All in the front seat of a two-seater sports car (recent-model airbag-equipped, top down).

You don’t often get a friendly wave on the highways around here. You also don’t often see people signaling to make a lane change on the highway at 65 mph (indicating an intended lane change is not required here). I’m not much of a generally aggressive driver to relatively non-offensive drivers, and have no problem letting people in.

This guy, however, was a piece of work. I was cruising in my lane, preparing to exit, when a little red sports car, top down, wiggled in my view at about ten o’clock. I did a double-take, then triple take. He was steadying the “baby bucket”, presumably with a baby inside, that was literally rattling around the front seat of his sporty little car.

I slowed down to let him slide into the 11 o’clock position, getting out of his mercifully small blind spot. The car weaved a little, and he hit his turn signal to change lanes. He turned to check his blind spot, saw me drop back, then let his last hand raise free of the steering wheel to wave to me in thanks. Then I saw the cell phone …

He exited the same ramp as I take daily, and I kept him in sight, hoping to line up at a red light. To offer help, maybe, if he was looking for directions, to help secure the bucket seat, at minimum, or heck, even find a cop. He *was* off the highway, so I didn’t need to call highway patrol, but I felt a little weird calling 911, too. You’d think there would be a cohesive non-emergency phone number one could call where they could bump you to 911 if you need to. A few times when I have called 911 for a problem, I’ve been sent to local dispatch of the town I’m in - when they pick up - now that I think about it.

Okay, now I have a plan for next time. Gods I hope there isn’t a next time. And that he and the baby got wherever safely.

I know, I know, some of this car-seat stuff is hype. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to make the best reasonable effort to be safe. And some car-seat is better than none. But it upset me just the same.