Another Genie Out of the Bottle

Went to pick-up the boy from school yesterday. As is the norm for most schools now, I imagine, I had to wait in line while the teachers shuffled the kids to predetermined spots on the sidewalk. You patiently wait in line for the kids in front to load up until it’s your turn. Fun stuff.

The lass was with me and her booster seat is on the passenger’s side. So when it was time for the boy to jump in, he did so through the front-side passenger door. However, where in the past he just kept on going right to his spot in the back, this time he just sat with a smile on his face. He didn’t outright ask, and he didn’t have to because the expression on his face communicated perfectly what he was after.

There is no minimum age limit for riding in the passenger seat here. We’ve double checked it. I’m fairly sure some of the states around us are different. Since I recalled riding shotgun many time I was the boy’s current age, I really couldn’t come up with an objection.

So then we had a mini fiasco as a couple of things hit at once: the lass objecting to her brother sitting up front and we were now holding up the line. The boy still had his backpack on and wasn’t buckled in. I brushed off the lass by telling her she still had to sit in the booster seat because she was too young. But I’m sure she’s counting the days.

So now the question will be when he can ride shotgun. In another year, they’ll be fighting over who sits in the front seat. The race for the car will be vicious I suspect. I’m sure his friends will notice that he’s riding up front and they’ll start pestering their parents.

I imagine I’ll be blackballed by the end of the month at the latest.