Mystery: Baby On Board

[celandine]

I have often wondered what people who put a notice in the back window of their car proclaiming - "Baby On Board", are actually trying to tell us. There are a few possibilities that come to mind. Firstly, are we supposed to drive quietly so as not to wake it, though apart from not using the hooter, I really don't see how it is possible to drive more quietly.
So maybe it is - Baby On Board, so drive more carefully so as not to kill it. - Now if this is what they mean, as well as being extremely patronising (telling us how to drive) this would be a quite outrageous demand. Surely any good driver will regard ALL the lives in the car in front as equally precious regardless of age. By the very same logic you might have a notice saying: "No one under five on board, so drive a bit recklessly if you like." So it's not that.
May be they are just boasting. We are supposed to be impressed by her fecundity and, of course, his virility.
Or perhaps Baby On Board is a lament; it is a plea for our sympathy. We are reminded that those in front are putting up with screaming off-spring, dirty nappies, vomit etc.
None of the above really adds up, so can anyone lob any light on this one?

Mick

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[dansar]

I think the main reason for the "signs" started in the USA. If there was an accident then the sign could draw the attention to the emergency services that there was a baby onboard and that they should look for one--the baby, being small could be overlooked in the crash scene.
Mind you, after seeing so many cars in the UK now displaying the "baby onboard" sign when they hav'nt, wastes the emergency services valuable time looking for a baby when perhaps they could be somewhere else more important!!!

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[Rich_F]

Maybe it's a warning that the car in front is likely to drive is liable to be driven erratically, as the driver falls asleep or turns round to pacify their screaming infant.

Rich

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[chriscallender]

Its a mystery to me too Mick - we just had a little 'un in January and so far I have resisted any urges to fit such a sign, seeing as it would add weight to my car and I don't know what its for. Did spot that Mrs SWMBO's car seems to have sprouted one though.

I do believe that some car seat manufacturers give them away free with the car seats though, so perhaps its just a case that after fitting the car seat you end up with one and seeing as your bin is probably full of nappies its easier to attach it to the car than chuck it?

Thinking about it, would there be any benefit to fitting a "Baby on Board" sign to a boat? It might deter people from rafting alongside, but then I'm quite happy ususally to have someone rafted up, so no real benefit to me there. Probably a benefit to the person that avoided rafting up though.

Anyway I doubt that junior will stay overnight on the boat until he is a bit bigger.

Chris

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[Metabarca]

This is surely the answer: it is not a warning to you to drive more carefully, but a notice that they are liable to go all over the place as junior practises projectile vomiting, getting stuck under the brake pedal or playing peekaboo with mum.
You also see such signs warning that there is a dog on board. Perhaps it's a deterrent to thieves, but more likely again to warn you of erratic driving as the dog has problems reaching the pedals.
Hope this helps

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[MainlySteam]

Generally an indication that there is a baby brained grown up behind the wheel in my experience.

Certainly out here the signs are a sure fire way of identifying an absolutely lamentable driver which if in front will hold everyone up and if they are not in front worth keeping out of the road of.

John

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[jimi]

I've always felt angry about this as no matter how poor we were we always managed to get a baby seat for the weans, as a matter of safety. These people that strap their babies to boards, ought to be locked up. Or maybe its a tax dodge?

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[snowleopard]

it started out as a warning to the emergency services to look for another body in the wreck but was soon latched onto as a means of boasting.

there are plenty of that type of stickers around, my favourite is 'caution - show dogs in transit'. unless the pooches are so p*****d off by being primped and prodded that they're liable to bite passing motorists!

but maybe my RNLI sticker fulfills the same function

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[tcm]

I think they're just very proud parents. We always drive a bit closer, and make a special effort to overtake fairly near to them and *just* a bit faster, in the hope of catching sight of the baby as they remind us of the happy times when our kids were so young, perhaps hooting and flashing the lights to amuse the tiny tot.



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[SlowlyButSurely]

When our kids were babies we did put a "baby on board" sign in the window on our boat. I thought it was polite to warn potential rafters in case they would rather go somewhere else.

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[bigmart]

When my kids were young I carried a similar sticker on SWMBO's car proclaiming "Mother in Law in Boot". Nothing to do with the kids I just liked the idea.

I seem to recall Libby Purves suggesting that stringing Nappies along your guardwires was a superb way of ensuring that nobody rafted alongside.

Martin

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[Cornishman]

Re: talking of funny notices

Yours is certainly a bit of a conundrum and I often wonder what I am supposed to do when I see road signs saying "Beware of Low Flying Aircraft"

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[jimi]

Re: talking of funny notices

Actually I have it on very good authority that its a spelling mistake, it should be
"Beware of Lowe Flying Aircraft" but they only had one e at the factory at the time. Arthur was a very keen but very bad pilot in the 1960's and scared the wits out a lot of people. So the sign was put up whenever he took to the air, but the sign minders got lazy and just left them up. Hope that helps.

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[TheBoatman]

Re: talking of funny notices

Maybe after what I witnessed this morning there should be a sign saying "Baby Loose on Board"

I have just come in after passing a car with a baby on board sticker in the back window. I know the baby was there because I saw it wandering around the back seats and finally it climbed into the front

Mum seemed not the least bit concerned!!!

Maybe I'm getting old but I would never have let that happen with my kids?

BTW isn't there a law saying that it is illegal to let kids loose.

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[Badger]

I recently saw "Show Cockatoo's in Transit".

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[jhr]

Hmm, interesting. Do you think it was an advisory note for other drivers, or an instruction to a couple of flashers in a Ford van?

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[tcm]

Re: petrol stations

Very strange. Far more straigtforward are the signs in motorway services stations which advertise "Way Out Fuel" - I can't resist the stuff, just the same as normal petrol but much more crazy, man.

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[celandine]

Re: talking of funny notices

Cornishman,

Likewise, I find it bit alarming in these days of genetically modified crops to see a notice that says: "Caution. Heavy Plant Crossing"

Mick

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[jimi]

Re: talking of funny notices

Did'nt you know all Heavy Plants are Catholics?

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[chas]

Re: talking of funny notices

I was driving through the New Forest some time ago and someone had put up a notice saying "Slow frogs on road". Someone had crossed out "Slow" and put "Dead"!

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