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What Kind of Driving Is Worse Than Drunk Driving?

Driving is something that pretty much every single adult does every day. They drive to get to work, to run errands, and take their kids wherever they need to go. Driving is such a part of everyone’s day to day life that no one really bats an eye at it. Everyone is used to driving, which makes driving more dangerous.

When people deal with something on a daily basis, they tend to forget how risky that something can be. This is definitely the case with driving. On its own, driving can be very dangerous. When travelling that quickly, it doesn’t take much for something to go wrong. This is why a driver needs to keep their focus on the road and the task at hand. Looking away for even a second can have deadly consequences.

Distracted Driving Isn’t Harmless

Distracted driving often seems harmless, which is why millions of people do it every single day. However, these people often fail to realize that by distracting themselves like that, they are increasing their chances of being in an accident. Cellphone use while driving is responsible for roughly 1.6 million car accidents in the US each year. This is around 64% of all car accidents in the US.

Cars are large, heavy objects moving at very high speeds. They need precise control to keep them operating the way we want them to. One small jerk of the steering wheel while driving at 50mph can send the car careening in an unintended direction. If a person takes their eyes off of the car in front of them, they might not see it slam on the brakes, which means they won’t have time to stop their car before slamming into the one in front.

It doesn’t cause much to cause a distraction, which is why certain activities should never be performed while driving. Some of these activities include:

Texting
Phone calls, hands-free or not
Smartphone usage
Eating
Applying makeup
Looking for something in the car
Talking to other passengers

All of these activities seem harmless, but reduce a driver’s concentration, thereby increasing their chances of being in an accident.

In some studies, it has been found that texting and driving actually reduces a driver’s response time more than being drunk. This means that texting and driving is more dangerous than driving drunk.

California Laws against Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is such a big deal that the state of California even has laws against it. What started out as laws against using a cellphone, expanded to cover other, common activities that could be considered distracted driving.

If any over the age of 18 is caught using a cellphone or other electronic devices, without hands-free, while driving will face infraction level charges, which means some small fines. Anyone under the age of 18 using any sort of electronic device, even hands-free, while face an infraction and possible suspension of their driver’s license or permit.

Don’t Drive While Distracted

When driving, it is very easy to become distracted. In most cases, looking away for a second seems harmless, and sometimes it is. However, there are plenty of examples of when a person looked away for a second and caused a car accident. If the driver is lucky, they will be able to walk away for the incident. Unfortunately, not all drivers are lucky.

Distracted driving affects everyone, from fresh new drivers to seasoned veterans. It is every driver’s problem, and everyone needs to commit to the idea of remaining focused while behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Don’t Let Road Rage Ruin Your Life

August 19, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Ontario Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

With summer in full swing, people from all over the state of California, and the rest of the country, are busy enjoying summer their vacation. While this is fun for a lot of people, the trips can be a bit taxing. Nobody likes to be stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Doing that can make just about anyone cranky. If this affects the driver, it can easily lead to a bit of road rage.

Pretty much every driver out there assumes they are better than everyone else at driving. Their feelings often get “proven” when another driver makes a bad decision. This can lead to road rage, which if not kept in check, can quickly spiral out of control. One Alabama woman recently learned this fact the hard way.

Road Rage Shooting Incident

In Dodge City, Alabama, couple were driving their car when things got a bit heated between them and another driver. As their road rage grew worse, the woman pulled a gun out. She attempted to shoot the other driver, but missed. She somehow ended up shooting her husband.

The wife was arrested and her husband taken to a local hospital in critical condition after being shot in the head. The wife is facing charges of attempted murder, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment.

Tips to Deal with Road Rage

The fact that people have very little patience when they are tired and stressed is no secret. Everyone gets a bit cranky like this. For many people, they are most cranky and stressed when they are behind the wheel of vehicle. A person has to deal with so many people while driving, and it’s a good chance that they are just as upset. This is why driving creates prime conditions for road rage.

At the end of the day, no one wants to drive while angry. It just isn’t fun. Luckily there are ways to avoid and/or manage road rage.

