It's Illegal To Have Pets in Car on Lap...

[Rowdy]

Ok-I can understand why this may be a gray area, but PLEASE!!



Dog In Driver's Lap Nets Traffic Citation
Friday October 05, 2007 5:28 pm  

Tulsa - You see it all over town -- people driving with their pets in their laps, looking out the window, enjoying the breeze. But, did you know that it's against the law? And, as NewsChannel 8's Bill Mitchell explains, Tulsa Police do write tickets and found one woman who got one.

A lot of people these days are buying smaller pets, and they're taking their pets with them everywhere they go -- shopping, in the car. The problem with having a pet like this is in your lap, it's dangerous and you will get a ticket.

"I was kind of irate about it actually," says Shannon Medlock, who was driving home last month when a police officer gave her a ticket because her dog, Mickey, was unrestrained and was sitting in her lap. She didn't know about the law.

"Do you think anybody else knows about the law?"


"It doesn't seem like that. You see dogs everywhere hanging out windows. It doesn't seem anybody knows about it."

Not even Tulsa City Councilor Bill Christiansen.

"I'm sure they don't know they're breaking the law," he says. "I think for educational purposes it's a good thing that you're doing a story on it."

Now here's the rest of the story. Local pet stores have dozens of items to secure your dog in the car and keep him out of your lap. Some straps and belts cost from 19 to 28 dollars.

"Everybody's kind of shocked that I got a ticket for what nobody knows that it's against the law to have your dog with you not restrained," Medlock says.

Since September of last year, Tulsa police have written 16 tickets to people who drive around with their pets in their laps. It's a doggone shame and not a nice way to get a ticket.

Shannon says Mickey barked at the police officer the entire time he was writing the ticket, which cost a whopping 120 dollars.

[patric]

The Whirled reported that almost all those citations came from the same officer.

[Wilbur]

It is really rocket science to know how dangerous it is to have a dog bouncing around in your lap while you drive?  Really?  It's sad you even need a law like that on the books.

You wouldn't have your kid there (actually, some folks do)!  Do we not realize, if you have to take evasive action, the dog is in the way?

And Councilor Christiansen, thanks for putting dogs in the lap a higher priority then traffic safety.  And for blasting a police officer for doing his job.

Once again, we have folks who don't understand those pesky little 1400 collisions every month in this town and that all of them are preventable.  But, no, we are in need of doing just about everything else BUT driving that 4000 pound slab of steel down the road.

HOW ABOUT CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING!  NOT FIDO!

[sgrizzle]

I almost got hit two weeks ago by a driver whose dog was hanging out the driver's window, causing her to have a blind spot.

[TheArtist]

Its one thing to have a dog "hanging out the window", but quite another to have one in your lap doing that lol. I dont think I have ever seen that. That would be absurd. Sad there has to even be a law against it.

 

[Porky]

I saw the ultimate the other day, some guy was riding his motorcycle down the BA at 65 mph, while trying to dial a number on his cell phone.

[Goodpasture]

Is there a reference to the citation? Do dogs have to be restrained, or simply not allowed on the drivers lap?

[sauerkraut]

quote:Originally posted by Porky

I saw the ultimate the other day, some guy was riding his motorcycle down the BA at 65 mph, while trying to dial a number on his cell phone.

I once saw a Lab dog riding on the back  of a motorcycle, -but not on the freeway. I know  Dogs offten ride in the cargo box of pick-up trucks. The legalness of this is still "iffy" in many states.

[Rowdy]

quote:Originally posted by Wilbur

It is really rocket science to know how dangerous it is to have a dog bouncing around in your lap while you drive?  Really?  It's sad you even need a law like that on the books.

You wouldn't have your kid there (actually, some folks do)!  Do we not realize, if you have to take evasive action, the dog is in the way?

And Councilor Christiansen, thanks for putting dogs in the lap a higher priority then traffic safety.  And for blasting a police officer for doing his job.

Once again, we have folks who don't understand those pesky little 1400 collisions every month in this town and that all of them are preventable.  But, no, we are in need of doing just about everything else BUT driving that 4000 pound slab of steel down the road.

HOW ABOUT CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING!  NOT FIDO!

How about the police take care of business like all the murders and everything else going on instead of paying officers to pull people over for pets not buckled in. I for one take my dog every month or two to the vet and let her sit on the floorboard of the passenger side.  If I get a ticket, fine.  But theres a difference between having a buckled-in pooch and one sitting on a lap.  

Get over yourself Wilbur.

[RecycleMichael]

Sorry Rowdy, but I am with Wilbur on this one.

We need safe streets and I too worry about violent crime, but I want the police to make sure that drivers are paying attention.

Having a dog on a lap cannot be a safe way to drive and a small distraction can lead to a big accident on the highway.

Drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and not on Rover.

[Rowdy]

I understand Michael and I agree with you.  Wilbur's constant barrage about the Tulsa Police can do no wrong attitude is what gets really old.  It seems that the police at many instances have their priorities out of whack.  I would like to see the same vigor towards other issues out there like this one instance with the lady and her pooch.

[Breadburner]

I'm with the officer on this one as well.....

[Conan71]

I passed a guy the other day with a dog on his lap on a motorcycle.  He had a carpeted board that went up onto the tank.  He'd be totally screwed if he got into a tank-slapper.

[cannon_fodder]

I drive with my 2 dogs all the time.  They are trained to stay in the back.  They can lay on the seat, the floor, sit up, stick their heads (entire bodies...) out the windows.  Whatever.  They are not allowed in the front.

This is not because of some law, just common sense.  I'm concerned that they will lunge over me at something or just generally get in the way. While I'm not steadfastly against such a law, it seems trivial to me.

Also, I do not restrain them.  While I understand the inherent danger with not restraining them it is simply not practical.  I have dogs to enjoy their company.  Trying to restrain a pair of large dogs any time I want to take them anywhere would be a pain in the donkey and preclude them from the ever funny dog-out-the window.  Not too mention could very well lead to simply not bringing my dogs places anymore.

On a related note, I'm redoing my floors so I had to endure those 2 looking in the window all weekend with the "why don't you love me anymore" look on their faces.  Especially when it was raining.

[Sangria]

I ride a motorcycle.

I spend a lot of time dodging very important people on cell phones. They are so important they can't hang up long enough to pay attention.

I really don't want to have to dodge more people and their dogs.

I wish they would pass a law that makes people stop with all the distractions and just DRIVE.