Car Seats in Taxis
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Car Seats in Taxis
Oct 2006
I'm going to be taking a trip with my four year old and am on the
fence about whether to bring her booster seat for either the
flight or the couple of cab rides we'll be taking. The seat
manual clearly says it's not certified for airline use, so I'm
wondering whether they'd even let us bring it on the plane
(unlike carseats)and whether there'd be any advantage to her
having it on the plane. I'm also really wondering about cab
rides. Do most people just hold their kids on their laps or strap
them in with the regular belts when traveling and taking cabs, or
do you lug a seat with you wherever you go, and make sure to have
one with you whenever you hail a cab?
Wanting to Safe But Also Reasonable
i would bring along the booster seat. they are only useful with
shoulder belts, which planes don't have, which is why people don't use
them on planes, but i've seen people bring them as carry-ons.
i usually check ours. for cab rides, even if you have a fantastic
driver, an accident just requires some other driver not paying
attention--i don't see why this is any different than being in a car
with you or someone else on home territory.
better safe than sorry!
anon
If it's the law to use a booster in that state, than that also applies
to cabs.
Don't bother bringing it on the plane, just have it checked.
Then you'll have to take it with you on cab rides. Unless the cabby has
their own booster, which I've never seen.
You also might run into a cabdriver who will insist that you have a
booster, as it's the law leslie
May 2003
We are going to be taking a quick trip to Las Vegas with our 21
month old son and we weren't planning on renting a car. We will
be staying off the strip but I envision us going on adventures
to some of the hotels like The Mirage. Is it legal/safe to take
a toddler in a taxi/shuttle without a carseat? Even if we don't
go outside our hotel, do we need to bring a car seat to get from
the airport to the hotel?
debbie
We just recently came back from Vegas with our 13 months old son. We took the shutter from
the airport to the hotel and they din't require car seat. We also took taxi to get around places
without car seat. So, I think it's legal without it.
anon
I am going to take my daughter to Paris when she is 9 months old. What
do other parents do about taking kids in taxis in big cities -
especially when you are going somewhere where you can't reasonably lug
around a large, bulky carseat? I'd appreciate any insight on this
question. Kris
When you child is a bit bigger you can get these very portable car seats
that are basically a harness with a very firm back and which uses the cars
own seat belt. They fit easily into a suitcase. We got one as a hand me
down so unfortunately I don't know where it is from but I sure several of
the standard kids gear catalogues would have something like it. The thing
is though that many taxis and all buses as far as I know do not have seat
belts. When we were in Ecuador last year that was the case and my daughter
had a few weeks of fun without car seats. She though it was great, but was
just fine about returning to a car seat when we got home. If you are
really concerned then I would think that the only thing you can do is rent
a car that has seat belts. Elizabeth
I have had good luck installing my "mini-car-seat" in American taxis. I
think it is actually called a "Travel Vest." I bought it brand new for
about $40 at Baby World on College Ave. It amounts to a rigid plastic board
with a five-point restraint on it, which is belted into the car's seat belt.
It meets the federal safety standards and goes up to a 40-pound child. It
installs in about three minutes--probably less the more you use it. It isn't
super comfortable, because it doesn't have the nice reclined chair-shell
that typical car seats have, but for a short ride while she is awake, my
18-month-old daughter is fine with it. Also, because it is very small, it
can easily fit into a tote bag. Hope this helps. Meg
I've never actually been to Europe with my small child, but we've been to a
few foreign countries as well as domestic vacations. The car seat thing
can be quite a quandry. Invariably, when you start installing a car seat
in a taxi even the nicest looking drivers start to roll their eyes and
shake their head because of such a waste of their time. This is if they
even have accessible seat belts. On the other hand, the alternative is
kind of scary. We always brought car seats on the plane although they
usually aren't a very easy fit in the seat, and the last time we flew we
were not allowed to use the car seat on take off or landing, for whatever
reason. Incidentally, I wouldn't pay for an extra ticket for an infant -
they're only under 2 once, vacations will never again be so cheap! Have fun!