Be kind. A person can prevent road rage from spreading by not shouting at other drivers or using rude gestures.
Drive safely. This not only means following the rules of the road, but expecting other drivers to not follow those rules. By being prepared for another driver to make a bad decision, a person is less likely to be caught off guard and become enraged.
Plan ahead. While not always possible, planning ahead and leaving at a decent time will make drives less stressful. When a person is running late, they become stressed and more susceptible to road rage.
Remain calm. This can be done by taking deep breaths and either listening to calming music or podcasts that get a person thinking about things other than driving. This also includes being understanding of other drivers and recognizing that everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
Stay safe. If an angry person ever gets out of their car to talk to a person, that person should make sure their doors are locked and keep on driving. If the other driver begins to follow the person, don’t stop. That person should keep driving and either call the police or drive to the nearest police station.

By doing these things, a person stands a better chance of not getting upset themselves, and not upsetting other drivers as well.

Stay Calm and Safe This Summer

Driving is a big part of everyday life, especially if someone is driving to their vacation. A person should never let road rage ruin their summer vacation, or their life. Things can change in an instant, especially when someone is angry. Don’t let that happen. Stay calm and remember that every other driver on the road is just trying to get to somewhere alive like you are.

Do you have a favorite summer vacation drive? Have you ever had a terrifying road rage encounter before? If so, tell us about it in the comments below.

Be Careful Where You Walk Your Dog This Summer

July 22, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Rancho Cucamonga Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

Taking care of others isn’t always easy. Often times, the other person or creature needs constant supervision to keep them safe and healthy. Without a constant, watchful eye, the dependent could cause trouble, get hurt, or worse. This is often the case with pets, especially dogs.

Dogs have a tendency to be more high maintenance than cats. Of course, this isn’t to say there are no high maintenance cats out there, but dogs take the lead. They need to be walked and cleaned regularly. Luckily, with summer here, walking dogs is no big deal. The mornings and evening in summer provide the best weather for taking a pup on a nice stroll around a park or along a hiking trail. However, there is a danger for dogs lurking along trails and out there in the wilderness, one that many people would not initially expect.

Foxtails Can Be Harmful to Dogs

Everyone knows that summer brings warmer weather with it. While this warmer weather can be enjoyable for going outside, it cooks the landscape. As plants begin to dry up, many of them begin to seed before dying. One grass in particular has what, at first glance, may appear harmless, but in actuality can be dangerous to dogs. These plants are called foxtail grasses.

Foxtail grasses are clumps of grasses that come in varying sizes. The grasses can be recognized by their fluffy looking flower and seed cluster. These seed clusters often hold hundreds of seeds that all look like tiny foxtails, which is where the name comes from.

A person has often encountered these seeds while hiking when they feel something poking them in their sock. These seeds are great at getting lodged into anything scraggily, such as socks, and can be very uncomfortable. Luckily, when a person feels the seed poking them, it can be removed easily enough with a bit of firm pulling to untangle it. Unfortunately, for fury companions, getting stuck with one of these seeds can be more harmful.

These seeds like to get lodged in dog’s furs, ears, and noses. Not only is this likely incredibly annoying for the poor pooch, it can cause a bit of harm to the pup if left untreated. The seeds can end up getting lodged further into the skin, where it can cause an infection. The infection can become lethal to the dog if left untreated.

In order to keep dogs healthy and happy, and owner needs to brush down their dog after any walk. This should remove any foxtails from the pup’s fur. Then the owner should checks for any foxtails in their dog’s ears, nose, and in-between paws. If any are found, they should be removed as soon as possible. If things start to get bad, the person should take their dog to the vet.

Keep an Eye out for Foxtails

After California’s surprisingly rainy spring, there are plenty of foxtails out their just waiting to get lodged in some poor dog’s fur. A dog owner should choose their walking locations carefully, and avoid any areas where foxtails. A person should also weed their yard and get rid of any foxtail grasses there to help keep the yard safe for dogs.

All any good dog owner wants to do is keep their pup healthy and happy, and keeping the pooch away from foxtails is a great way to do that. Has your pooch ever had a bad encounter with foxtails? Do you have any tips for dealing with foxtails, or for any other problems that a caring dog owner should know about? Share them in the comments below and help others keep their pups safe from harm.

Beware of Extreme Heat This Summer

July 22, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Fontana Bail Bonds, Rancho Cucamonga Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

Summer is in full swing here in California, and many parts of the state are feeling the heat. While for some this is a nice change of pace from the cold of winter, for others this is just another extreme to be dealt with. Just like the cold, the heat can become harmful and even deadly. That is why people need to take the proper steps to ensure their health and well-being this summer.

