# Would you?



## Baby France

Would you ever take your child out in your car without a car seat for a short journey?

I was out yesterday and saw a couple at McDonalds with a toddler in the back seat. He wasn't in a car seat. I went to climb in my minibus and couldn't just walk past. I knocked on their window and told them that their toddler should be in a seat and if they had an accident or stopped by the police, they would have some serious problems.

The mum said she knew and they were on the way to get one (likely story)....but it got me thinking. My nursery is literally just down the road, but its never occurred to me, even when the seats are in another car, to take my kids to the nursery. I just dont think I would do it? Would you?


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## hattiehippo

No never - I wouldn't use a taxi without a child seat either.

I wouldn't travel as an adult without a seatbelt and its no different tbh.


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## choc

Nope. Accidents happen in a second.


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## RileysMummy

hattiehippo said:


> No never - I wouldn't use a taxi without a child seat either.
> 
> I wouldn't travel as an adult without a seatbelt and its no different tbh.

This exactly.
x


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## jenkins

My automatic reply would be no.

I think if it was exceptional circumstances like an emergency then I would have to consider the risks for that actual circumstance iykwim?


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## Baby France

I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!


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## Charlotte-j

Nope, it only takes like 1 min to strap the kids in the car so not worth the risk imo.

I only would ever consider this is there was an accident and I had to get my child to a hospital asap
x


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## TennisGal

Never...the only exception would be a complete emergency. I've become so conscious of bad driving since having the girls, and I see things that terrify me on a daily basis.


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## Banshee

So way! I am scared enough of other people's driving with the children in their car seats!!


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## hayley x

So this child was with TWO! people, on their way to get a carseat, but stopped via McDonalds. Thats bull like you say!! If they really were, then one of the adults would have stayed home while the other one went to get the seat THEN go to McDonalds!! Some people really dont get just how precious life really is :( x


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## binxyboo

the only time I would consider not using a child seat, was if I needed to get my LO to a hospital


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## Mum2b_Claire

In a London taxi, a few times yeah. Not been especially comfortable with it though.


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## sabby52

I have done it before and I will probably have to do it again, we dont drive so we dont have a car seat and when we use taxis' then he has to sit on his own. Tbh we walk most of the time anyway but on the few occasions we have had to use a taxis then yes he has went without a car seat.


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## punk_pig

sabby52 said:


> I have done it before and I will probably have to do it again, we dont drive so we dont have a car seat and when we use taxis' then he has to sit on his own. Tbh we walk most of the time anyway but on the few occasions we have had to use a taxis then yes he has went without a car seat.

I wonder if there are any taxi companies that would supply a car seat for an additional charge?


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## 12.11.10

I have before when I had to bring her to the hospital and my car was out of gas so I had to take my OH's car. I didn't want to wait to get the seat out, re install it and move her.


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## Lulu

No, it can only take a second for something dreadful to happen.

Like others have said the only time I would ever contemplate it, would be if something happened and I needed to get LO to doctor/hospital and someone else was driving. Even then I'd be holding onto him for dear life.

Yesterday we were in the car with my dad, who has a car seat for Euan as he looks after him one afternoon a week for us, and my dad noticed a car in front that did have car seat but it didn't looked like it was strapped in. The car was in front of us at a roundabout, it looked like a toddler in the seat who didn't look strapped in either. The child was reaching forward toward the front seat and the car seat was jiggling about all over the place. Later my dad said, 'We probably should have driven after them and pointed out the seat wasn't correctly fitted'. I pointed out that we probably would have gotten a mouthful so we should have taken their car reg and reported them to the police, but I forgot to take a note of it so couldn't do that either unfortunately.

I work for our local Council and my office overlooks the main entrance and I'm still surprised the number of people who arrive without their kids safely secured in their cars. It's frightening sometimes. Maybe I'm really overprotective but I don't take risks with my son's life.


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## sabby52

punk_pig said:


> sabby52 said:
> 
> 
> I have done it before and I will probably have to do it again, we dont drive so we dont have a car seat and when we use taxis' then he has to sit on his own. Tbh we walk most of the time anyway but on the few occasions we have had to use a taxis then yes he has went without a car seat.
> 
> I wonder if there are any taxi companies that would supply a car seat for an additional charge?Click to expand...

Not sure, I might ask the next time I have to order one :flower:


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## karlilay

I have to admit to being guilty of this once. But she was strapped into a seatbelt.


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## Cangaroo

Some taxi companies have car seats they can use. We used a taxi to get to the airport, and just asked them to bring the car seat when we booked. This was an infant seat, but I'm sure they would have had child seats if we'd asked. I wouldn't have taken her in it otherwise.


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## RachA

I have on occasion done this. It's been in situations such as i've walked round to my parents with my two children. On needing to return home it's been raining ridiculously hard, they only had a booster seat and my car was with my OH over 30miles away so getting the carseat was not a possibility. On this occasion i sat in the back with my lo on my knee and we were both strapped in using the seatbelt.
Yes that could be classed as irresponsible but i would also consider it irresponsible to walk for 20min in chilling rain with no rain cover on the buggy.


