Children in cars

[Fonze]

I made this thread so the feet on dashbaords thread doesn't go haywire like many others.

Why is it that Japanese let their children roam in the vehicles? I know not all do but is this safe and doesn't the govt have rules about this.

[socalheart]

I thought the Japanese gov't had new laws regarding restraining children in a moving vehicle. It really chaps my hide when I see kids jumping around inside a moving car. I don't like seeing the baby in the lap either, but at least it's not climbing around in the rear window section.

I can see only one reason why Japanese aren't concerned by their children being unrestrained in a moving vehicle. They never had to before. I've recently been to the ToysR'Us here to look at car seats. They're expensive! :eek: I even saw a Recaro car seat. Why the heck does a baby need a sports car seat?! Anyhow... I think there needs to be a better program to get parents to put their children in car seats and in seat belts.

I think the JP should concentrate more on ticketing parents for this than cell phone use. Both are bad, but the lack of restrained tots is abhorrent.

[ryukyuboi]

Reminds me a little of when Okinawan infants would be playing unsupervised next to roads decades ago. I haven't witnessed this situation in awhile. It was very scary for drivers.

I remember advocating for seat belts on school buses. The reasons for not having them were the cost, and kids being trapped in the buses by the seat belts in certain accidents. Fortunately, school buses on Okinawa now have seat belts for kid riders.

I totally support legally requiring drivers to buckle up kids in vehicles. Is there such a law in Japan?

[DoctorP]

There is such a law...just as there is a car seat law. The problem is that JP's rarely enforce any laws. Occasionally they set up check points and catch violators, but I am guessing that the fine is less than the cost of a car seat.

[P_chan]

I see this a lot! I've also seen a lot of the car seat being in the front seat.

[Fonze]

I see this a lot! I've also seen a lot of the car seat being in the front seat.

I don't think thats against the law I thinks it's one of those "at your own risk" type of things.

[socalheart]

It's always made me want to get out of my car and confront the parents of the unrestrained child/baby, even before I was a parent. It really ticks me off. They need to raise the fines, if they aren't enough to obey the law. Each of those parents should be charged with child endangerment. Gawd, that ticks me off.

[thistle]

The Okinawan's really have no excuse for not having or using a child seat,
if they cannot buy one cheaply at a recycle shop or flea market, and they
cannot afford to buy one, they can I believe apply at their local city hall
and get one for free!
That is what I heard some years back anyway..

[Cathleen_38]

Man, I hate to see kids left alone in cars, too many pervs out there. I don't trust anyone when it comes to these matters. you've got to protect your kids. if they were to bring those same kids to united states they would be snatched up- because that's how crazy people are in the united states, remember adam walsh? he was murdered in a mall in 1980. you can never be too cautious, even in okinawa. Even when you think okinawa is safest place in the world, anything can happen. the thing i love about okinawa is that they don't tolerate that kind of thing, their laws are tougher than the united states.

[Cathleen_38]

Protect The Kids!!!

[Tony Stacks]

Parenst don't let them it's just the kids go crazy and do it anyway.

[Tony Stacks]

and this affects you why?

[Fonze]

Parenst don't let them it's just the kids go crazy and do it anyway.

well then who is the parent? if they cant control them they need to smack them and make them obey. I hate parents who dont parent thier snotballs.:thumbdown:

[Fonze]

and this affects you why?

It could affect me like this: I get into an accident and hit a car with non restrained children and one of the children fly out and die. Guess what it not just an accident know its a death and with how stupid some locals get i might be called a murderer.


Another example these stupid kids of these stupid parents (thats exactly what they are) jumps on the parent or pushes their arm or even yanks on there hair and the parents looses control then hits somebody possibly me then that AFFECTS ME.

[Ammoyankee]

It could affect me like this: I get into an accident and hit a car with non restrained children and one of the children fly out and die. Guess what it not just an accident know its a death and with how stupid some locals get i might be called a murderer.


