darn those Consumer Reports

I'd like to start with a realization. In many of these postings, I refer to "you." I can only assume "you" means our collective blog readership. I have this big idea that our blog is read by thousands of people, all waiting anxiously for the next blog. "You" have us on your favorites and we're part of your morning internet search routine when you first get to work. (It's okay to admit "you" do that, we all do it...I consider it research for my work because I need to be somewhat up to date on business, the economy, weather conditions, etc. "You" can justify it however you want. If you need help developing an acceptable justification, let me know. Together we can come up with a reason it should probably be one of your performance goals for 2007 - to check your list of websites each morning, and perhaps after lunch as well.) Unfortunately, I have not made this blog searchable. Although I'm sure Google will find me, index me, and determine if I am worthy to continue blogging. So I guess all I'm saying is that "you" only refers to a few people, relatives, that want to know what we're up to. That's it...that's all I have to say. Now, onto the real subject of this posting.

Many of "you" probably saw the big news that came out from Consumer Reports about the safety (or lack of) of infant car seats. We subscribe to Consumer Reports, so we not only heard about it on the news, but got the magazine in the mail. Lucky for us, we had one of the two car seats they recommend as the only ones they consider "safe." Note the use of the word "had." We eagerly exchanged it for a different car seat whose pattern we liked better... and promptly threw away the packaging. So we have spent much of today (ok, a few minutes) coming to terms with the fact that the car seat we have will be fine. And it will. I think the key is to use a car seat all the time and make sure it is installed correctly. I plan to take it to the local fire department and have them check that I've installed it safely.

The bigger question this raises is the fact that car seats (as well as cars) sold in Europe are tested to stricter standards and are even manufactured differently than the ones in the US. In fact, an example of a car seat sold in Europe and the US shows that the one in Europe has a support leg that reaches down to the floor in front to better stabilize the seat, while we apparently don't need that feature in the US. Also, they tested a carseat that had FAILED the US government tests, yet was still on sale! What is that about? Anyway, here is a link to the article if you want to know where your carseat ranks on the list.