A couple thoughts on this:
First, there doesn’t need to be a race angle on this. There are plenty of stupid white parents out there. We just had an article last week about the British pregnant girl who didn’t see anything wrong with drinking and partying every night while pregnant.
Second, I’m not excusing the behaviour but 30 years ago people put young kids in the backs of pick up trucks and drove around all the time. Not infants but 6, 7 year olds. Times have changed.
Finally, I like the comment after the article about how they call this a “ghetto coaster”.
Agreed on all your points.
It is still legal in many places to drive with kids in the back of a pickup.
“PHOENIX - State lawmakers will debate this week whether to continue to let children travel unrestrained in the open bed of pickup trucks.
The measure, to be debated Thursday by members of the House Transportation Committee, would forbid anyone younger than 18 from traveling in the back of a pickup unless “safely restrained.”
“Only 24 states currently have laws placing restrictions on kids riding in the back of pickup trucks, the pediatrician group says.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117921&page=1
Obviously not a child that young, and in a stroller that can roll all around, but that thought came immediately to my mind too. It’s too bad many areas have banned riding in the bed of a truck. I have great memories of my entire softball team (we were probably 8 or 9) riding in the back of my dad’s truck to the DQ after games :-)