This is exactly the sort of thing you can expect to find when you rent a minivan.
Now thankfully, the local Avis had nine (!) reservations for minivans this weekend, and had called in some backups to supplant their fleet of Chevrolet Uplanders (yeuch) and Pontiac Montanas (yeuch). So instead, I got a Dodge Grand Caravan, complete with a red crayon mural in the tailgate.
So does that mean that some kid had to ride in the trunk?
Hehe. Damn kids.
More likely was that someone had the rear seats in the rearward-facing position. And that means they were stopped with the tailgate open.