Baby on board: Difference between revisions
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"'''Baby on board'''" is the message of a small (usually 12 centimetres or 5 in) sign intended to be placed |
"'''Baby on board'''" is the message of a small (usually 12 centimetres or 5 in) sign intended to be placed on the rear vent window of an [[automobile]] to alert emergency services at a crash site, to an infant travelling in the automobile. |
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[[File:Babyonboard.jpg|thumb|Baby on board sign]] |
[[File:Babyonboard.jpg|thumb|Baby on board sign]] |
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The intention of the sign is often confused with warning to emergency personnel in case of emergency, as there may be a baby in the vehicle. However, this is historically inaccurate.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|last1=Merelli|first1=Annalisa|title=You Probably Don't Know The Real Story Behind Baby On Board Signs|url=http://qz.com/275987/you-probably-dont-know-the-real-story-behind-baby-on-board-signs/|accessdate= 8 December 2016|work=[[Quartz (publication)]]|date=6 October 2014}}</ref> First responders still use the sign as an indicator that there might be a small child in a vehicle. <ref name="Ambulance">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ambulancetoday.co.uk/news-item/baby-on-board-sticker-urban-myth-turns-out-to-be-true/ |title=Ambulance Today |website=www.ambulancetoday.co.uk |language=en-US |access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> |
The intention of the sign is often confused with warning to emergency personnel in case of emergency, as there may be a baby in the vehicle. However, this is historically inaccurate.<ref name=qz>{{cite news|last1=Merelli|first1=Annalisa|title=You Probably Don't Know The Real Story Behind Baby On Board Signs|url=http://qz.com/275987/you-probably-dont-know-the-real-story-behind-baby-on-board-signs/|accessdate= 8 December 2016|work=[[Quartz (publication)]]|date=6 October 2014}}</ref> First responders still use the sign as an indicator that there might be a small child in a vehicle. <ref name="Ambulance">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ambulancetoday.co.uk/news-item/baby-on-board-sticker-urban-myth-turns-out-to-be-true/ |title=Ambulance Today |website=www.ambulancetoday.co.uk |language=en-US |access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 00:52, 29 January 2018
"Baby on board" is the message of a small (usually 12 centimetres or 5 in) sign intended to be placed on the rear vent window of an automobile to alert emergency services at a crash site, to an infant travelling in the automobile.
The intention of the sign is often confused with warning to emergency personnel in case of emergency, as there may be a baby in the vehicle. However, this is historically inaccurate.[1] First responders still use the sign as an indicator that there might be a small child in a vehicle. [2]
History and popular use
Dispite popular belief, Baby on Board signs were originally intended for the rear vent window and not for the rear window at all. The concept was to alert emergency services of the presnece of a baby in the car in the event of a car crash where adults in the car may be unconscious. It was never inteded for other dirvesr to see the signs, just emergency services.
A version of the sign was found in Germany by Patricia Bradley of Medford, Massachusetts.[3] With her sister Helen she started a company, PHOB, to market them in the US, but had only limited success until partnering with Michael Lerner.
Lerner was told about the signs after recounting his experience of aggressive drivers when driving his baby nephew home in busy traffic.[3] An urban legend claims that the death of a baby led to the creation of the signs, but there is no truth to this claim.[4][1] Lerner eventually bought PHOB for approximately US$150,000, and changed the name to Safety 1st. The company later diversified into infant and child care products.[4]
The sign became a ubiquitous fad, flourishing in 1985. Its use in the US rapidly declined in 1986[5] as parody imitations with lines like "Baby I'm Bored", "Pit Bull on board", and "Mother-In-Law in Trunk" became popular,[3] although its popularity continues in the United Kingdom (along with other versions such as "Princess on board" and "Little Person on board"), in Italy and in Japan (usually saying "Baby in Car", with the sign written in either English or Japanese script) well into the 21st century. [citation needed]
Despite waning in popularity, the signs have entered the American lexicon. In 1993, The Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" featured a barbershop quartet tune called "Baby on Board". The song was written by Homer Simpson in a flashback to 1985 when Marge bought a sign, hoping it would stop people from "intentionally ramming our car".
Following popular request and trials in 2005,[6] Transport for London (TfL) began issuing badges with the TfL logo and the words "Baby on board!" to pregnant women travelling on the London Underground, to help other passengers identify pregnant commuters who would like to be offered a seat.[7]
References
- ^ a b Merelli, Annalisa (6 October 2014). "You Probably Don't Know The Real Story Behind Baby On Board Signs". Quartz (publication). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Ambulance Today". www.ambulancetoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ a b c May, Jeff (13 June 2011). "After the One-Hit Wonder". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Baby on Board". Urban Legends Reference Pages. 2006-09-02. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-12. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Tube trials 'Baby on board' badges for mums-to-be". Transport for London. 2005-03-07. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Baby on Board". Transport for London. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