When the weather grows indescribably hot, there are several things a person should do to keep cool. At excessive temperatures, keeping cool isn’t just about comfort, it is about staying healthy. At high temperatures, a person can suffer from heatstroke or heat exhaustion. Both can be very serious conditions, have their own unique symptoms, and require their own responses to keep the person suffering from them safe. The following information comes from the National Weather Service’s website.

In addition, heat cramps could be a warning sign of these illnesses starting to take effect in the person. If a person has been in hot weather and is suffering from cramps, usually in their legs or abdomen, they should:

Apply firm pressure to the cramping muscle.
Massage the muscle.
Sip on water so long as the person isn’t nauseous.

Feeling Tired from the Heat?

Spending too much time in the sun, or even just a warm area, can cause a person to suffer from heat exhaustion. When a person is suffering from heat exhaustion, they will experience the following symptoms:

Cool, pale, clammy skin.
Dizziness.
Fainting.
Fast, weak pulse.
Heavy sweating.
Muscle cramps.
Nausea, vomiting.
Weakness.

If a person is suffering these symptoms, they should get to a cooler area as soon as possible. They should loosen, or if possible, remove clothing to help cool off. If the person is conscious, give them sips of water. Apply cool, wet clothes to as much of the body as possible.

If the person vomits more than once, seek immediate medical attention.

The Signs of Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is another, more serious heat related condition. The symptoms of heat stroke include:

Altered mental state.
Body temperature over 103 degrees.
Confusion.
Dizziness.
Faints.
Hot, red, dry, or moist skin.
Nausea.
Rapid, strong pulse.
Shallow breathing.
Throbbing headache.

If a person exhibits these symptoms, contact 911 or get them to a hospitable immediately. If waiting for emergency services, move the person into a cooler area, preferably with air conditioning. Apply cool, wet cloths to as much as the body as possible or put them in a cool bath. Fan them only if the air temperature is under 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do not give the person fluids.

Stay Cool This Summer

During the warm summer months, it is important for person to keep cool, not just to remain comfortable, but to remain in good health as well. Not only does a person need to keep an eye on themselves during these warm times, but they need to watch out for those who can’t take care of themselves or those who are more susceptible to heat such as young children and the elderly. Doing so could keep them safe this summer.

It is also important to remember to stay hydrated when in hot weather. The human body uses water, in the form of sweat, to help regulate the body’s temperature. Without enough water, the body can begin to suffer from one of these illnesses.

What are some ways that you like to keep cool during the summer, especially while working? Let us know in the comments down below and help other people keep cool this summer.

What Kind of Video Games Is Your Child Playing?

July 8, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Fontana Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

Parenting is not an easy task, but at least school is there to take the kids away for a few hours each day. That helps. However, summer is now here and the kids are free from school for the season. It can be tough for parents to figure out how to keep their kids busy and entertained over the summer.

Nowadays, many kids are easily entertained with a video game of some sort. Luckily, there are plenty of games to choose from to keep the kiddies entertained. However, a parent needs to make sure that the game their kid is playing is appropriate for them. Some parents don’t realize that there is a way to determine what is in a game without having to play it.

How to Rate a Game

Video games come in all sorts of “shapes and sizes.” There truly is something for everyone, so long as they are willing to look for the right game. One of the ways that people can tell what is in a game, aside from reading the back of the box, is to look at the rating system. Every single game in the United States has a rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

The ESRB is tasked with providing consumers with the information to determine what kind of audience the game is made for. The ESRB examines a game and determines if its content is meant more for kids, or adults. Once a decision has been decided on for a game, the game receives a letter rating.

While some people may be confused by the letter system used for rating video games, it is actually pretty straightforward. The following letters can be used for ratings:

EC – EC stands for early childhood and are usually meant as educational games for very young kids. This rating isn’t used much in most games.

E – E stands for everyone, meaning that the game is suitable for all ages. An E game can contain minimal cartoon, fantasy, mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language. Games like Pokémon fall into this category.

E10+ – E10+ stands for everyone age ten and up. These games can contain more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language and/or minimal suggestive themes. Minecraft falls into this category.

