Personal reflection for 2008, No. 2

Walking down Lincoln early yesterday afternoon, I heard from behind me the distinctive crunch-crunch sound of a chain-reaction collision. As I wheeled around I saw the driver of the third and final car in the sequence of rear-enders jump out of his door and race around behind his vehicle. Reaching the rear, right door, he jerked it open and bent inside to check on what appeared to be about a 2-year-old child who was secured in a car seat.
I’m an ancient who’s been known to scoff at excessive regulation in our lives and has been heard to say that in my day a “child-restraint system” meant my father’s spring-loaded right arm.
While yesterday’s accident will be a headache for all involved and there will be expenses for repairs, it appeared that all the people — including this child — were OK. If it weren’t for that carseat, though, I’ll bet the outcome would have been much worse.
I think it’s fair to say that the long reach of the regulatory arm serves a valid purpose.