I just HATE to see a pet on a driver's lap while going down a road. The driver invariably has some small lap dog with its head hanging out the window. Besides being a distraction and a clear-vision-blocker, a physical hindrance to the driver; the pet could be crushed if the air bag deploys. But this time, a dog distracted a driver, who then missed a stop sign. In a cruel twist of fate, the car he hit had children buckled into child seats - but for a 2-yr-old boy, the seat clasp failed and he was thrown out of the vehicle and killed.The full story:sad story

Sorry but it's not always "some small lap dog", I've seen larger dogs with their hind legs in the passenger seat, their front legs in the driver's lap and their head sticking out the window. Talk about blocking the driver's vision. Dogs belong in the back seat, period! Tethered or contained is best....I didn't click on the link... and may not tonight, not wanting anything tragic this evening. :(

A little felony thread drift here but here is one to think about:I frequently see folks from the shallow end of the gene pool cruising down the road and the front seat passenger has their feet upon the dash. think about where their knees end up when the air bag goes off. :S

Desert Captain wrote:A little felony thread drift here but here is one to think about:I frequently see folks from the shallow end of the gene pool cruising down the road and the front seat passenger has their feet upon the dash. think about where their knees end up when the air bag goes off. :SX2, I actually see that exact problem at least a couple of times a week in my hour long commute to work. I wouldn't even want to think about the injuries in that case.

CatandJim wrote:I didn't click on the link... and may not tonight, not wanting anything tragic this evening. :(Good idea... I think that I'll also do that tonight, and maybe tomorrow night. It might start something.

Regarding the dog in the lap - the driver thinks the dog is being affectionate. The dog thinks the driver is dirt. That climbing in the lap is the dog's way of showing absolute dominance, not love.Matt B

My "pet" peeve becomes tragic | Good Sam Community

Pawz4me
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
oldmattb wrote:
Regarding the dog in the lap - the driver thinks the dog is being affectionate. The dog thinks the driver is dirt. That climbing in the lap is the dog's way of showing absolute dominance, not love.

Good grief. Turn of the Cesar Milan stupidity and step away from the TV for awhile. Here's a newsflash--the dogs of the world are NOT trying to take over.

A dog in that situation probably isn't thinking anything other than how much fun he's having.

And ditto what Cat said--It's not always the owners of small dogs. That's of course not a good situation, but most often around here it's people with large 80 and 100 pound dogs on their laps while driving! :E A 10 pound dog you can see over. An 80 pound dog . . . not so much.
skipnchar
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
Like they say, 'you can't fix stupid" but unfortunately people sometimes become "fixed" by fate. It's REALLY tragic when someone has to pay the price for someone elses stupidity as in this case. My heart goes out to the family who bore the brunt of this stupidity. Yes it's a VERY common site and most of the time the one doing it doesn't have the skills to be driving with distractions in the first place (I've been behind them).
D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
My late brother killed his dog that way when my brother rear ended another car. Not to pick on fru-fru little lap dogs but my brother didn't think the dog would get hurt. Guess he didn't think he would end up in the hospital for a week either.
oldmattb
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
Regarding the dog in the lap - the driver thinks the dog is being affectionate. The dog thinks the driver is dirt. That climbing in the lap is the dog's way of showing absolute dominance, not love.

Matt B
Pangaea_Ron
Explorer
Jun 26, 2013
CatandJim wrote:

I didn't click on the link... and may not tonight, not wanting anything tragic this evening. :(

Good idea... I think that I'll also do that tonight, and maybe tomorrow night. It might start something.
dspencer
Explorer
Jun 26, 2013
Desert Captain wrote:
A little felony thread drift here but here is one to think about:

I frequently see folks from the shallow end of the gene pool cruising down the road and the front seat passenger has their feet upon the dash. think about where their knees end up when the air bag goes off. :S

X2, I actually see that exact problem at least a couple of times a week in my hour long commute to work. I wouldn't even want to think about the injuries in that case.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Jun 26, 2013
A little felony thread drift here but here is one to think about:

I frequently see folks from the shallow end of the gene pool cruising down the road and the front seat passenger has their feet upon the dash. think about where their knees end up when the air bag goes off. :S
CatandJim
Explorer
Jun 26, 2013
Sorry but it's not always "some small lap dog", I've seen larger dogs with their hind legs in the passenger seat, their front legs in the driver's lap and their head sticking out the window. Talk about blocking the driver's vision. Dogs belong in the back seat, period! Tethered or contained is best....

I didn't click on the link... and may not tonight, not wanting anything tragic this evening. :(

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