It would have been so easy for a Michigan police officer to slap a fine on a mom whose 5-year-old was caught riding in a car without a booster seat. When Ben Hall pulled over Alexis DeLorenzo, he most likely had one of those Do I, Don't I moments.
Fortunately, instead of giving her a ticket for the infraction, he decided to do something far more useful for all parties involved—he drove to the nearest Wal-Mart and bought the girl a booster seat out of his own pocket.
“A ticket doesn’t solve the situation,” said Hall in an interview. “What solves it is the child being in the booster seat like she should be. It was the easiest 50 bucks I ever spent.”
DeLorenzo was pulled over after someone reported sighting her daughter travelling unsecured in a friend's vehicle. She then explained to the officer that she was having a tough time of it financially and couldn’t afford a booster seat.
Instead of just assuming she was a slack parent, Hall heard her out and decided to help rather than penalizing her further. I wish more law enforcement types took such a compassionate approach and reached out to their community. Not everyone out there is willfully breaking the law. Sometimes circumstance backs you into a corner.
While I don't condone this mom for potentially putting her daughter at risk, I do agree fining DeLorenzo would achieve exactly nothing. You don't punish poverty, after all. A booster seat isn't exactly a luxury item, and I wish there were more initiatives to provide or at least subsidize things like car seats.
DeLorenzo claimed the encounter was nothing short of "life changing" (not to mention life saving). Hall's kindness at a pivotal moment will no doubt stick with her and her daughter for years to come.
You tell me: Did the officer do the right thing in this situation?
Is everyday empathy a dying art? We hope not.
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