Mother defends breastfeeding baby while driving (followup on idiot)

WKYC-TV/DT Cleveland ^ | 6.17.03 | Vic Gideon

[mhking]

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.

[bonfire]

Agree. She wants to risk her OWN life, that's her business. When she risks her baby's life AND everyone else on the road....that's quite another.

[Mrs.Liberty]

One slam on the brakes and that baby's life would have been over.

that, or, baby starts choking. Does mom slam on the breaks? Does she take her attention off the road and her hands off the wheel to tend to the baby? What about if the baby spits up? Or, worse, and this happened to me (but not while driving), what if baby decides this is a good time to try out those new teeth and bites? The attention is off the road and back on the baby.

[petitfour]

If you have one that doesn't have a five-point harness, you need to hurry on down to the fire station nearest you and have them give you some information on APPROVED carseats. We have one five-point harness carseat that we purchased when our state raised the age for being in a carseat to 6. We have two carseats for toddlers that are the kind with a padded front and snug-fitting belt looped through the padded front thingy. There is one latch at the front of each. One of 'em is easy to undo. The other is another story. We have never used those seats for newborn/infants. We had a special infant carseat for each of our seven. Actually, we have owned five newborn carseats over the years. None of them had five-point harnesses. Too complicated. And all are/were APPROVED. One latch for each. Slip right over baby's head. Our older children are in charge of unlatching the little ones when we get where we're going. Must be their Scottish blood that allows them to be strong enough to undo the latches.

[mylife]

Putting on pantyhose? That is....impossible!( while driving )

Ya....She found out the hard way! LOL

[PhiKapMom]

Putting your child in danger is not compassion. I won't even let my dogs ride on my lap when taking them to the vet because of the airbag and chance of crashing.

Back when we were all driving those large, heavy duty cars with steel beams down the side, I didn't think too much about it. With today's plastic bumpers, etc., I won't let anyone ride in my car without buckling up.

When my youngest daughter was born at Loma Linda Hospital, you could not leave the hospital without the baby being in an approved car seat! My kids were in car seats and when they have kids, they had better make sure their kids are in car seats all the time while driving.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

That little poster is is one of my faves. I have it posted up on my office wall next to my desk. It is so true.

[JustPiper]

OK bookmarked as a must read from King ;)

[petitfour]

Do you strap your dogs into a dog carseat?

Seriously.

[JustPiper]

I cannot even phantom this!!!

[mylife]

Putting your child in danger is not compassion

Ever let your kid play on a swing?? ride a bike??
BAD MOMMY

[wimpycat]

I think you misunderestimate what's going on. If she had gotten her ticket and taken it like a grownup, most people would probably have only said, "What a moron!", which she is, and left it at that. But when somebody does something that is clearly dangerous, with no regard to the safety of her baby, herself and other people, and then presumes to proclaim that she's right and everybody else is wrong, and starts picking and choosing which laws are "valid" and which ones are beneath her notice, then that's a little bit hard to take...hence the "blood".

[bonfire]

I have a feeling we'll be hearing about this mother again in the future. Hope that baby makes it thru childhood.

[justshe]

I hope we can follow this case when it gets to court...since I'm assuming she will plead not guilty to all charges. I REALLY want to see the end to this story!

May I nominate you to start/keep a ping list for the future?

If you agree to this honor, would you please add my name to said list?

[Howlin]

it looks like he's a serial matrimonialist

You certainly don't believe that he would submit himself to the laws regarding marriage if he won't obey the motor vehicle laws, do you?

[pupdog]

Thanks for the ping. You're not going to believe this, but I actually met this woman earlier this year, with her child.

I have another one that I think you're not going to beleive. I think they're right.

Forgetting about the legal interpretations for the moment, here is my one question: is there any evidence that she was driving erratically? Put into other words, if she had not been seen breast-feeding, would anyone have pegged her driving as being dangerous? If the answer to that is no, then I think everything else goes right out the window.

Would I do that while driving? Well, besides the fact that it would be a bit anatomically difficult for me, no, most likely not. But that alone does not make it inherently dangerous for someone else. Some people can talk on a cell phone while driving, some can't. Some can listen to the radio, or keep a conversation, or have a drink, and some can't. The burden of proof as far as I can see is on the her accusors to prove that her actions were unnecessarily dangerous. If they cannot do that by looking at the data (her speed, use of signals, changing lanes, etc.) then IMO, the case is closed.

My apologies, as my views are far more libertarian than the average poster here, even though I do lean conservative. But I can't in good conscience not stand up and defend this couple. In pretty much every point I've seen debated on this, I have to side with them.

[mylife]

I think you misunderestimate what's going on. If she had gotten her ticket and taken it like a grownup, most people would probably have only said, "What a moron!", which she is, and left it at that. But when somebody does something that is clearly dangerous, with no regard to the safety of her baby, herself and other people, and then presumes to proclaim that she's right and everybody else is wrong, and starts picking and choosing which laws are "valid" and which ones are beneath her notice, then that's a little bit hard to take...hence the "blood".

I think You misuderestimate. She caused no harm she held no malice yet there are those here that want Laws passed and JUSTICE!
Im not justifying her actions I just think it is foolish to exact this level of scrutiny in the land of the free.

[bvw]

"The baby's life."

The baby is alive and healthy. There was no harm.

Imaginations do work overtime. Let us ban all imagined possibilities of disaster. Why aren't your windows sandbagged? A neigbor's gas grill might explode. Don't you care for your own babies? Without the sandbags they might get hurt.

[netmilsmom]

I have made it through about half of this thread. Has anyone mentioned that although there is the breastfeeding exception in Michigan law, Having a child out of a carseat is also a 1st offense?? In other words, our police can stop us if they see a child under 40 out of a seat and for no other reason. Is that right, Dan? So in Ohio this may be only a warning but in Michigan, there is a court date and a 100.00 fine.

[Howlin]

Let those who ride decide

Fine. You guys just pay for the cleanup.

As for this issue, "we" have already decided, through our legislatures, to make laws regarding these things for OUR OWN SAFETY.

This man and his wife have decided to flaunt those laws -- and put the rest of us in danger while they're doing it.

[Howlin]

That's a very good question.