Woman caught breastfeeding while driving on (Ohio) turnpike

WKYC-TV/DT Cleveland ^ | 6.11.03

[mhking]

OHIO TURNPIKE -- A woman who claims she was breast-feeding while driving on the turnpike, has plead not guilty to multiple charges.

The Ohio highway patrol received a call that 29-year old Catherine Donkers, was driving with an infant in her lap.

A trooper tried to pull her over, but she ignored him and then exited the turnpike.

"The stop didn't occur until she exited at the 187th and then became caught up in the toll booth and that's where the officer was able to approach the car and talk to the driver," said Ohio Highway Patrol Officer, Lt. Chris Butts.

The trooper discovered the Michigan woman didn't have a license.

She's been charged with not having an operators' license, obstructing official business, and child endangering.

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[ChemistCat]

I have no words.

[al baby]

got milk

[xm177e2]

I would not think this is such a big deal, except what happens if she gets into a car accident (even a minor one)?

Does the baby get smashed by the airbag? Would it slam into the steering wheel/dashboard/etc.? It sounds like she was putting her child at extreme risk (especially if she was driving distracted because of the breastfeeding).

[nhoward14]

Will the baby be charged as an accessory?

[martin_fierro]

Those passing young Catherine Donkers
on the turnpike all thought her quite bonkers;
her child in her lap,
with no safety strap,
was making poor use of her honkers.

[jigsaw]

She was udderly crazy.

[DeFault User]

She's been charged with not having an operators' license, obstructing official business, and child endangering.

A true multitasker. Was she also putting on makeup and driving while yakking?

[Consort]

Busted.

[nhoward14]

Is it just coincidence that this lady and her boobs were caught by an Officer Butts?

[martin_fierro]

Butts and boobs.

Some stories have it all.

[giznort]

"Hold muh...." (never mind)

[martin_fierro]

Hold muh ...

[ChemistCat]

I breastfed three babies. It's tricky to read a book or talk on the phone while doing it, regardless of the baby's age or capacity to cooperate. NO WAY could one drive safely while doing it. It's incomprehensible.

[NYC GOP Chick]

This could be a "Hold muh milk 'n watch this!" alert. :)

[NYC GOP Chick]

For some reason, this thread made me think of you. ;)

[capitan_refugio]

Clever, very clever.

(Nice limerick too.)

[honeygrl]

In many states it's legal to take your baby out of the carseat in a moving car to "tend to basic needs" (like feeding, diaper changes.) But I'm thinking doing that while driving is a bad bad bad idea. Atleast no one got hurt. If my kids are out of their carseat, the car is stopped. Even if my toddler gets himself out of his carseat, I pull over whereever I am and put him right back in after a decent little swat to the bottom for getting out of it.

[honeygrl]

"I breastfed three babies. It's tricky to read a book or talk on the phone while doing it, regardless of the baby's age or capacity to cooperate. NO WAY could one drive safely while doing it. It's incomprehensible. "

I can't even breastfeed mine while standing up, I'd run off the road trying to do it while driving.

[ChemistCat]

It's women like that that make the Saudis look perfectly reasonable, isn't it?

:sigh:

Honeygrl, sometimes I wonder if the likes of us are reproducing fast enough to save the species from the likes of this woman.

[honeygrl]

"Honeygrl, sometimes I wonder if the likes of us are reproducing fast enough to save the species from the likes of this woman"

No more reproducing for me.. 2 are almost more than I can handle indoors! lol The crawler is now taking the toddlers toys and sparking riots in the apartment. I'm just waiting for my neighbors to call DFCS on me because of all his yelling and screaming when she takes a toy.

[MissL]

I would say that she had other problems other then just feeding the baby...and there are rest stops on a tunpike. It would not be dangerous or time consuming to just stop and feed the baby...actually it would be safer.

[strela]

Except for the obvious safety issue, I don't see that much of a problem here. Kid's gotta eat, and they're generally not very sensitive about choosing a convenient dinnertime.

Yes, she should have pulled over before feeding the child. But its hardly something worth sending her to Devil's Island.

[ChemistCat]

I promise it will get better, and you will be GLAD they are this close together in age. They will be the best of friends in a couple of years.

