# "Baby on Board" stickers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640 "2003-04-28T11:47:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dunmurry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dunmurry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunmurry)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/1 "2003-04-28T11:47:33Z")
I’m not sure if this is common everywhere but here in the back window of cars there is a sticker which says “Baby on Board”. What are the purpose of these stickers? Why do I need to know that there is a baby on board? I heard someone say that they saw a “Dog on Board” sticker but I have not been able to confirm it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/2 "2003-04-28T12:03:40Z")
Is this a time-warp? I haven’t seen a “\_\_\_\_\_ on board” tag in so long I can’t remember when it was. In the early 1980s some guy came up with the idea of hanging a little “safety yellow” colored plastic diamond with the words “baby on board” in the back windows of cars carrying infants in the U.S. The idea was that when one put the baby into the back seat, one would hang up the tag. Then, if there was an accident, the rescue workers would see the tag and know to search the car for the child. Unfortunately, the tags went into mass production without any accompanying information campaign. They looked cute, so lots of people bought them. This brought out the expected reaction from the curmudgeonly who saw the tags as a warning to not run into cars carrying such tags. The curmudgeons (properly) exclaimed that they were just as entitled to not be smashed as people who happened to have bred and were carrying their progeny around with them. On the heels of the initial fad and its reactions, other people saw the opportunity to cash in on the usual faddish silliness, and we soon saw “show dogs on board,” “cranky driver on board,” “mother-in-law on board,” and a host of other “witty” lines. The fad died out at least ten years ago, although there were people who still hung the tags for several years after that. I have not seen one in a while. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/3 "2003-04-28T12:12:29Z")
tomndebb, that’s the first explanation I’ve seen of those things that makes any sense. Thanks. They’re still to be seen around here, I’m afraid. I recently made one for a colleage that said “Baby in Boot”. (For those in the US, “boot” = “trunk” ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/4 "2003-04-28T12:46:28Z")
A popular one in the USA is still “Mother-in-Law in Trunk”. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/5 "2003-04-28T12:55:14Z")
“Baby on board, How I adore, that sign on my baby’s back door…” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/6 "2003-04-28T12:58:33Z")
I always took them to mean “childish adult owns car”. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/7 "2003-04-28T13:12:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*“Baby on board, > How I adore, > that sign on my baby’s back door…” \*\* :eek: Isn’t it “that sign on my car’s windowpane”? (Because I don’t think “my baby’s back door” would work, even for the B-sharps.) ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/8 "2003-04-28T13:13:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*“Baby on board, > How I adore, > that sign on my baby’s back door…” \*\* Or… "Baby on boad, something something, Burt Ward. Hey, this thing practically writes itself!" ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/9 "2003-04-28T13:57:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*“Baby on board, > How I adore, > that sign on my baby’s back door…” \*\* Or… "Baby on boad, something something, Burt Ward. Hey, this thing practically writes itself!" ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/10 "2003-04-28T14:28:50Z")
It’s a song so nice, it writes itself twice! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/11 "2003-04-28T14:40:15Z")
I’ll admit for a long time I thought the purpose of those “baby on board” signs was to remind people to drive more carefully around that particular vehicle. I always figured the overwhelming majority of drivers were trying to avoid hitting other vehicles regardless of who was in them. And I figured the small minority of drivers who were cruising around looking for another car to smash into would see a “baby on board” sign and think “Bonus. That’s the one I’m aiming at.” ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/12 "2003-04-28T15:00:19Z")
I had always assumed it was a kind of apology for bad driving. “I am sorry that I am driving 5 miles per hour under the limit, but I am a hyper-protective mother so don’t get mad at me.” ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/13 "2003-04-28T15:15:33Z")
There was famous group called the B-Sharps that sang a song called [Baby On Board](http://www.justdohit.co.uk/music/B%20Sharps%20-%20Baby%20On%20Board.mp3).🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/14 "2003-04-28T15:19:43Z")
Tommndeb got it right - now add a little to it. The original hung on a little plastic suction cup on the window. you could remove the things when the baby wasn’t in the car. Later, some idgit came up with the stickers which completely miss the point. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/15 "2003-04-28T15:57:38Z")
We’ve got a local who drives around with a baby doll nailed to a board in his back window. Get’s a lot of stares and sneers. ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/16 "2003-04-28T16:25:33Z")
It could be literal indication that, in the back of the car, there’s an infant nailed to a plank. So, just another sticker in the line including - ‘Baby on Spit’, ‘Baby Glued to Cabinet’ and ‘Small Human Epoxied to Cat’ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/17 "2003-04-28T17:47:10Z")
Well- T&D may be correct about the original intention of the “sticker”, but it soon morphed into another “bragging” thing, like “my child was crossing guard of the week at adams elementary”. :rolleyes: Think about- bragging that they have spawed- something that any fish does better & more often. Not to mention- “BRAGGING”?!? about adding to the overpopulation problem? I’d be like adding a sticker to your SUV saying “I only get 10 MPG!”. :rolleyes: ( I just loooove that smiley! 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/18 "2003-04-28T17:58:34Z")
Now that’s synchrony, **bare**! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/19 "2003-04-28T18:04:23Z")
I just figured they’d sold the kid on some idea. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640/20 "2003-04-28T18:24:23Z")
Now let’s run the kid up the flagpole and see who salutes it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-on-board-stickers/171640.md?page=2)