T – T stands for teen, meaning the game is meant for anyone 13 and older. These games can contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language. The popular battle royal style game Fortnite falls into this category.

M – M stands for mature, meaning a player should be 17 or older to buy or play the game. These games contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language. Any first-person shooter (FPS) game, like Call of Duty, typically fits into this category.

AO – AO stands for adults only, meaning a person should be 18 or older to play the game. Admittedly, this rating is very rarely used. These games can contain prolonged scenes of intense violence, graphic sexual content and/or gambling with real currency.

RP – RP stands for rating pending, meaning the game hasn’t gotten an official rating yet. This is usually seen on adds for games long before their official release and therefore will never be on a game once it is available to purchase.

More information can be found on the ESRB website, as well as a helpful lookup tool, here.

Be Wary of Loot Boxes

Another thing a parent should be wary of in their child’s games, are loot boxes. Loot boxes are highly controversial at the moment with many people debating whether or not they constitute gambling.

Loot boxes typically work as follows: A player acquires a box in game, sometimes by earning, though usually through purchasing the box with real world money. The player then opens the box is given a random in-game reward. If a player didn’t get the reward they wanted, they can always purchase another loot box to try again. This can very quickly add up to a lot of money.

Some popular games that include loot boxes include:

Apex Legends
Counter-Strike
FIFA
Fortnite
Overwatch
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
Star Wars Battlefront 2

Due to these questionable practices, many governments around the world are weighing in on whether or not loot boxes count as gambling. Until governments can come to any sort of decision on this front, parents should pay attention to games with these, as kids have been known to use their parent’s credit cards to buy a lot of these loot boxes.

Pay Close Attention

Video games can be a great way to keep a child entertained this summer, so long as a parent is aware of what games their letting their child play. When a parent buys a game for their child, they need to make sure that the game is appropriate. If they don’t want their child seeing anything super violent, then M rated games are out of the picture. No cartoon violence, then T games are out as well. E and E10+ games are usually a safe bet for young children.

Unfortunately, if a parent wants to avoid games with loot boxes, they are going to have to a look a little more closely at the rating box on the game’s case. Loot boxes themselves don’t currently affect a game’s rating with the ESRB, however they should be listed next to the games rating under the category of in-game purchases.

Do you have a favorite child appropriate game? If so, share it in the comments below and help other parents find a good game for their child this summer.

Does the ShakeAlert System Work?

July 8, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Fontana Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

While people all over the country were celebrating the Fourth of July, Southern California got quite a shocking surprise. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake centered near Ridgecrest, California struck around 10:35 am. People from as far away as Orange County and Las Vegas felt the shaking from the quake. The area remained seismically active for the rest of the day, with another 5.4 quake striking the area around 4:07 am.

This quake was followed by a larger one, 7.1 magnitude, on July 5th.

This was all an important reminder for Californians that larger earthquakes can and will happen here. This drew the usual concern about how people should prepare for earthquakes. Some tips that we have gathered in the past on how to do this can be found here. This also drew some concern as people in redlands wondered why they did not receive an alert from ShakeAlert.

What Is ShakeAlert?

ShakeAlert is an early earthquake warning system meant to alert people to earthquakes before they start shaking an area. The system began working in the fall of 2018. There are thousands of earthquake sensors all over the state of California. When one of the sensors detects a quake, it sends an alert to a research facility that then sends the alert out to anyone who has the app on their phone.

It is important to note that this system does not detect earthquakes before they occur. It simply detects the shaking at the epicenter and alerts surrounding areas. Thanks to modern technology, an earthquake can be detected and an alert send to the surrounding areas almost minute before the shaking reaches those areas.

The technology is still in development is largely being used by researchers to study quakes and fine tune the tech. they hope that they will be able to expand the system and give people greater early warnings. While a warning of less than a minute doesn’t sound like much, it can do a lot for people. This kind of warning can help prevent planes from taking off and landing during the shaking. It can stop people from driving onto bridges or into tunnels. It can help utility companies shut down systems and prevent fires from flaring up because of the quake. Those few seconds can actually make a huge difference.

While this tech is amazing, many people in redlands realized that they never received an alert about the quake.

Why Weren’t LA Citizens Notified?

While many suspect that they didn’t receive an alert simply because the system doesn’t work, they would be wrong. The system worked, however it determined that the quake would not be strong enough to warrant alert residents of LA County to the earthquake.

