I walk out of the office today and I notice 4 guys in a small car like a corolla or something and I see a guy in the backseat buckled up. He’s a backseat buckler. Not that I have a problem with that.
I never think about buckling in the backseat. It’s not that it bothers me it’s just that I’ve noticed that there are more bsb’s today then there were last year and more last year than there were 2 years ago which leads me to my question. . . What did I miss? Was there an education class or something that I didn’t go to? Once again, I recognize that it’s probably a good idea just not something that ever enters my mind.
Maybe I’m still in that mode where 6 people in my family would drive in one car from Michigan to Florida and I would lay in the back window with binoculars looking for cops. . . or on the same trip when my Dad would call me up to sit in his lap driving full speed down the interstate. No buckling going on there.
Are you a backseat buckler? When did you decide to become one and why?
I wasn’t before. I am now. Why? Because now I’m someone’s Daddy.
Hmmm. . . that’s sweet Chris.
Same here. I set an example for my kids, no matter where I sit. I will admit to having “kid-present” behavior and “kid-absent” behavior, though. If I’m with my kids, I buckle all the time; I wait for the walk sign before crossing the street; I drive the speed limit. Without kids …. well, I usually wear my seatbelt, because otherwise, the car beeps at me.
My kids are so reflexive with their seat belts, it’s really mind bloggling. I know I wasn’t that way when I was 10, which is probably when the big push for wearing seat belts started.
I do it now because one of my teens was in a serious accident…she was in the backseat and not buckled…
I have heard statistics over and over that say it is more dangerous to have a seatbelt on in the backseat than not to have one if you are an adult. So, in other words, I’m not a backseat buckler. I will add, however, that when I ride with my boss, I ALWAYS buckle in the backseat. He drives like a bat outta hell.
I do it becasue I love my wife.
I think you’re selfish if you don’t take the time (what is it like 3-5 seconds) to buckle up regardless of where you are sitting. How many times do you need to hear on the news “the victims were not wearing seatbelts” before you think it’s a good idea?
Suzanne, I totally get the “kid-present” vs. “kid-absent” behavior. That’s a post in and of itself. Predjoe – couldn’t the whole selfish argument be taken through a number of things? The Figurehead rides his bike down roads with cars driving by full speed? Selfish? The Scolai rides his motorcycle. . .selfish? BT and Farmer among others are going to the war torn country of Sudan. . .it’s dangerous. . .Selfish?
You are 100% right…there are things that each of us do that put ourselves in danger. If there were a ‘danger scale’ some of the examples you mentioned may be a bit higher than not buckling your seatbelt.
I give BT and Farmer a pass since they truly believe that GOD has called them to Sudan.
I don’t think we need to open up the bike riding can of worms again do we?
Even though I am a buckler 100% of the time maybe I too am selfish in some ways. Maybe me being overweight is selfish. My life will be shorter if I don’t change (which I am in process of doing right now – 37 pounds cine January thank you very much). If I were to stay this way I may not see my daughter graduate high school. May not enjoy the golden years with my wife. I am not being fair to my family by living this way.
Oh and I don’t buy that “I do it when my kids are in the car” line! Show your kids who you are…if it embarrasses you stop it.
Zo, I vas znapping my zpandez into place vhen I noticed zat you people vere talking about ze ol’Figurehead yet again.
There vas a wise man who said it best: “I vant to ride my bicycle…I vant to ride my bike.” He vas so snazzy in his zpandex too, yah?
Yes, though itz more than a bit zelfizh vhen I ride. Don’t think I don’t feel guilty. You tell me vhat to do. Do I stop? And bear ze mizery zo that I’m a dutiful huzband?
Gotta run…my Queen cd iz zkipping.
i’ve been a buckler ever since my parents etched in my brain that the car would not start until everyone was buckled.
too many idiots out there driving around to not buckle up under any circumstance.
yup… me too, just like peachy… I buckle almost always out of habit.
And the part about being buckled in the back seat being more dangerous in certain collisions, that is actually exclusive to lap belts, the shoulder harness removed the risk.
The problem was that in a head on collision, if the front seat was far enough forward the rear passenger’s torso would be propelled so far forward that a spinal seperation could occur due to the hips being held in place by the belt. That’s partly why you’re supposed to wear it low across your hips and not at your waist, to give more flexibility. If the front seat was close enough of course you’d run into the back of the seat before you had time to break away from your lower half.
I thought about this some more while swimming during lunch today. I have to tell you, Joe, that I’m a bit offended by these sentences:
“I give BT and Farmer a pass since they truly believe that GOD has called them to Sudan.
I don’t think we need to open up the bike riding can of worms again do we?”
You give them a pass, but not me? What if…just what if…it’s God that’s “calling” me to ride my bike in the first place. Are you suggesting that I don’t “love my wife” because I take that risk? That’s what it sounds like. I’ll tell you this, it’s God who put a heart in me to want to continually push my body to excel. Do you think i want to train everyday? No, my friend, that’s God pushing me along. I was made this way. As for Karen, while she does worry when I ride or run, she also appreciates being married to a warrior who follows his maker’s design. Would she love me if I didn’t? Would I love her? You get the point. I felt that you singled my circumstance out as not worthy of God’s calling and therefore selfish. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. I spend my most valuable time talking to God while riding, running, swimming, etc. It’s a chance for my mind to be a peace with the world. All of this, while the rest of the world, including my girls, sleep still on Saturday mornings.
You keep buckling up buddy. Your wife loves ya. I’ll keep on riding. My wife loves me. And we’ll agree that we both love them in our own ways.
Viva La Figurehead.
Figurehead….it would be so cool if God called you to ride your bike to Africa!
It seems that different people are comfortable with different types of risk. I’m a BSB because it doesn’t inconvenience me that much and I figure it’s less risk.
At the same time I go ride my bike on roads where people are going 50-60 MPH…so like the Figurehead I’m a crazy ‘bicyclist’…probably a better chance of me dying on the bike than not BSB-ing in the car…I don’t know why but logically my reasoning is not consistent…I just do it that way because it seems right at the time.