Haha totally, yo!! The news anchors were all "Remember, it's NOW against the law to drive without your seat belt!" So I was assuming this was some brand new thing!

Some dude wrote in to say that it was just another negative intervention by the state into people's lives! hahaha. I wondered if it was a certain Blooper!

I just saw what you were talking about on the news. They said that cops can start pulling people over and issuing citations if they see you without your seatbelt. it has been illegal but they werent allowed to pull you over and give you a ticket for that reason alone, it usually had to co-inside (sp?) with another offense (running a stop sign, window tint, etc)

I believe I heard this is what they want to do with cell phone usage while driving. they cant pull you over for using your cell phone while driving but if you get into an accident or something they can yougive you a ticket ( i believe, i am not too sure). although i have never heard of using cell phones while driving in florida being illegal yet. But i am sure it is only a matter of time.

Half the time i drive by cops speeding and when i think they should stop me they never do because they are always on there cell phones.

In the UK you can be pulled over not wearing a seatbelt or using a phone and be fined, the seat belt fine is £60.

Again, seatbelt laws vary from state-to-state. I'm like you, I feel naked without my seatbelt. But living on the Tennessee/Georgia line, it was a big to-do when Georgia made it illegal to drive/ride without a seatbelt and it wasn't yet a law in Tennessee, so Tennessee-livers would cross over into Georgia and get pulled over :P.

When my mom met my dad, it wasn't law here. But he was a firefighter, and he'd seen some pretty horrific accidents, so he urged her to always wear it.

A while later, she had an accident. If she hadn't been wearing her belt, she'd have been killed... makes you think!

Yes, yo! I can't imagine why anyone would want to drive without one!!

lol, it's been a law in my state as long as I can remember-but that's the funny thing about the US-the states can be different about a lot of things.

Here's another thing I noticed about America.

All the Kids refer to the adults as "Mr.______" or "Mrs._____".

In the UK, (at least where I grew up!) this is something reserved for your teachers and the very very ancient friends of your grandparents!

I'd hate to be referred to as "Mr._____" all day.

or ma'am, its horrible!

I find Ms the worst. It makes me think of spinsters ;D

Makes me think of a really horrible teacher at school

Haha! We had this HORRIBLE teacher at school who refused to answer to "miss" or "mrs," she'd only answer to MS. She used to bark: "MY MARITAL RELATIONS ARE NOBODY'S BUSINESS BUT MY OWN!" Gosh, she was a witch!

yeah, I was raised that way. A lot of people in the south want their kids to say Sir or ma'am to adults . I wasn't, but it can be more common regionally.

I'd love to meet a beautiful Southern boy whop called me ma'am! I find it so cute! ;D

That depends on where you're at and who raised you. I raise my children to speak that way to adults until the adult gives them permission to address them differently, but I've noticed that these days, most kids actually don't do that. I think it's rather unfortunate that these days kids aren't taught to address their elders properly.

I guess "properly" is subjective. As I'd never consider it desirable for small children to address me as "Mr."
It must depend on your own geography and environment, yo!

Properly means that is proper etiquette for it to address someone by their title, and Mr., Mrs., and the like are all titles, just as President or Queen. And it wasn't until about 1/3 of the way through the 20th Century it started changing, though it never changed in etiquette education. In the States AS WELL AS in Europe. That's just how youngsters were taught to address their elders unless the elder permitted otherwise. I think it should still be done that way to show respect, ESPECIALLY for the older generations.

I guess things grow out dated. People used to be kept as slaves. And youngsters were taught to address them as such. That doesn't make it proper, just because it used to happen. Archaic traditions change to suit the times.
My grandmother would whack a child across the head if it called her Mrs.___, for making her feel old! ;D

This proper etiquette is still being written about by etiquette teachers, so obviously it's not archaic. It's just something most people have become too lazy to care about.

Haha! Here are some etiquette rules from the Victorian era:

"Swinging the arms when walking, eating upon the street, sucking the parasol handles. . . .are all evidences of illbreeding in ladies."


"Ladies should avoid walking rapidly upon the street, as it is ungraceful and unbecoming."

I guess ladies got too lazy to continue with this etiquette too! ;D

Those are rules from the Victorian era. As I have pointed out, etiquette teachers are STILL teaching how to properly and respectfully address your elders. This applies to children, not adults. Once an adult, you are equals. This is being taught in CURRENT etiquette books, not just PAST etiquette books. That's the difference between your examples and mine.

No way, yo! I know girls who have been to Finishing girls in Switzerland, and those Victorian principles are still taught.
I was just pointing out that things taught in etiquette lessons can seem incredibly archaic to those of us living modern lives, yo! ;D

Finishing SCHOOLS. Not girls! Gosh, I should like to go to a finishing girl in Switzerland myself! ;D

I don't think children showing respect to their elders is in any way archaic and is just as valid in our "modern lives". And just the fact that people do think it's archaic explains to me why the older generations aren't getting as much respect as they deserve. Especially since each adult being addressed CAN tell them "Hey, I'd prefer it if you called me........." But there is nothing wrong with teaching your children to show such respect. Unfortunately, far too many people just don't think it's necessary.

Of course there is nothing wrong with it, yo!
It's just not something that I'd personally do because I find it imposes uneccesary formalities. So it's not something that suits me!

I just dislike that you imply that adults who don't demand this of their children are not teaching them to be respectful. Or at least you are writing in a way that sounds like this is your implication, yo!

There are ways to teach children how to respect me other than making them call me MR. The Ryan! ;D