As it currently stands, the system only alerts LA County residents if either:

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or stronger strikes within the boundaries of LA County.
An earthquake that happened outside of LA County will shake the area with an estimated shaking intensity of 4.

While the recent July 4th earthquake was a magnitude 6.4, it was not located within LA County. The ShakeAlert system estimated that shaking in the LA County are would only be intensity 3. This is understandable from a scientific standpoint, as the difference in shaking between a magnitudes is bigger than people realize. A magnitude 5.0 earthquake is 10 times more violent than a magnitude 3.0.

However, for many people, not being alerted to the shaking before it began worried them, and caused them to question the effectiveness of the ShakeAlert system.

The System Does Work

The thing to take away from this is that the ShakeAlert System does work. It only sends alerts to areas that are about to experience large amounts of shaking. This is likely done to keep the alerts more important. If the system sent out alerts for every single earthquake, which California experiences hundreds of little ones each day, people would begin to ignore the alerts all together. It would become a lot like the story of the boy who cried wolf. No one would believe the system when a big earthquake finally hit.

Instead of getting upset that the system didn’t issue a warning for minor shaking, use this as a reminder to stay prepared. A person should have an exit strategy for any room they spend a lot of time in, whether that be at home or work. It is also a good idea to have some supplies stored away in the event that roads are too damaged to use and stores run out of supplies.

Did you feel the Fourth of July quake? Tell us about it, and how well you handled the shaking in the comments down below.

People May Enjoy Fireworks, but Pets Don’t

June 24, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Rancho Cucamonga Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

The Fourth of July is rapidly approaching, and everyone is anxiously awaiting all of the celebrations. There will be food, parties, games, and fireworks. Celebrating the Fourth of July is a big deal, and a whole lot of fun. Everyone is looking forward to it, well, almost everyone anyways.

While people are all very excited about the Fourth of July and how it is celebrated, there is one group out there that doesn’t enjoy the fireworks. Pets all over the United States have varying feelings about fireworks. Some are indifferent towards them, and others are outright terrified. A pet owner needs to consider this before they go out celebrating for the holiday.

Pets Don’t Appreciate Fireworks

Unlike humans, pets aren’t really big fans of fireworks. The problem usually lies in the fact that they don’t understand what the fireworks and explosions are. They don’t see all of the fuss as fun. All they know is that there are a lot of flashing lights and loud explosions that can shake the house. These sounds are already loud for humans, and are much louder for animals who have better hearing, such as cats and dogs.

In order to make sure that a pet feels safe and secure this Fourth of July, a pet owner needs to be there for their animal. Here are a few tips for pet owners to help their pet stay safe this Fourth of July:

For starters, keep dogs and cats indoors for the night. This can greatly reduce the chances of the animals running away. This also means dogs should be walked in the late afternoon, early evening before any fireworks begin.
Pets should always have some form of identification on them, whether that is a collar or a microchip. This helps increase the chances of the animal being found again if it does run away.
Prepare a safe place or den for the animal in their favorite hiding spot. This way if they are scared, they can go someplace that makes them feel safe and comfortable.
Be calm and don’t yell at the animal. Yelling can stress out the animal even more.
Don’t force animals to cuddle if they don’t want to. Just allow the animal to do whatever it needs to in order to feel safe.
Close curtains and blinds to dampen light and noise coming in from fireworks. Also have a radio or TV playing, but not too loud, to help drown out the sounds.
Avoid leaving pets home alone on Fourth of July, this can cause more stress for them, and lead to them creating a mess in the house.
Never leave dogs tied up outside on the Fourth of July. That is a sure fire way to stress out the animal, which could lead to it hurting itself or running away.
Never take a dog to a firework show, even if they do not seem fazed by fireworks. This could still be a frightening experience for the pooch.

Keep Pets in Mind This Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is meant to be a fun holiday celebrating the nation’s independence. Unfortunately, while setting off fireworks is a fun for people, pets don’t appreciate the loud booms and colorful flashes. Fireworks can be absolutely terrifying for them. When a pet is scared, it is up to their owner to take care of them.

Every pet responds to fireworks a little differently, so each pet will need its own unique solutions to help it stay calm. Do you have a pet that is terrified of fireworks? If so, do you have any tips to help keep it calm that aren’t on this list? Share them in the comments below and help other pet owners keep their furry companies safe and happy this Fourth of July.

