Letter: Buckle up

To the editor:

Seat belt use (or not) is in the news again, as several recent accidents during which nonbuckled men were thrown from their cars and met their deaths, which most likely would have been avoided had they worn their seat belts. I am a strong advocate of seat belt use. My teenage daughter and her friend were in a bad accident years ago. They were saved by their use of seat belts. I am talking about 17-year-olds. She made me proud!

This letter is to rat out a certain father who bought pastries at a certain pastry store atop a hill here in Lawrence. It was this past Sunday morning just after 10 a.m. The father was accompanied by three young boys. As they were leaving, they got into a small car. The boys looked to be 4 or 5, 7, and maybe 10 or 11 years old. They all piled into the car. The only seat belt used was by the oldest boy in the front seat. No car seat for the toddler. The father did not buckle up. They just took off. I sat there, dumbfounded. I should have said something, but I did not.

I am writing this so that Mom will realize what danger her husband put her children in and chew him out. Maybe the grandparents will remember their son taking his kids out and chew him out for not taking the time to strap them in. I am appealing to the dad to remember a “quick trip” can be deadly with what I call “loose children.”

Next time I see that dad, I WILL say something.