Hi pedofiles! Little Suzy's in the backseat!
My pal Lbseahag posted in her blog about this trend on the West Coast that is SURE to catch on here in the Midwest any second.
Stickers you can paste on the windows of your vehicle that show the members of your family in stick figure form. Complete with a set of letters so you can place each family member's name under the stick figures.
WOW. Wow. WOW! Not only is this hoaky as hell, it's a very, very, VERY dangerous idea.
Do people live in this fantasy 50s wanna be la di da fairy land or what?
YEAH let's advertise to every fucked up pedofile in traffic that you have a bunch of juicy and succulent kids in your mini van. And better yet, also list their names! And then, park that sucker in front of your house or in the driveway. Just in case the random kid fuckers who stroll down your street didn't get a hint of who you've got in the house. Ripe for the pickin!
I know there's one dumbass who reads this blog who thinks I'm way too paranoid about my kid's safety. "Yeah, the world's a bad place but I don't want the threat of pedofiles to ruin my life. What are the chances it would happen to you?"
Oh just suck it.
Police officers advise parents to NOT get a backpack with the kid's name written on the back. The fear is that a predator will use the familiarity of the name to his advantage when the kid strolls home from school.
Wouldn't the same be said about these stupid stick figure car stickers?
I don't know, guys. I guess I live in the year 2005 where bad shit happens and there's too many people just one exit away from Crazy Town.
Be smart, be safe.
Personally, I love the example Hag posted in her blog.
Stickers you can paste on the windows of your vehicle that show the members of your family in stick figure form. Complete with a set of letters so you can place each family member's name under the stick figures.
WOW. Wow. WOW! Not only is this hoaky as hell, it's a very, very, VERY dangerous idea.
Do people live in this fantasy 50s wanna be la di da fairy land or what?
YEAH let's advertise to every fucked up pedofile in traffic that you have a bunch of juicy and succulent kids in your mini van. And better yet, also list their names! And then, park that sucker in front of your house or in the driveway. Just in case the random kid fuckers who stroll down your street didn't get a hint of who you've got in the house. Ripe for the pickin!
I know there's one dumbass who reads this blog who thinks I'm way too paranoid about my kid's safety. "Yeah, the world's a bad place but I don't want the threat of pedofiles to ruin my life. What are the chances it would happen to you?"
Oh just suck it.
Police officers advise parents to NOT get a backpack with the kid's name written on the back. The fear is that a predator will use the familiarity of the name to his advantage when the kid strolls home from school.
Wouldn't the same be said about these stupid stick figure car stickers?
I don't know, guys. I guess I live in the year 2005 where bad shit happens and there's too many people just one exit away from Crazy Town.
Be smart, be safe.
Personally, I love the example Hag posted in her blog.
posted by Mae Midwest @ 7:47 PM
10 Comments:
At 10/03/2005 8:35 PM,
Miss Kitty said…
Every once in a while we get stuck behind a minivan or SUV with those stickers, and I've always thought it was spectacularly dumb. Why tell complete strangers yours and your kid's names? I don't get it. What could they possibly get out of it that's worth the risk of someone possibly abusing it or even using it for a prank of some kind? Apart from that, it's just plain WEIRD, too.
At 10/04/2005 8:18 AM,
Anonymous said…
Mae, just saw it last night on a minivan in High Ridge, it didn't have the names though. More dumb stuff to put on vehicles.
-Kathie
At 10/04/2005 9:33 AM,
Mr Midwest said…
Never underestimate the extent of human stupidity.
At 10/04/2005 7:01 PM,
Anonymous said…
In my mind, if your child is over 5 they should be able to have their name on their backpack because their parents have talked to them about the dangers of strangers knowing their name and they know not to go with a stranger anywhere.
I'm always amazed at the protective instincts of parents that keep their child shielded away by keeping them in the dark. Keeping their name off their bike and their stuff isn't enough. A pedophile doesn't need to know your name to try to get you to come with him. Kids need to be armed with information. They need to know to run and get help from any mommy they can find. I'm not saying you should be explaining all the details to a child of 5, but they should know enough to be smart in that situation if they are going about without supervision.
At 10/04/2005 7:27 PM,
Mae Midwest said…
So ANONYMOUS, I think it's great that you think a kid's name should be on their backpack and yet you're too scared to put your name in the comments of a random blog post.
What kind of protective instincts are keeping you from coming clean on YOUR real identity?
At 10/04/2005 7:50 PM,
Mae Midwest said…
THERE WE GO! No more ANONYMOUS comments.
I don't mind debate. Come on, let's talk!
What I mind are the people who constantly come in here to challenge me and don't have the balls to leave their identity.
And it's ALWAYS, ALWAYS someone who leaves the comment anonymously.
Never have I had someone use their actual blog identity or nickname to come here and disagree with me.
People who have such strong opinions and an even stronger desire to comment shouldn't hide as anonymous. Don't you want to be credited for your wise words?
At 10/04/2005 8:11 PM,
mr_midwest said…
So anonymous thinks that identifying information isn't a big deal and kids should feel perfectly safe having every random person they pass knowing their name, but won't use even a pseudonym online? Clearly they know that they are wrong.
If you actually believe the nonsense you spout, I fear for your children. A 5 year old is very very naive and trusting of adults. Hell, I know 12 and 13 year olds that could be easily manipulated by a stranger who just happened to have a good story and know their name.
Spend 15 seconds with google looking up child safety. One of the top ten things child safety experts in every industrialized nation in the world list is "Do not have your childs name visible on backpacks or clothing, it puts your child on a first name basis with predators."
Better yet, talk to a police officer or FBI agent who works missing children cases. They will explain the danger to you with a passion and anger that will knock you on your stupid ass.
At 10/04/2005 9:27 PM,
LBseahag said…
Has anyone seen my poor El Stupido?
At 10/04/2005 9:36 PM,
karaokediva.blogdns.com said…
I do think the little stick figures are a bad idea, but not because I'm worried about pedophiles. I just think they are another cheesy soccer mom trend just like the magnatic ribbons.
I don't think having your kids name on their backpack or even on the back of your minivan is going to increase the chances that your child is sexually assaulted.
The best way to protect your child is to communicate with them in a factual manner, not in a manner intended to make them agoraphobic. Let them know ways to keep themselves safe and create an environment where they feel comfortable talking to you about ANYTHING. That will will give them the confidence to turn down advances and then comeand tell you about it.
At 10/05/2005 2:29 PM,
playswithyarn said…
i am much older than 5. i do not have my name on my answering machiene. for my safty.
i also do not have my name on my luggage tags. i simply put my initials and my cell phone number. why? for my safety.
it's not about kids. it's just fucking common sense.
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