Follow These Tips to Stay Safe This Fourth of July

June 24, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Rancho Cucamonga Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

There is no denying that the Fourth of July is pretty big deal here in the United States of America. What may be just another day for the rest of the world, is our country’s birthday. All birthdays should be celebrated with parties, and this holiday is no exception. Pretty much everyone across the country will be hosting or going to a party in celebration of the Fourth of July.

One of the biggest ways that people celebrate this day, is by setting off fireworks. These fun explosives will light up the night sky on July 4th and fill the air with their booms and crackles. While setting off fireworks is tradition, and fun, a person needs to be careful. They do not want to end up rushing off to the emergency room because they mishandled a firework.

How to Handle Fireworks Safely

No matter how fun they may be, at the end of the day, fireworks are explosives. As such, they should be treated with the proper care and respect. If a person fails to do that, they could hurt themselves, or others. They could even cause property damage.

In order to help prevent anything bad from happening this Fourth of July, here are few firework safety tips.

Children should not use fireworks. After all, fire is in the name and these are explosive devices. Children should not handle fireworks as they are much more likely to harm themselves or others

Don’t drink when setting off fireworks. Consuming alcohol makes a person more likely to make bad decisions and engage in reckless behavior. The same is true for drug use, such as marijuana. When a person is setting off fireworks, they need to be careful and fully aware of what they are doing.
Only light one firework at a time. When it comes to dangerous materials, a person wants to remain in control at all times. One of the best ways to do that with fireworks is to set them off at a controlled pace, one at a time. This reduces the chances of one misfiring and causing an out-of-control chain reaction.
Keep water sources ready and on hand. Used fireworks should be placed in a bucket of water to ensure they do not go off again unexpectedly. Meanwhile a hose or fire extinguisher should be kept on and nearby in case something needs to be put out.
Never attempt to fix duds. If a firework fails to go off, dump it in a water bucket and move on. Do not try to fix it. Doing so could accidently trigger it or cause it to catastrophically malfunction once triggered.
Designate one lighter. Again, fireworks should be set off carefully. Another good way to do this is to have one person in charge of setting them off. Everyone else should keep their distance from the launching area.
Set fireworks off on a stable surface. Wherever a person is setting off fireworks, it should be stable and level. Any slight deviation could easily send a firework flying in the wrong direction.
Never set off fireworks indoors. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
Follow local laws. California has strict laws about fireworks, and so do many cities across the state. A person should follow those local laws. They were established to help keep people safe.
Only buy fireworks from licensed vendors. California is very strict about what kind of fireworks a citizen can set off. These fireworks, labeled: Safe and Sane, can be found at fireworks vendors that pop up around the Fourth of July.

Be Safe This Fourth of July

The festivities common with the Fourth of July are meant to be fun. However, that fun can quickly be ruined if a person isn’t careful. One wrong action is all it takes to send a person to the emergency room, or to damage someone’s personal property. In 2017, around 13,000 people were hospitalized and over 18,000 fires were started by fireworks. That is why a person needs to be extra cautious when handling fireworks.

Fireworks are spectacular sights to behold. Do you have a favorite Fourth of July or firework memory? If so, share it down in the comments below.

Shaming Parents Behind on Child Support Payments

June 10, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Rancho Cucamonga Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

Getting a divorce can be a pretty ugly mess, especially when children are involved. Custody battles can be terrible, and can cause rifts between both parents that last a lifetime. However, those differences should be put aside for the sake of the children, no matter which parent they end up with. After all, by having kids in the first place, both parents signed on to the job of taking care of and raising them.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen after a divorce. Even though a parent may have lost custody of their children, they still usually have to pay some form of child support because children are expensive. If a parent doesn’t pay that money, the other parent will struggle to provide their children with what they need. This isn’t fair to the kids, which is why some California lawmakers are looking into ways to ensure that parents always pay their child support.

