Vivian, if you do get slapped with a ticket, I'll pay it for you.  It's the least I can do for a mom who's got a good head on her shoulders, and the conviction to put her name next to a great editorial:

There is not one, repeat - not one - person I've talked to about this who believes it's necessary to have 6- and 7-year-olds in booster seats. In the back seat with a seat belt, obviously. But in a booster seat? You've got to be kidding.

Think about it. Every parent with a child in first or second grade under 80 pounds who has been car-seat-free for at least a year is now expected to strap the kid into a booster seat.

In addition, many families like mine now find little option between ignoring the law or trading in our paid-for, awesome-mileage, medium-sized cars for a gas-hogging SUV or van. Not to mention the havoc this wreaks on the feasibility of car pooling for soccer moms.