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Mother defends breastfeeding baby while driving (followup on idiot)
WKYC-TV/DT Cleveland ^ | 6.17.03 | Vic Gideon

Posted on 06/19/2003 7:36:03 PM PDT by mhking

Edited on 06/23/2003 2:48:15 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Mother defends breastfeeding baby while driving

Reported by Vic Gideon
POSTED: Monday, June 16, 2003 5:06:15 PM
UPDATED: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:20:52 PM

PORTAGE COUNTY -- A mother traveling from Detroit to Pittsburgh got into trouble in Portage County while trying to drive and breastfeed her baby at the same time.

Twenty-nine-year-old Catherine Donkers had fed the baby before she left Detroit but said her seven-month-old daughter was hungry again.

"I knew I was doing nothing wrong when I was breastfeeding her," Donkers said.

Donkers doesn't consider her actions excessively dangerous.

"I think there are lots of things we do when we put ourselves at risk, just by the very fact that I'm in a car and there's lots of car accidents every single day," she said. "I think it would be reasonable to say even that's a danger."

A truck driver apparently saw it as a danger and called the highway patrol. But Donkers wouldn't pull over for police until she got to a tollbooth.

"I've directed her to, that when she doesn't feel safe, she goes to a public place," said her husband, Brad Barnhill.

At the tollbooth, Donkers didn't give the trooper a driver's license. She instead pulled out an affidavit as identification and got cited for not having a license.

The couple also claims she did nothing wrong, saying Michigan law has an exemption to its child restraint law for nursing mothers.

They claim that since the turnpike is an interstate, drivers can follow the laws of their home state. But the highway patrol says that as long as the stop occurred in Ohio, they have to abide by Ohio laws.

The couple has done extensive research on the law and believes in a strict adherence to them. Donkers is facing child endangering and child seat violations among other charges. Her and her husband say they plan to fight all charges and will file a counter suit.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Michigan; US: Ohio; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: badparent; breastfeeding; childendangerment; childsafety; donkers; donkersisbonkers; driving; drivingwhilefeeding; goneinaninstant; idiot; justplainnuts; kook; motherhood; nocommonsense; nolawlicense; roadsafety; unlicenseddriver; vehiclesafety
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1 posted on 06/19/2003 7:36:04 PM PDT by mhking
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To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

2 posted on 06/19/2003 7:36:22 PM PDT by mhking
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To: mhking
Did her "research" also tell her that she didn't have to pull over for a state trooper? Where's THAT law?

This broad is a ditz.
3 posted on 06/19/2003 7:40:03 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: mhking
,,, click here.
4 posted on 06/19/2003 7:40:05 PM PDT by shaggy eel
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To: mhking
Did her "research" also tell her that she didn't have to pull over for a state trooper? Where's THAT law?

This broad is a ditz.
5 posted on 06/19/2003 7:40:15 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: mhking
Did her "research" also tell her that she didn't have to pull over for a state trooper? Where's THAT law?

This broad is a ditz.
6 posted on 06/19/2003 7:40:16 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: mhking
Why didn't this idiot pull over at the tollbooth and feed her baby? Not only is she endangering herself and the baby but also the other drivers. She didn't have a drivers license too? Sheesh!
7 posted on 06/19/2003 7:40:18 PM PDT by lilylangtree
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To: mhking
You have to admit; it takes some skill to breastfeed in a camaro while driving on an interstate. She probably still drove better than half of America.
8 posted on 06/19/2003 7:41:19 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: mhking
Donkers is bonkers.
9 posted on 06/19/2003 7:41:31 PM PDT by TamiPie
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To: Howlin
I would have said so 3 times, also. I feel your pain. :o)
10 posted on 06/19/2003 7:42:03 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Howlin
I would have said so 3 times, also. I feel your pain. :o)
11 posted on 06/19/2003 7:42:05 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: mhking
I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! When I heard it the first time, I KNEW that she would play the victimized breastfeeding mother.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927397/posts#34
12 posted on 06/19/2003 7:42:06 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: Howlin
I would have said so 3 times, also. I feel your pain. :o)
13 posted on 06/19/2003 7:42:08 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: lilylangtree
She was driving without a license, too, did you notice that?

I guess when they were "researching" the laws -- no doubt to see what they could get away with -- they forgot that one..........LOL.
14 posted on 06/19/2003 7:42:58 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: RedBloodedAmerican
PLEASE don't tell us you are speaking from experience!
15 posted on 06/19/2003 7:43:36 PM PDT by justshe (Educate....not Denigrate !)
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To: shaggy eel
,,, click here.

I know - this is a follow-up to the original story.

16 posted on 06/19/2003 7:44:03 PM PDT by mhking
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To: mhking
Hold muh (.)(.)
17 posted on 06/19/2003 7:44:21 PM PDT by Redcloak (All work and no FReep makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no FReep make s Jack a dul boy. Allwork an)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Does the Michigan law exempt mothers who are breast feeding who are DRIVING on an INTERSTATE at 70 MPH??????
18 posted on 06/19/2003 7:44:45 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: mhking
This lady is a moron supreme! Pull over at a rest stop or even the side of the road to feed the kid....you put your child's life in danger and not to mention the other drivers on the road!
19 posted on 06/19/2003 7:46:49 PM PDT by Arpege92
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To: mhking
Common sense should be a pre-requisite to having children.
20 posted on 06/19/2003 7:47:32 PM PDT by skr
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