DEAR ABBY: You have written about children in grocery stores before. Would you please address the risk to children by allowing them to stand in grocery shopping carts? I see it all too often, and I don't think the parents/grandparents realize that if the child falls out and lands on his or her head, neck or back, the child could end up paralyzed or dead. The adult must be the rule setter and protect the child. But too often it's the child setting the limits, and the results can be tragic. -- CONCERNED SHOPPER IN NEW YORK
DEAR CONCERNED SHOPPER: I'm glad to oblige. Many markets equip their shopping carts with seat belts to secure tiny passengers and avoid this problem. That way, any liability that might stem from a child falling would lie directly where it belongs, with the adult who should have been using common sense.