This is the same scenerio I always talk to my wife about. God forbid I hit a car with an unrestrained child, but if it did happen and the child did get ejected and die, would I be responsible solely for the death or would the seatbelt law actually protect me?

Speaking of laws, when was the last time you saw the JP's ticket a cell phone chatter?

[Tony Stacks]

It could affect me like this: I get into an accident and hit a car with non restrained children and one of the children fly out and die. Guess what it not just an accident know its a death and with how stupid some locals get i might be called a murderer.


Another example these stupid kids of these stupid parents (thats exactly what they are) jumps on the parent or pushes their arm or even yanks on there hair and the parents looses control then hits somebody possibly me then that AFFECTS ME.


okay u got me. I was trying to play devils advocate but did not work. Good Point kudos to you.

[socalheart]

Speaking of laws, when was the last time you saw the JP's ticket a cell phone chatter?
Heh. I know someone who received just that kind of ticket a couple months ago while off base. The JP were in an undercover sports car. I've yet to see or hear of them giving a ticket for the same thing to anyone else ever. It's one of those annoying things that happens.

I've seen the JP sit in traffic right next to a car with an unrestrained child standing or jumping around inside a car at a red light. They don't blink twice. Not enough people care to enforce the law that supposedly exists. It'll take a child's head through the windshield to get them to do anything about it.

[Fonze]

okay u got me. I was trying to play devils advocate but did not work. Good Point kudos to you.

I was gonna say is this guy serious. It just bugs me cause when we were kids in the states before all this child restraint stuff i had a couple of people i knew die from this. Your also right that the kids dont listen but thats why im all for physical discipline.

[socalheart]

Your also right that the kids dont listen but thats why im all for physical discipline.
Children will listen. I listened to my parents, and they didn't have to spank me to stay seated with my seatbelt on in the car. Children will listen to parents, most of the time, when the parents have taught them to listen. Some children need to be spanked, but most do not require that type of enforcement. Unfortunately, so many children (here especially) are so spoiled rotten that short of tying them down with rope, a parent is hard-pressed to keep them seated without proper restraining devices.

[Fonze]

I agree but if they child does not listen and talking or yelling at them does not work than you know what SMACK. maybe you should start a thread about spanking.

[Tony Stacks]

I agree but if they child does not listen and talking or yelling at them does not work than you know what SMACK. maybe you should start a thread about spanking.


Yupperooooo!!!

[Tanimaga]

Two seperate incidents happened in our shop..

A military guy had his baby in a carrier, and before going in our parts store, sat the child inside the roll up door..next to the oil filter crushing machine, and left her/him.
The parts store is about 20M away, and around a corner. No view of the child at all. This area is only about a foot away of where vehicles drive in.

The other was working on his car, and had his 5 year old watching his 6 month old (again in a child carrier) on the no parking curb of the road....at night!!

It's a shame these children will probably grow up and have similiar parenting skills.

[Asshat]

This thread is interesting because it makes a point about changing thought patterns. Way back when, none of us wore seatbelts.

In the US, they had to make the laws stiffer and stiffer and keep the campaigns up until finally, we started using seatbelts.

I see today's parents saying how they'd never allow a kid in a car with no seatbelt. But that is not because of better parenting skills- after all, our own parents loved us, but didn't make us buckle up as a rule... It is a result of social behavior modification. So that now, when those of us who are conditioned to this way of thought witness the opposite, it offends us.

[Muku]

Speaking of laws, when was the last time you saw the JP's ticket a cell phone chatter?

About two or three days ago.:thumbup1:

[socalheart]

- after all, our own parents loved us, but didn't make us buckle up as a rule...
Well, my parents made me buckle up when in the car as a kid. Of course, I don't know about when I was an infant or toddler, but from pre-school/kindergarten age I recall it. We were here in Okinawa at the time as well. It wasn't law at the time either on or off base, but it was a rule my father enforced in our family. Yay dad!

[Ammoyankee]

About two or three days ago.:thumbup1:


Wow, surprising! They could write one every 1.5 nanoseconds if they wished...

