European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Bum n by Betsy Duncan baby on Board signs become controversial new York times Hose Bright yellow Molher in la in of Unk signs May soon go the Way of the pet Rock. At least that is the opinion and fervent desire of Michael terrier the unwitting father of this country s latest fad. Lerner. A 32-year-old businessman irom Brookline mass., has sold millions of baby on Board and child on Board signs to safety conscious parents around the United Stales during the last two years. The live Inch Diamond shaped signs usually placed in a Corner of the Roar Windshield with a suction cup. Are intended to ask Drivers in the Vicinity to be More cautious than usual. Much to Lemer s dismay however the popularity of his signs has incited a National craze for humorous imitations. Today millions of car windows display Bright yellow five Inch Diamond signs that offer such messages As nobody on Board baby driving and baby carries no Cash Lerner is not amused by the parodies he said because 1hey mock a serious Effort to achieve safer roads. Our concept was 13 really improve Driver awareness of child safety he said. Car accidents Are the number one cause of child deaths in the United there have been rumours that Larner first developed the baby in Board " idea after losing a child in an Accident. But Lerner a childless Bachelor but a proud Uncle who made a Fortune in real estate Whilo in his 20s, heard about the signs from an associate who had seen them in Europe. As Lorner quickly discovered there was and still is a great demand for the signs in the United Stales. His company safety 1st inc. Of Newton mass., has sold approximately 3 million baby of Boardl and child on Board signs so far. They generally cos $1.95 each and Are available Al major National retailers such As Sears. Lerner declined to reveal the annual profits of safely 1 St a privately held company he reeled in 1964 with a 165,000 investment. But he did say that the company which markets a dozen child oriented solely products has annual revenues in the millions. The imitations of Lemer s signs Are also proving to be big business. Howard Lorsch president of Hal enterprises of Al Cajon. Calif., reported that his company is Selling 2 to 3 million each month. But not everyone is amused by those now ubiquitous parodies. The signs have recently drawn criticism from safely officials who say they pose a Hazard. This summer for example the new York based insurance information Institute released a statement calling for Drivers to remove the parodies irom their rear windshields and also the serious signs because they say the signs increase the possibility of automobile accidents there is a problem in that they reduce vision end they create another Blind spot said Harvey Seymour an Institute spokesman Hie said he believes that the signs May have been responsible for some of the 33 million motor vehicle accidents in the country Las year. He stressed however thai he has no direct evidence to support that Assumption. We have enough problems holding the line on accidents without people pulling these signs on their cars Seymour said. Even some politicians have jumped aboard this anti sign Campaign. New York slate assemblyman John c Dearie a Democrat irom the Bronx recently held a press conference to Call attention to the signs which Are illegal in Mew York if placed on front or rear windshields. Dearie has asked local police departments to assist in an Effort to have Drivers voluntarily obey this regulation. Dearie likes Lemer s serious signs he said but believes the parodies should be banned. A study conducted by Dearie s office found Hal there Are a total of 4 million signs on cars in the now York metropolitan area with the humorous outnumbering the serious by a ratio of five to one. The Bottom line of it he said is that the original signs had a Clear meaningful purpose. We ought not to dilute that program with these frivolous other states including Georgia Maryland Hawaii Virginia and Nebraska also have initiated efforts to have the signs removed. In i Ariand the attorney general s office this summer issued a directive to local police agencies encouraging them to inform Drivers that the signs violate state Law. Despite this negative publicity of course the a g of the sign fad ultimately remains in the control of the consumer. Novelly signs Are the kinds of things Hal Are Here today but gone tomorrow Lerner said. The parodies will be completely phased out in the next few months Lerner predicted. But the original baby on Board signs should continue to do Well he said because they Appeal to another Type of buyer. We re Here for a Dilfer enl reason he said. Concerned parents sons and daughters or grandparents buy our product for safety Erma Bombeck my name is mom and i m a casually in the War of automation. There was a Lime when there weren t enough hours in the Day to fulfil All the skills of my Job description. I was chauffeur Cook nurse decorator financier psychologist and social director. All the Slick magazines said so. 1 have been replaced by beeps switches flashing lights electronic devices and Monotone voices. In the beginning i taught my children How to tie their shoes and Button and zip their clothing. They Don t do Hal anymore. They have velcro labs on their shoes and velcro where buttons and zippers used to be. I used to Lell hem How to place an emergency Call on the Telephone or How to Call grandma ii they needed her. Now it s a matter of pushing a Button on a memory phone end it s done. There was a period when i Aat at the Kitchen table and taught them How 10 Tell time and warned them against winding their watches too Light. They Don t have to do that anymore. They just push a Little Button and their watch lights up with the Correct time. And the watches wind themselves. I used to enlighten them about the stove. I showed them How to turn it on and off so that you would t gel Burnt. They Don t have stoves anymore. They have microwave ovens that have Little buttons to push and Are Cool to the touch. At one time i pulled them on my Lap and together we traced our fingers across the printed Page As i read to them. I Don t read anymore. All they have to do a insert a Book cassette into their stereo and hear it read by professionals. Sometimes when they were Hurt. I would pull the adhesive Bandage of and Hiss the spot where it stung. There Are ouch less adhesive bandages now to there is no need to soothe them. Saturday. November 1, 1988 the stars and stripes sometimes after dinner 1 would give them spelling words so they could get Good grades. I would Praise them when they did Well and warn them when they made a mistake. There s a typewriter now that corrects their spelling and a computer to Tell them when they gel the answer right and when they get it wrong and have to try again i can even remember being called in to give advice in what sweater looked Good with what Slacks. There Are color coded outfits now that make the decision for you. True they still Haven come up with anything that can listen to your Day or run alongside when you Leem now to ride a two wheel bicycle. But other than that i feel like an old Sag that was in new York Magazine years ago. A woman in jewels and furs was pushing her teen age son in a wheelchair. Can t he walk asked someone. Of course he can walk she sniffed. But thank god a does t have to Peg 17
