New Jersey has hit an all time low on the pathetic scale- proposing a seatbelt law requiring pets to be restrained while riding in motor vehicles. Come on! I find this absolutely absurd.

First of all, don’t NJ state officials have more important things to worry about like the budget crisis… or the >9% unemployment rate? Instead they’re toying around with this nonsense. Let’s prioritize.

Second, why is it that the government feels the need to mandate what they think is best for us? I mean, seriously, adults have the mental capability to make decisions. If they are ignorant enough to drive around without a seatbelt, that is their own damn fault. They know the consequences. If they are ignorant enough to hop on a motorcycle without a helmet, that is their own damn fault. They know the consequences. If they are ignorant enough to drink supersize sodas causing them to become morbidly obese, that is their own damn fault. They know the consequences.

Third, do the legislators proposing this bill actually think a dog seatbelt would be effective. I’m sorry but if ANY of the dogs I know were put into a vest restraining them to a fixed position in the backseat of a car, they would go ballistic. The situation would look like the canine version of Houdini attempting to escape a straightjacket. No doubt, seat cushions would need reupholstering, windows would need replacing, and another dog seat-belt would need to be purchased. My dog, for one, rides around in my truck with me frequently. He rides in the bed or the back seat, either way he sits there calmly and collectively with his tongue in the wind. His safety is not jeopardized. My safety is not jeopardized. Other motorists safety is not jeopardized. OK, maybe the vehicle driving behind me gets pummeled with slobber, no big deal.

Fourth, let’s think about what this would do to our pet’s egos. I know Tide would be mortified to be seen in such a device. He’d probably feel like even more of a reject than he did the day he woke up with no testicles, wearing the Elizabethian collar…

Recipe

Yield: about 15

3 medium sweet potatoes

1 T. BBQ sauce

cinnamon

nonstick cooking spray

Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice them longways into 1/4 inch thick strips. Spray the sweet potato slices with nonstick cooking spray and arrange them on a slotted roasting pan. Brush the top of each slice lightly with the BBQ sauce and dust with cinnamon. Bake at 250 for about 2 hours.