[Ammoyankee]

Well, my parents made me buckle up when in the car as a kid. Of course, I don't know about when I was an infant or toddler, but from pre-school/kindergarten age I recall it. We were here in Okinawa at the time as well. It wasn't law at the time either on or off base, but it was a rule my father enforced in our family. Yay dad!

I remember when I was a small child, one of my mom's cars didn't even have seatbelts...

[happily_married_1206]

Sorry im going onto a different subject right quick... the spanking thing. I think corporal punishment is a great thing i mean i turned out alright and hell i got my ass whomped a few times... back talking and what not. anyways i think some people now a days are afraid of spanking their kids...and that confuses me. My friend for example she is the disciplinary in the household. she wont spank the child but their kid disrespects both of them on a daily basis. I dont have kids, but my husband gets upset when we hang out with them, because the 4 year old is mean rude and nasty to everyone including his parents, and i sit back and laugh about it, because i cant do anything nor do i want to (its not my kid) but i also laugh because they let their child talk to them like that. Im not saying i know ANYTHING about parenting, because obviously i dont... i dont have children... YET! but i do know what i got from being raised by MY parents.

[Muku]

Sorry im going onto a different subject right quick... the spanking thing. I think corporal punishment is a great thing i mean i turned out alright and hell i got my ass whomped a few times... back talking and what not. anyways i think some people now a days are afraid of spanking their kids...and that confuses me. My friend for example she is the disciplinary in the household. she wont spank the child but their kid disrespects both of them on a daily basis. I dont have kids, but my husband gets upset when we hang out with them, because the 4 year old is mean rude and nasty to everyone including his parents, and i sit back and laugh about it, because i cant do anything nor do i want to (its not my kid) but i also laugh because they let their child talk to them like that. Im not saying i know ANYTHING about parenting, because obviously i dont... i dont have children... YET! but i do know what i got from being raised by MY parents.
To me anyway, and if it was a friend I probably would have commented someway to convey the idea that their kids were acting rude.

Something like "Wow, if I ever talked to my parents that way they would have wailed on my ass!" or some other comment.

To me anyway, if it is someone I dont know very well I dont think I would say anything but to a friend.

Dont underestimate yourself, you do know something about parenting, you just haven't had any practical application or practice yet.:cool:

[Asshat]

I think corporal punishment is a great thing i mean i turned out alright and hell i got my ass whomped a few times.

For one thing, it is considered physical abuse and physical abust is against the law.

The reason for that is that some parents couldn't figure out the difference between a couple of swats on the bottom, and tying a kid up in the closet for a week.

[P_chan]

I agree with both uminchu and happily_married. Kids need some sort of discipline. But parents need to be considerate of how they go about doing it. Sure you can spank your kids, put them in time out, deny them certain things. But like uminchu said, you can't tie them up in a closet for a week or beat them until their black and blue. I also don't think you EVER need to hit or slap your child in the face.

[watzitoou]

A few months ago, I was on Foster entering the gate, the vehicle in front of me had 2 little kids in the back of car standing on the seat, 1 had the window rolled down sticking his head out of window. The lady in the front seat was holding a baby. Here they were waved thru...

When I passed them (they were turning right while I was going straight) the kids were between 2-4yrs old in the back seat, no seat belt and no car seat. The lady in the front seat holding a newborn baby or a baby under age 1. The driver active duty in uniform talking on cell phone.

I would expect to see that off base but not on base...and especially its something you wouldn't see by someone who is active duty and in uniform.

[happily_married_1206]

ok... that obviously came out wrong... i got my butt SPANKED... ok... the bend over im getting the belt or the wooden spoon... it wasnt like back in my moms day where she had to go and pick out her switch or anything like that. Im sorry that it came across that way... it wasnt meant to, but i think corporal punishment is a good thing.

[happily_married_1206]

And when i have kids... corporal punishment will be incorporated... not all the time but when they deserve it they will get their butts spanked!