Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507310037
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ARLINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Joseph Coneys will take complaints about young drivers and inform parents when their offspring are seen speeding, running red lights, drinking and participating in general on-the-road rowdiness.
Starting Tuesday, his Arlington-based company Safety First will market bumper stickers around the region that read, ``How's My Child's Driving? (703)998-0438.'' The company plans to field calls day and night, and pass on any legitimate tips to parents who pay a $5 monthly fee.
``We want the parents to know that we're all watching and that we're all trying to protect each other's kids,'' said Coneys.
Coneys, 27, said he got the idea for the bumper stickers from a similar venture in North Carolina. He will staff the telephone lines with the help of his family.
``I want parents to feel some relief. There are a lot of teen-agers out there who feel invincible,'' Coneys said.
Coneys said almost 200 parents already have signed up for the service.
``In the old days, if one of my neighbors saw me doing something that was not quite right, they would let my parents know,'' said Louis Ramos, 46, of Fairfax County. ``If my son or daughter is driving erratically down the street, I want to know about it,'' Ramos said.
Linda Anderson, an Arlington florist, said she signed up because she wants her two teen-age sons to think twice before horsing around in their old cars. ``Both of them have had some traffic violations,'' she said of sons Matthew, 17, and Erik, 19. ``I think it will make them more careful.''
The idea of nosy neighbors reporting back to Mom and Dad got a predictable response from teen-agers.
``I'd feel like a little kid,'' said 16-year-old J.J. Mont, whose parents have signed up and intend to put a sticker on his car this summer.
``You're just beginning to get your freedom and get away from your parents in your car, and you don't want somebody watching you,'' said Mont, a quarterback on Fairfax's Hayfield High School football team.
His buddy, Hayden Stricklin, said the stickers could lead to all sorts of trouble. A false report might mean car privileges could be taken away. Mischievous friends might make such reports for fun, he said.
``I just don't want anybody checking up on me,'' said Stricklin, 16. ``It wouldn't really work, because nobody really pays attention to your bumper.''
by CNB