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You're preaching to the choir - yeah, I was being facetious when I said "Good times!" I knocked all my front teeth out (along with gums - and shredded my lips) because I wasn't wearing a seat belt in a wreck, when I was fifteen. It took years of reconstructive surgery to rebuild my mouth and I still can't feel parts of my lips and my chin!
Believe me, I've worn a seat belt ever since, and trained my kids to do so as well. I won't even start a vehicle till everyone is buckled up.
Those choices I described were not my choices - they were my parents' uninformed, short sighted, and naive choices.
Oh thank gawd. I thought you'd lost your mind.
I too cannot be in a car without my seat belt. Nope.
For all the strong-willed child stuff my kid argues about, that isn't one of them. She won't go without her seat belt on either. Will scream bloody murder if anyone trues to drive off before she's buckled.
ETA I don't mean thank gawd you wrecked. I just realized it might read that way.
my cousin, born in 1960, did not make it
he was thrown through the windshield during his freshman year in college in a car accident, and died at age 19, he was not wearing a seat belt.
the car was driven by his best friend, and two other friends were in the back seat.
I too cannot be in a car without my seat belt. Nope.
For all the strong-willed child stuff my kid argues about, that isn't one of them. She won't go without her seat belt on either. Will scream bloody murder if anyone trues to drive off before she's buckled.
ETA I don't mean thank gawd you wrecked. I just realized it might read that way.
There were lots of things about those years that were great and that I miss (I was a late 60s baby), but not wearing seat belts is not one of them.
My parents considered themselves extremely progressive because they insisted that the driver and anyone in the front passenger seat wear a seat belt. But in the back seat? Nah. In fact, I spent most of my first 10 years bouncing around in the bed of our station wagon because 3 siblings were in the back seat.
When I was about 10, a young woman in our church was killed in what should have been a minor accident. Her car spun out and hit the curb. The door flew open and she fell out and struck her head. Died a few hours later. I still remember the shock in my dad's voice when he said, "If she'd been wearing a seat belt, she would have walked away from that accident."
From that point on--we all wore seat belts at all times.
my cousin, born in 1960, did not make it
he was thrown through the windshield during his freshman year in college in a car accident, and died at age 19, he was not wearing a seat belt.
the car was driven by his best friend, and two other friends were in the back seat.
My sister and several friends also didn't "make it". I am sorry for the loss of your cousin.
My parents used to let us kids stand up in the backseat area of the car when we were quite small. This was in the middle 50s. One time, the door was apparently not shut tight and it popped open;my brother fell out of the car as my dad pulled away from the curb.
I don't look back on those days as some golden age, and I don't have much patience for people making fun of safey equipment.
There were lots of things about those years that were great and that I miss (I was a late 60s baby), but not wearing seat belts is not one of them.
^^^Our Rambler had the lap straps (front and back) which our parents insisted that they were fastened.
Many cars didn't have seat belts until Congress passed a law in 1966. The General History of Car Seats - Safe Ride 4 Kids
Baby car seats were another item that was seldom seen during the 60's. Check the link
what was available. Thank goodness baby and toddler seats were available when we had
children. Unlike some of the below: A Graphic History of Child "Safety" Seats - Petrolicious
Also, we had playgrounds with roundabouts, swings, slides, metal jungle gyms and teeter totters
on concrete.
However, there were positives which I wish we had now. Back during the 60's:
-our GP made house calls when we were sick
-every neighborhood had a local grocery store and an avenue where you were able to get whatever you needed
-dad was able to park downtown for free (and he was only 10-15 minutes away)
-at were able to go home for lunch
When our first child was born, we got one of those shopping cart protectors as a gift. It promptly made it's way into the garbage. Totally ridiculous product. Guess what, she survived many shopping cart rides.
When our first child was born, we got one of those shopping cart protectors as a gift. It promptly made its way into the garbage. Totally ridiculous product. Guess what, she survived many shopping cart rides.
I didn't use those either, but throw it away? Brand new? Why? Whenever someone gave me something brand new that I didn't end up using, I either gave it to someone else or put it on Craigslist.
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