Elizabeth
I have had good luck installing my "mini-car-seat" in American taxis. I
think it is actually called a "Travel Vest." I bought it brand new for
about $40 at Baby World on College Ave. It amounts to a rigid plastic board
with a five-point restraint on it, which is belted into the car's seat belt.
It meets the federal safety standards and goes up to a 40-pound child. It
installs in about three minutes--probably less the more you use it. It isn't
super comfortable, because it doesn't have the nice reclined chair-shell
that typical car seats have, but for a short ride while she is awake, my
18-month-old daughter is fine with it. Also, because it is very small, it
can easily fit into a tote bag. Hope this helps.
Meg
From
what I was able to find out, all booster type seats and special seat
belts - even those with the so-called '5 - point' restraint system are
not FDA approved.
When we traveled a Christmas with 2 children under 40 pounds we used
only one car seat on the plane and sent the other one through with the
baggage. It definitely gave us more room; and, I think, was safe enough
for my 3 year old who weighed about 35 pounds. Ellen
My husband and I lived with our 2 children in Tokyo and Paris for all of
1997 and had a wonderful experience (when we began, they were 10 months and
21 months). We found that even though we had carseats, we did not use them
for taxi rides because it was too cumbersome and there would be nowhere to
put them when we arrived at our various destinations. Thus, we all
generally sat in the back seat with the children in our laps. As long as
you have a sense of humor and allow extra time to get from place to place,
it can be a great experience for everyone. I found that little toys (e.g.
Travel Magnadoodle), coloring pencils and books, and stickers were useful
for passing time during the traveling parts. Panda
May 2002
We will be moving to Philadelphia before having our
baby in September. We've lived there before, and found
that it was much cheaper and easier to live without a
car. Taking cabs several times a week was still more
efficient than owning/insuring/parking a car. Here's my
question: how do you deal with a car seat in a cab?
Since most cabs are different, how can you be sure the
car seat will be safely installed? Does anyone have
any experience with this? Thanks!!
sonya
Yes, all cars are different but nearly every cab you get into
these days has two common features: shoulder belts in back, and
no tether bolt (an issue later, when you move from the infant
seat to a seat like the Britax Roundabout). Get a good infant
seat to start with, and what you will need to do is practice
installing it in your friends' cars so you can can put it in
properly and speedily. It takes a fair amount of practice but
it will really reduce your stress level and ensure you don't
install it sloppily because you're rushed. Get good at it before
the baby comes and before you have a cabdriver hmphing
impatiently while you struggle. Once your baby outgrows the
infant seat, you will want to choose a seat that doesn't need to
be attached to a tether bolt to work properly, because I doubt
you will ever see a cab that has one. P.S. Congratulations on
NOT owning a car - I think it's a good decision!
Fran
We lived in New York City for my son's first two years, and had
to deal with the carseat in a cab situation frequently. I'm not
familiar with the public transportation situation in Philly, but
in NYC, I tried to take the subway or bus (with a lightweight
MacLaren stroller) over cabs as much as possible, because it
ended up being so much easier. While we never had difficulty
securing our carseat into taxis, we did encounter several cabs
with seatbelts either crammed into the seat, or tangled in
mysterious configurations, making it quite a production to get
going. Another drawback of using cabs was lugging the carseat
around once we reached our destination. The snap-n-go stroller
was too cumbersome for us, but this might be the way to go. It
might take a bit more energy and time to commute by cab, but it
is possible.
Alissa
I have a friend who lives in NYC. She uses the Subway for most
things, but when she takes a cab, she says she does take a
carseat and insists that the cabbie wait (with meter running)
while she gets it secured in the cab.
Another hint: I have found it much easier to carry a carseat
(e.g. at the airport) by bringing along a bungee cord and
securing it to the back of a stroller between the basket and
handle. Good luck.
Jennie
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