Do ya pay much attention to TV commercials?
The only reason I watch the Superbowl these days is to catch the commercials that the ad agencies have incubated and nursed to life specifically for airing during that game.
The commercial I want to discuss in this post is what they call a "PSA"...
Public Service Announcement. It has to do with kids riding in cars.
The PSA warns that kids below 4 feet 9 inches tall should be secured in a "booster seat".
As always, this set this old mind to thinkin' back a few years, about a gal TD and I talked about while we were at his house for the Beef and Boards outing...
I worked nights at the Beehive. I started my shift at 5 P.M., relieving whoever was left from the Day crew at that time. For a while, the day crew included "Pearl".
Pearl was a popular addition at the BeeHive. Blonde and cute, she had a Southern accent that flowed like warm butter. She was a good waitress... she'd heard all the lines and knew how to deflect them with a smile.
But the most noticeable thing about Pearl was her stature...
she may have been all of 4' 10" tall standing on her tiptoes. Everyone, including me, wanted to put Pearl in our pocket and take her home!
Every time I hear that "booster seat" commercial I think about her-
Would Pearl meet the legal requirement to ride in a car without one?!!
While driving, does she sit on Indianapolis phone books to see over the steering wheel?
She married, and continues to be married to TD's cousin, David S.
TD, can you do the research and be prepared to answer "Pearl" questions in Edinburgh?
And tell her Greybeard said hello, please!
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2 comments:
Greybeard,
Thanks for raising an important issue related to child safety. Unrestrained children are three times more likely to be injured than those who are restrained. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages four to 14.
The law in Indiana (and most other places, including other countries) would not affect Pearl at all, because she is not 8 years old (or younger).
The PSA recognizes that when a child outgrows his or her forward-facing safety seat, a booster seat should be used until the child is at least 8 years old or over 4-feet 9-inches tall. Seat belts alone are made for adults.
You cannot put a 4, 5, or even a 6-year old child in a seat belt alone and expect it to fit properly. A booster seat raises a child up so the seat belt fits properly. It positions the shoulder belt across the shoulder, and not across the neck, and the lap belt low across the hips, and not up on the abdomen.
An improperly fitted seat belt can seriously injure or even kill a child. Children who have outgrown booster seats are then ready to use seat belts.
Pearl, being older than eight years old, is able to choose the phone book, a booster seat, or nothing at all: all Pearl's options are wide open!
GB,
I remember Pearl / look forward to TD's Pearl "answers" in Edinburg. So, I wonder what the deal would be if she HAD become a little shorter with age and was actually under
4' 9"..... would that affect her car insurance premiums? Kinda like Andy Rooney..... I wonder .... what if ..... and if so, then why? And if she did use a phone book, do you suspose she would go with a thicker combination yellow and white pages, just a regular white or yellow pages, or maybe the thiner suburban model?.........
TD, Please check this out and we can discuss it in greater depth when we get to Edinburg.
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