A MAN who put a seat-belt over his slab of beer - but not the five-year-old boy next to it - has shocked police near Alice Springs.
Constable Wayne Burnett said he was ``shocked and appalled'' when he pulled over the Holden Commodore on the Ross Highway south of the desert town on the weekend.
``I haven't ever seen something like this before,'' hesaid.
``Sure we get beer out of vehicles that is being taken into restricted areas but this is the first time that the beer has taken priority over a child.''
He said the driver of the car ``just looked at me blankly'' when he was handed a $750 fine for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, and failing to ensure a child is wearing a seatbelt.
``He didn't get it,'' Const Burnett said.
``I asked him about the fact the child was unrestrained and the beer was, and he said he didn't know anything about it.''
Const Burnett said there were five people in the car, including the child, along with the 30 pack of beer.
``There were four adults in the car, two in the front seat and two in the back seats and in between those adults there was the carton of beer strapped in with thebelt,'' he said.
``The child was sitting in the lump in the centre, unrestrained.''
Superintendent Sean Parnell of Alice Springs policesaid he was appalled by the incident.
``This serves as a timely reminder to all drivers to ensure they wear seatbelts and ensure as is their responsibility that all passengers in their vehicle aresecured in the appropriate manner,'' he said in a statement.