Back in my and Red's day, didn't need seat belts. We could roam around all over the place. If Mom or Dad had to stop short, a quickly extended arm would lock the kid(s) in place. You did NOT want to smash into that steel dashboard!
When I was a kid, I would stand draped over the front seat while my parents were driving. I'd jump up and down and sometimes, I'd bump my head on the roof of the car. Oh, and when I was a toddler, I'd stand beside my mom on the front seat of the car. I'm happy we have carseats now! Plus, if my daughters weren't strapped into a seatbelt, I'm sure they'd be hanging all over me while I tried to drive.
A woman in my office still has scars on her nose and forehead from going through the windshield in a car wreck when she was 4 . . . standing on the font seat.
Let me introduce myself to you. I am 27 years old and since I was 22 I have been the proud owner of a 2004 Buick LeSabre. That is French fir the sabre. The mighty "Robot Car"... Destroyer of Coyotes, Deer, and a Honda Civic that rear ended me. Buicks are actually really popular in China. And have you seen the Lucerne? That is a smooth looking ride.
Yes, we're fully aware of how freakin' dangerous that was. One accident could've resulted in death or being permanently scarred. I was always appreciative of my parents for never complaining about the fact that their grandchildren HAD to be in carseats when even going down the block (they even purchased seats for their van.) I've heard of friends' parents who balk at the safety measures that are now rightly in place.
Sadly my parents allowed me to sleep and lie down in the read window of our Plymouth (remember that brand). It was so big it the rear window area (Where speakers are now) was big enough for you to lie down on. How safe and smart was that. I have a three year old and it take me 10 minutes to lock her down in her child seat, in the middle of my big chevy Tahoe..... times sure do change....
We had a Plymouth Gran Fury--in gold. I never slept in the rear window area, though it was certainly big enough to, but I did sleep many, many times across the backseat coming back from football games and such. My daughters sleep just as easily in a booster seat, though, it seems. And it's nice that they are trained well enough to know that the seat belt is a way of life. I've heard some parents of young kids say their children fuss in their carseats, but mine never have--though my older daughter turns 8 in August, and she's starting to think her booster seat is "babyish." Peer pressure at its finest.
Man, I've got a friend who owns a '64 or '65 Mustang (one of the earlier models before they downsized it.) No A/C or power features....there's so much room under the hood you can almost climb over the panel and stand inside the car to work on it. Now I lift the hood of my '09 Malibu, and you can barely recognize what's underneath as a car engine.
Bad azz color for sure, but where's the chain link steering wheel? Or the neon ground effects. And what about the curb feelers or the horn that plays "La Cucaracha"? I prefer mine Pimped out rather than tricked out.
