Please AVOID This One-BIG SAFETY ISSUE

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	Vehicle description: Mitsubishi SUV, not quite gold and not quite silver, female driver, VA tags.

	

	The seat belt in the back doesn't work & the door can only be opened from the outside.

	

	The stage: Dark morning, heavy rain. 

	

	This particular driver watched me trying to put the seatbelt on for about FIVE entire minutes with no success and said nothing. Finally, I asked her, "Is there something wrong with this seatbelt?" She said, "Yes-it doesn't work." & then mumbled something about how her husband tried to fix it. How does that help me if, God forbid, we get into a car accident??? I would have left her car had I known, but we were already on the highway.

	

	So, I ask her if I could move the car seat & use that seatbelt. She said, "Yes." So I put it in the trunk area/back and moved over. This seat belt was not functioning too well. While I was struggling with it she asked if there was a bottle in the car seat. I told her that I didn't notice. (It was early, so it was still dark in the car.) She JERKED the car onto the shoulder and got out. I thought she stopped to help me with the seat belt that I was still struggling with. She went to the trunk area/back and checked the car seat for the bottle!

	

	She got back in, apologized to the passenger in the front (God only knows why), and JERKED the car back into traffic just as I got the seatbelt on. She then reached back and began to feel my calf (accidentally I�m sure.) She asked, �Where is my purse.� I picked it up and handed it to her. (I wonder what that was about�hmmmm.)

	

	When we got to my destination, I tried to open the door and exit but �surprise! I couldn�t get out. She opened the window & rain came shooting in on me. After a few seconds, she said, �You have to open it from the outside.� I said, �Never mind, I�ll just scoot over and be on my way. Thanks.� 

	

	As a former driver I am confident in making the following statement:

	

	Drivers should make sure that they don't place their passengers in unnecessary danger. 

	

	Also, wearing a seatbelt is not only the LAW-- many times it is the difference between life and death.

	

	Lastly (and perhaps not as important) I think I have been a passenger with this young lady before-in the summer. The AC didn�t work but she turned it on anyway, and it was blowing hot air. She fiddled with it during the entire ride. I was seated in the front and the window was open. I told her not to worry about it and that it was probably just the Freon. I was grateful for the free ride and thought nothing of it at the time.

	

	

	

	

	Live Long and Prosper

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Uhura Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Uhura Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Please AVOID This One-BIG SAFETY ISSUE Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 9:05am
	Vehicle description: Mitsubishi SUV, not quite gold and not quite silver, female driver, VA tags. The seat belt in the back doesn't work & the door can only be opened from the outside. The stage: Dark morning, heavy rain. This particular driver watched me trying to put the seatbelt on for about FIVE entire minutes with no success and said nothing. Finally, I asked her, "Is there something wrong with this seatbelt?" She said, "Yes-it doesn't work." & then mumbled something about how her husband tried to fix it. How does that help me if, God forbid, we get into a car accident??? I would have left her car had I known, but we were already on the highway. So, I ask her if I could move the car seat & use that seatbelt. She said, "Yes." So I put it in the trunk area/back and moved over. This seat belt was not functioning too well. While I was struggling with it she asked if there was a bottle in the car seat. I told her that I didn't notice. (It was early, so it was still dark in the car.) She JERKED the car onto the shoulder and got out. I thought she stopped to help me with the seat belt that I was still struggling with. She went to the trunk area/back and checked the car seat for the bottle! She got back in, apologized to the passenger in the front (God only knows why), and JERKED the car back into traffic just as I got the seatbelt on. She then reached back and began to feel my calf (accidentally I�m sure.) She asked, �Where is my purse.� I picked it up and handed it to her. (I wonder what that was about�hmmmm.) When we got to my destination, I tried to open the door and exit but �surprise! I couldn�t get out. She opened the window & rain came shooting in on me. After a few seconds, she said, �You have to open it from the outside.� I said, �Never mind, I�ll just scoot over and be on my way. Thanks.� As a former driver I am confident in making the following statement: Drivers should make sure that they don't place their passengers in unnecessary danger. Also, wearing a seatbelt is not only the LAW-- many times it is the difference between life and death. Lastly (and perhaps not as important) I think I have been a passenger with this young lady before-in the summer. The AC didn�t work but she turned it on anyway, and it was blowing hot air. She fiddled with it during the entire ride. I was seated in the front and the window was open. I told her not to worry about it and that it was probably just the Freon. I was grateful for the free ride and thought nothing of it at the time. Live Long and Prosper

MDC Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 04 Dec 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote MDC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 9:38am
	I'm sure the door just had the child safety on so you can't open it from the inside, but other than that........