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## suzib76

Baby France said:


> I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!

How so?

The law allows it, the parents are responsible for their children


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## eddjanuary10

I would never let my child ride without a car seat. He was in a car accident when he was very young with his Dad, it was someone else's fault. I am glad he was safe in his car seat. 

x


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## Jchihuahua

I would never take them out without a car seat. I always use car seats in taxis too.


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## Nic1107

No way. If it's an emergency and Carmen is preschool age, then we'll see- but not while she's only 2 and still so small. A seatbelt wouldn't do anything to keep her in place right now.


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## Baby France

suzib76 said:


> Baby France said:
> 
> 
> I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!
> 
> How so?
> 
> The law allows it, the parents are responsible for their childrenClick to expand...

Actually I'm pretty certain its the driver that is responsible for people under the age of 18 who is responsible for the safety i.e. seat belts etc... and although it should primarly be the responsibility of the parent, I do think the driver should be responsible too as ultimately this is their business?

It does seem more common than I thought though, OH said that he shouted at a lady at traffic lights last week as she had a child stood up between the car seats and another playing behind her seat?


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## sam2eb

I have a couple of times when I've gotten a taxi.


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## suzib76

Baby France said:


> suzib76 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Baby France said:
> 
> 
> I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!
> 
> How so?
> 
> The law allows it, the parents are responsible for their childrenClick to expand...
> 
> N
> Actually I'm pretty certain its the driver that is responsible for people under the age of 18 who is responsible for the safety i.e. seat belts etc... and although it should primarly be the responsibility of the parent, I do think the driver should be responsible too as ultimately this is their business?
> 
> It does seem more common than I thought though, OH said that he shouted at a lady at traffic lights last week as she had a child stood up between the car seats and another playing behind her seat?Click to expand...

In a taxi the drivers not responsible for under 18's or over 18's. 

There is an exemption in the seatbelt law specifically for this


I think parents should be responsible for their children

I am really struggling to answer this one tbh, I have never considered myself irresponsible for doing my job. I follow the law, and if someone has a baby in a carrier I will strap it in correctly for them, but I wouldn't knock back buisness when times are really hard simply because a parent chose to travel without a seat :shrug: 

There are literally hundreds of people every single day taking taxis with kids and no seats, and that's just in dundee


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## MikaylasMummy

No way.wouldnt even cross my mind.the only situation I would is if my son was having a croupe episode or asthma attack,in that case there's no way I'd strap him in the back by himself,seeing as it would be far quicker for us to drive the 2 mins to the hospital than wait for the ambulance to come from the station to mins away.but an emergency like that is the only time


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## Baby France

Ok, I didn't realise that taxi drivers were exempt from this law.

I understand where you are coming from, however it just doesn't sit right with me for a child to be in a car without a car seat...but that might be because of my OH line of work in that hes a fireman and deals with the consequences?

Its why I was doing a poll, to see if it was common and that maybe it was me being overprotective in that I felt uncomfortable with it.


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## suzib76

Baby France said:


> Ok, I didn't realise that taxi drivers were exempt from this law.
> 
> I understand where you are coming from, however it just doesn't sit right with me for a child to be in a car without a car seat...but that might be because of my OH line of work in that hes a fireman and deals with the consequences?
> 
> Its why I was doing a poll, to see if it was common and that maybe it was me being overprotective in that I felt uncomfortable with it.

It doesn't sit right with me either, I absolutely hate seeing kids either not strapped in, or badly strapped in, particularly as most of the parents will be wearing the own seatbelts!


It's very difficult in a taxi, you can't tell people what they should or should not be doing, well tbh you can't tell anyone in Dundee anything, but seriously I do try, and I don't drive with a front seat passenger who isn't wearing a belt, and I don't drive with people who sit babies on their knee and wrap the seatbelt round them both, but, there is a very fine line as to what you can and can't try and tell people, and yes I guess I could refuse them, but the guy behind will take them anyway, which means I have lost a fare because of my own personal feelings, which in the real world, I can't afford to do


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## Baby France

I completely understand, do you think you might be able to have one of those small booster seats in your car that you could offer though? That way, at least you've offered?

I bet it must be very hard to bite your tongue?


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## holly2234

We have done it once. I dont have a car but needed to buy a TV. So we walked down to Argos with LO in the pushchair, then got a taxi to take us the 1 mile back home again. We didnt have a car seat because i physically couldnt get it down there.

You can legally take a LO in a taxi without a car seat as pointed out above by Suzib. I asked the taxi company before doing it just in case they wouldnt take us. In the end, it was my responsibility and i made the choice to do it. We dont make a habit of it because im not comfortable with it. But sometimes there is only so much you can do and take with you.

If somebody knocked on my window and questioned my parental decisions i would have given them hell :blush: I know people mean well but we dont know everyones situations or reasons for doing it.


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## Baby France

I was fully expecting a mouthful. However, I don't think that anyone (not in a taxi) could realistically defend breaking the law and putting their child at risk....I was in my uniform too, so that might have played a part. I wasn't nasty though either to be fair...I wasn't personal with telling her.

