The toddler in the van

Stories like this make me appreciate how fortunate I am to walk my 3-year old down to a bus stop, ride along in a cramped, steamy, packed bus that slowly lurches up the street in a mile-long line of traffic, transfer to a subway that is inexplicably delayed for 10-15 minutes or more, walk uphill to a preschool that costs about a month's rent, and then deal with separation tantrums and eventually stroll into work a little late without anybody docking me an hour's pay. We've got to figure out a way to protect these babies. There must be a way to certify the vans, put license/labels on them, require training and procedures and do everything reasonable to make this "system" safe. Of course, that would add to the cost...which people can't afford...but there has got to be a way to fund this at least partially or through some kind of community-based program. I'm sure the driver wishes he had been the one in that van, but guilt, niceness, and best intentions doesn't do crap for the family.

And the Globe's unnecessarily arrogant attitude in reporting it sure doesn't help. Specifically:

The phone number on the application was disconnected yesterday, but a woman answered the phone at a separate number listed on the day-care shingle.

“Sir, you’re going to have to speak to a representative of the Boston Police Department media relations. Thank you,’’ she said, hanging up without identifying herself.

Seems to me that "No comment from the day-care center" would have been sufficient.