JiggaJynx Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote JiggaJynx Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 9:39am
	Thanks, Uhura. Where does she pick up? To which destination? I want to avoid this one.

tri2dc Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote tri2dc Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 9:54am
	quote: Originally posted by Uhura [br] Vehicle description: Mitsubishi SUV, not quite gold and not quite silver, female driver, VA tags. The seat belt in the back doesn't work & the door can only be opened from the outside. The stage: Dark morning, heavy rain. This particular driver watched me trying to put the seatbelt on for about FIVE entire minutes with no success and said nothing. Finally, I asked her, "Is there something wrong with this seatbelt?" She said, "Yes-it doesn't work." & then mumbled something about how her husband tried to fix it. How does that help me if, God forbid, we get into a car accident??? I would have left her car had I known, but we were already on the highway. So, I ask her if I could move the car seat & use that seatbelt. She said, "Yes." So I put it in the trunk area/back and moved over. This seat belt was not functioning too well. While I was struggling with it she asked if there was a bottle in the car seat. I told her that I didn't notice. (It was early, so it was still dark in the car.) She JERKED the car onto the shoulder and got out. I thought she stopped to help me with the seat belt that I was still struggling with. She went to the trunk area/back and checked the car seat for the bottle! She got back in, apologized to the passenger in the front (God only knows why), and JERKED the car back into traffic just as I got the seatbelt on. She then reached back and began to feel my calf (accidentally I�m sure.) She asked, �Where is my purse.� I picked it up and handed it to her. (I wonder what that was about�hmmmm.) When we got to my destination, I tried to open the door and exit but �surprise! I couldn�t get out. She opened the window & rain came shooting in on me. After a few seconds, she said, �You have to open it from the outside.� I said, �Never mind, I�ll just scoot over and be on my way. Thanks.� As a former driver I am confident in making the following statement: Drivers should make sure that they don't place their passengers in unnecessary danger. Also, wearing a seatbelt is not only the LAW-- many times it is the difference between life and death. Lastly (and perhaps not as important) I think I have been a passenger with this young lady before-in the summer. The AC didn�t work but she turned it on anyway, and it was blowing hot air. She fiddled with it during the entire ride. I was seated in the front and the window was open. I told her not to worry about it and that it was probably just the Freon. I was grateful for the free ride and thought nothing of it at the time. Live Long and Prosper Sounds like you were over reacting.

cedarcitynative Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote cedarcitynative Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:02am
	I am going to have to side with Uhura on this one. I quietly disagree with most of Uhura's vents. However, this one is not a vent, but a true safety issue. Too many people carelessly care for their passengers. From the standpoint of personal liability, in the event something tragic were to happen, the guilty party would likely find themselves as an uninsured motorist as the result of a dead or severaly injured passenger. I can't tell you how many times I've had to put up with the child safety lock issue -- it is a pain. Configure one side of your car for slugs and the other for passengers. If essential safety equipment is broken (seat belt): FIX IT!! After enduring an 80 MPH ride from 234 to Pentagon on wet roads in a little rattle trap with bald tires, my nerves are a bit raw.

Uhura Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Uhura Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:13am
	I'm sure the door just had the child safety on so you can't open it from the inside, but other than that........ How can you be "sure" about that? ---------------- I mean, can't child safety locks be disengaged with the push of a button? Mine can. + Truthfully, with the condition of this vehicle, I'll wager that it was simply one item on the long list of repairs needed. Live Long and Prosper

Uhura Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Uhura Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:16am
	From tri2dc: Sounds like you were over reacting. ----- Really, in what way? Which reaction was "overboard": 1) ensuring that I- like the driver and the other passenger- was wearing a seatbelt, 2) the manner in which I exited the vehicle or 3) the fact that I posted a warning on this site? Just curious... Live Long and Prosper

Uhura Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Uhura Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:19am
	From: cedarcitynative I am going to have to side with Uhura on this one. I quietly disagree with most of Uhura's vents. However, this one is not a vent, but a true safety issue. Too many people carelessly care for their passengers. From the standpoint of personal liability, in the event something tragic were to happen, the guilty party would likely find themselves as an uninsured motorist as the result of a dead or severaly injured passenger. I can't tell you how many times I've had to put up with the child safety lock issue -- it is a pain. Configure one side of your car for slugs and the other for passengers. If essential safety equipment is broken (seat belt): FIX IT!! After enduring an 80 MPH ride from 234 to Pentagon on wet roads in a little rattle trap with bald tires, my nerves are a bit raw. Make no mistake-it was a vent, my friend. BTW-I do not think that this was a child safety lock issue. The vehicle is close to "junker" status. The body looks OK, but there are so many things not working on the inside that one has to wonder... Live Long and Prosper

Uhura Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 10 Feb 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Uhura Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:20am
	From Jigga: Thanks, Uhura. Where does she pick up? To which destination? I want to avoid this one. ------- Jigga, today, she picked up @ Horner Road. Today's destination: Crystal City. Live Long and Prosper

Stuck2 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Stuck2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2004 at 10:31am
	Good to remind all drivers that you are responsible for your passengers. If there is an accident, the driver would be liable for any injuries suffered by the passengers, even if someone else was at fault. (Check with insurance company over the summer when I started picking up slugs.)