrestrained in a vehicle."
Second thought: Wow. Car Seats. Sucn an American idea.
In the three months I have been in the Philippines, I've noticed a lack of child safety ANYTHING. If a parent is carrying a child down the street, it's sure not in a baby bjorn. I have seen no infant carriers. I have seen on numerous occasions infants and toddlers being held on jeepneys and even on tricycles, most certainly not attached to anything at all. And it's not just children. Seatbelts for adults? Forget it! That's crazy talk!
Now, I'm sure that the PHL parents love their children and care for their safety just as much as American parents do. It just doesn't translate into widespread use of child safety restraints, that's all.
*EDIT* So, after posting this, I later found out that I did, in fact, know the couple who were in the other vehicle (the Honda Element). They also have a 5 month old baby, who THANKFULLY was strapped in and did not fly out of the window. Parents were a little banged up, but it sounds like everyone's going to be ok. Hmmm. Won't be making snide comments about local headlines again any time soon....so glad you're ok, M/MR and OR!!!!!
Small world, Anchorage, small world.