Family Seating Protocols in the American Automobile.

[Ellen Forradalom]

Captain Dad at helm, Mom riding bitch, kids in back. Except when no dad. Or when in mom's car. Which dad never drives, unless he totals his car. Then female may drive.

Discuss.

[JVS]

1. Riding bitch means that you are in the middle of the back seat.

Straddling the hump. Mom wouldn't ride there. She takes the passenger side in front, duh!

[GOPisEvil]

2. Technically, mom is riding shotgun.

;)

[JVS]

3. Yes.

[Ellen Forradalom]

6. Oh, thank you.

For correcting my slang. Still, you get the notion of being relegated to second-class seating when the Only Proper Driver is present to steer his family off a cliff.

[Patiod]

4. Noticed a class difference:

If you have two couples:

Upper: Male & female (not couple) in the front, male and female (not couple) in the back

Other: Guys in the front, gals in the back.

[MadHound]

5. Part of that is due to safety

In the bad old days before seatbelts it was considered safer for the children to be in the back seat, not as much chance for them to go through the front glass.

Now it is considered safer because there is no airbag coming out to kill the kid.

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. I'm totally down with kids in the back

It's the unspoken but rigid rules governing the front that interest me.

[LeftyMom]

8. Even w/o airbags

The rear seat is about 30% safer because it's generally farthest from the point of impact. That number will probably go up some as more cars have side curtain airbags in the rear and as headrests and shoulder belts become mandatory for all rear seating positions.

[NewJeffCT]

9. in my family

it's me driving, my wife & daughter in the backseat. I feel like a limo driver.

[5thGenDemocrat]

10. Our family usually had a big Buick

Dad driving (mom didn't even have a driver's license until she was 35 or so), mom riding shotgun, Angela (the youngest) stuffed in between them. The other four of us kids jammed in the back.
We rode that way for years. No, we aren't there yet. No, we're not lost and, no, we aren't going to stop at McDonalds.
John
Now shut up before I come back there and give you something to cry about.

[Reverend_Smitty]

11. my mom always drove

but then again she was a single mother most of my childhood, even now, re-married she still is the sole driver when they go on road trips (she's a bit of a control freak...don't even TRY to take the remote from her!) but when I am with my father I always let him drive. It's not so much that I bow to tradition it's just I can't stand him watching and judging my every move. I'm almost 22 with a perfect driving record it's not like I've never handled a car before, so I just let dad drive

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. My daughter drives, not her husband

because they have a van and he just doesn't maneuver it well.

[Kali]

13. as said elsewhere - Mom is Shotgun

and the only time she may drive while he is in car is LONG road trip, on the way HOME.

Stop touching me, Mom she's touching me.


Now as an adult I drive about half the time.

[Ellen Forradalom]

14. Exactly right about road trips

and after about two hours at the wheel he starts having a conniption fit, saying, "I can drive now! I can drive now!"

Don't they even see how sexist that shit is????

[Kali]

15. I have blocked a lot of it out

it was pretty June Cleaver, even though politically my parents were progressive, homelife was, well bleh.