Assembly Bill 1498

In an effort to ensure that kids always get the support they need from their parents, some lawmakers here in California have authored a new bill. Under this new bill, some parents who are behind on their child support payments might get some extra encouragement to start making those payments.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1498 was authored by California Assemblyman Tom Lackey and introduced to the State Assembly earlier this year. The bill proposes creating a new website that would publicly display important information about parents who are behind on their child support using a similar method that a few other states have adopted. Some of the information that would be on display includes:

Name
Photo
Amount of child support owed
Zip code
Number of children

The idea is that by displaying this information in a public way, the parent will be peer pressured into making up those missed child support payments. It is important to note that not every parent who is behind on child support payments will be listed on the site.

For starters, the ex-spouse of the parent would have to okay the act of putting the other parent on the site, since it could draw unwanted attention towards the children. On top of that, only parents who owe more than $5,000, have been delinquent for a minimum of 12 months, and have not made a payment in 6 months. The parent cannot be going through any financial trouble, such as bankruptcy, or be locked up in jail or prison to be eligible to be placed on the site.

This proposed bill, of course, has supporters and opponents. There are those who that this sort of shaming is deserved if a parent isn’t doing their part in taking care of their child. However, there are those who argue that this is taking things too far.

The Consequences as They Are Now

Currently, when a parent is behind on their child support payments, there are some pretty big consequences. After all, this money is meant to help raise a child, and as such, falling behind on the payments is a very bad thing. Aside from the basic penalty of acquiring interest on the late payments, there are harsher consequences as well. Some of the consequences for falling behind on child support include:

Revoking the parent’s driver’s license.
Intercepting the parent’s wages and transferring them directly to the custodial parent.
Intercepting the parent’s tax returns or unemployment.
Placing a lien on the parent’s property.
Deny passport, or other government, applications.

In cases where the parent has the money for the child support, but refuses to pay it, that parent could face legal trouble and jail time.

Child Support Is a Very Big Deal

Paying child support is a very big deal. In theory, it is money that would have been there had the parents not become separated in the first place. That money is meant to ensure that the child is provided with everything he or she needs growing up. That is why it is such a big deal when a parent falls behind on child support payments, and why lawmakers here in California are looking for more ways to ensure that parents keep up with parents.

Lawmakers like Assemblyman Lackey hope that by publicly shaming parents who are behind on their child support payments, the parent will be more likely to avoid falling behind, or work harder at making up those payments. The idea is to use peer pressure in a good way.

What do you think of this proposed bill? Is it a good thing, or are lawmakers taking things too far? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.

Los Angeles County Redefines Smoking

June 10, 2019/in Blog, Chino Bail Bonds, Chino Hills Bail Bonds, Redlands Bail Bonds, Rialto Bail Bonds, San Bernardino Bail Bonds /by crystal

In 2016, Californians voted to legalize the recreational usage of marijuana in the state. Since then California residents have been able to use marijuana however they want, within reason. However, this has caused some issues in certain areas as people smoke marijuana where other people would prefer they didn’t.

On top of the rise of marijuana usage, electronic cigarette usage has also increased. It is no longer uncommon to walk down a street and see, or smell, someone vaping in public. As with regular smoking and marijuana, some people have a problem being around this as well.

Due to this, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has recently expanded its definition of smoking. This new definition changes where people can smoke marijuana or electronic cigarettes within LA County.

The New Definition in Los Angeles County

On Tuesday, March 26th, the Board of Supervisors in Los Angeles County decided to redefine its legal definition of smoke and smoking. This new definition now includes smoke from marijuana and electronic cigarettes.

What this means is that the smoking of marijuana, or e-cigs is now banned wherever smoking is banned in LA County. This includes county parks, government buildings, bus stops, outdoor bars, county-owned golf courses, beaches, and beach parking lots. Some of the beaches where smoking e-cigs and marijuana is now banned include:

Nicholas Canyon
Zuma
Point Dume
Dan Blocker
Malibu
Las Tunas
Topanga
Will Rogers
Venice
Marina
Dockweiler
Manhattan
Hermosa
Redondo
Torrance
White Point

This has all been done in an effort to remove a loophole and help keep the air clean in smoke-free zones. Now non-smokers will not have to worry about second hand smoke from e-cigs and marijuana.

This change simply reflects state laws surrounding marijuana usage that were already in effect. The same law that legalized marijuana in the state also outlined when and where it can be used. One of the stipulations is that marijuana cannot be smoked or used on or around government buildings or property. This new definition of smoking just further enforces this law within LA County, reminding people that smoking marijuana in public places where smoking is banned is illegal.