In the meantime, teach your toddler how to distract the baby by offering her something else. It can be a fun game. Put together a bag of "her" toys that he can use for that specific purpose. When he figures out that she can only think of one thing at a time, and that he can USE that information, and manipulate HER, he will feel like the master of the universe. :-)

[SevenDaysInMay]

Michigan or Bust.

[honeygrl]

"When he figures out that she can only think of one thing at a time, and that he can USE that information, and manipulate HER, he will feel like the master of the universe. :-) "

Unfortunately for him, HE is the one thing she thinks about most of the time. She is 2 crawls behind every step he takes. Is is getting use to it but some toys are just "MINE!" When she grabs at the toys he really cares about I take them back and give them to him and say "No no baby" to show him how to deal with it. When she realizes how to cry to get her way though I'm in real trouble. Although, when she does cry he laughs histerically at her for some reason. Maybe I'll get lucky and his laughing will teach her that crying over a toy is useless.

[ChemistCat]

They're already teaching each other. Isn't that cool?

Siblings are the best gift God gives a child! Some of the "only" children I know are just plain spoiled, intolerable brats who think they are the center of the universe.

[mylife]

This Gal may not be the brightest bulb out there but Jeese.. "criminal"?
Lets just get the Law out of personal matters.
I get so tired of this We need a law to prevent every concievable possibility of life BS.
As far as the boob buisness....aint that what they are there for?

[djf]

"Short people got... no reason.."

Probably turn out the kid is 35!

[SamAdams76]

This is nothing. You should see the soccer moms in minivans with a carload of kids. They are constantly dispensing drinks, food, breaking up fights, and responding to one whiney demand after another. All this while on the car phone.

[Blood of Tyrants]

And a car chase!

[Trueblackman]

Hey Bubba, Yeah Billybob....Look at that, now that is something you don't see everyday!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

With all the attention recently paid about the "prejudice" against breastfeeding, I'll bet she said she was breastfeeding in an attempt to intimidate the policeman into not giving her a ticket.

[theFIRMbss]

>Woman caught breastfeeding while driving on (Ohio) turnpike

Breastfeeding changes
the brain's hormonal balance.
Might help some folk drive...

[honeygrl]

"Breastfeeding changes
the brain's hormonal balance.
Might help some folk drive... "

And if the hormones don't help, maybe the baby can steer while you rehook your bra.

[colorado tanker]

Thank goodness she wasn't using a cell phone - now that would be dangerous.

[theFIRMbss]

>Thank goodness she wasn't using a cell phone - now that would be dangerous.

These days, I'm surprised
baby's don't use their cell phone
to call Mom on her's

and tell her it's time
to open the blouse because
they're feeling thirsty...

[IGOTMINE]

How do open container laws apply to this situation?

[Springman]

What the h*ll was she thinking?
That is the State of Ohio, she might be given life in front of
A FIRING SQUAD!!!

MI Plates,
they might put bullets in the rifles!!

[BSunday]

the comedians will milk this for all it's worth

[Redcloak]

Hold muh (.)(.)!

[Arkinsaw]

"I breastfed three babies.

Thats quite a juggling act.

[Geezerette]

"Pleeze hold muh ... oh, nevermind!"

g

[petitfour]

Now this thread is funny!

I know I heard my mother say she did this very thing. And we all lived. It's not something I'd recommend to the lesser intellects who cannot handle driving and eating McDonalds freedom fries at the same time. My mother even had a college degree when she was endangering those nosey truckers.

[honeygrl]

"I know I heard my mother say she did this very thing. And we all lived. It's not something I'd recommend to the lesser intellects who cannot handle driving and eating McDonalds freedom fries at the same time. My mother even had a college degree when she was endangering those nosey truckers. "

When I was little my parents didn't even own a carseat. (i'm 25 and apparently it wasn't against the law yet.) My mom said she never bought a carseat until my brother was born when I was 5 1/2.

[BibChr]

And if the hormones don't help, maybe the baby can steer while you rehook your bra.

LOL, I'm bailing now; nothing's going to be funnier than that!

Dan