As others have also mentioned, in the case of emergencies I do think that it very different from going to a McDonalds for dinner?


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## suzib76

Baby France said:


> I completely understand, do you think you might be able to have one of those small booster seats in your car that you could offer though? That way, at least you've offered?
> 
> I bet it must be very hard to bite your tongue?


It's hard to bite the tongue in so many aspects of my job, but you kind of become accustomed to it you know, like I don't bat an eyelid at taking someone to the chemist and back while they get their methadone anymore, whereas when I first did it I was mortified 

We could keep booster seats in the car, but they are for over 3's, so should we have a seat do under 3's as well? What about people with 2 or 3 kids, which one gets the seat? And when I need to fold the seats and ramp to put a wheelchair user in the back, where do I put the seat? It's more complicated than it sold be really, and if people are booking a car for a specific out of town job, as in the car wouldn't be doing any street work that day, then seats can be provided, if available


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## holly2234

If it was my own car NO WAY! If you have a car, you have a car seat surely? So i see the difference there.

I just mean times like when you just have to get somewhere because there is no other possible way. I hate to think people look down on me because i have to make these decisions sometimes. It wasn't an emergency but it was something i couldn't have done otherwise.


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## marley2580

I've done it. It's legal for short unexpected journeys. There are times I've been waiting in the pouring rain for the bus and someone's offered me a lift, damned if I'm going to turn them down. The OH took the girls from the chippy (where I had met him) up to our house the other week, it's literally a 30 sec journey on slow roads. I always make the girls wear their seatbelts though, and I don't do it with babies - they have to be able to sit in a seat with a belt on.


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## Baby France

suzib76 said:


> Baby France said:
> 
> 
> I completely understand, do you think you might be able to have one of those small booster seats in your car that you could offer though? That way, at least you've offered?
> 
> I bet it must be very hard to bite your tongue?
> 
> 
> It's hard to bite the tongue in so many aspects of my job, but you kind of become accustomed to it you know, like I don't bat an eyelid at taking someone to the chemist and back while they get their methadone anymore, whereas when I first did it I was mortified
> 
> We could keep booster seats in the car, but they are for over 3's, so should we have a seat do under 3's as well? What about people with 2 or 3 kids, which one gets the seat? And when I need to fold the seats and ramp to put a wheelchair user in the back, where do I put the seat? It's more complicated than it sold be really, and if people are booking a car for a specific out of town job, as in the car wouldn't be doing any street work that day, then seats can be provided, if availableClick to expand...

Yeah I completely understand and appreciate that its not as easy as that. Especially as you say there are so many things and such you have to take into consideration. 

I do also appreciate that not everyone is in a position to own their own vehicle and therefore car seat so I suppose I do understand that taxis have those exemptions for reasons as not to exclude people. Thanks for that, really interesting :thumbup:



holly2234 said:


> If it was my own car NO WAY! If you have a car, you have a car seat surely? So i see the difference there.
> 
> I just mean times like when you just have to get somewhere because there is no other possible way. I hate to think people look down on me because i have to make these decisions sometimes. It wasn't an emergency but it was something i couldn't have done otherwise.

Thats my feelings on your own personal car i.e. emergencys and such...but McD's? :nope:


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## LoraLoo

RachA said:


> I have on occasion done this. It's been in situations such as i've walked round to my parents with my two children. On needing to return home it's been raining ridiculously hard, they only had a booster seat and my car was with my OH over 30miles away so getting the carseat was not a possibility. *On this occasion i sat in the back with my lo on my knee and we were both strapped in using the seatbelt.*
> Yes that could be classed as irresponsible but i would also consider it irresponsible to walk for 20min in chilling rain with no rain cover on the buggy.

Can I just say- this is not safe. I had to use a taxi once, coming back from somewhere, I put LO on my knee and put the strap around us both. The taxi driver told me the strap must not go round you both- just yourself, and then LO sat on your knee. Apparently your weight would crush the child in an accident xx

I was in a car accident about 6 weeks ago, the 2 little ones were in the back and the passenger side took the impact- where the baby was. He woke up screaming, my little girl screamed too, the car was a right off, but thank god the babies were ok- I dread to think what the impact would have done to them with no car seats!


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## holly2234

Baby France said:


> Thats my feelings on your own personal car i.e. emergencys and such...but McD's? :nope:

McDonalds is stupid. Its not one of the things you HAVE to do. Some peoples priorities just aren't right though. Mothercare and Halfords is next to McDonalds in Nottingham. How convenient :haha:


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## suzib76

LoraLoo said:


> RachA said:
> 
> 
> I have on occasion done this. It's been in situations such as i've walked round to my parents with my two children. On needing to return home it's been raining ridiculously hard, they only had a booster seat and my car was with my OH over 30miles away so getting the carseat was not a possibility. *On this occasion i sat in the back with my lo on my knee and we were both strapped in using the seatbelt.*
> Yes that could be classed as irresponsible but i would also consider it irresponsible to walk for 20min in chilling rain with no rain cover on the buggy.
> 
> *Can I just say- this is not safe. I had to use a taxi once, coming back from somewhere, I put LO on my knee and put the strap around us both. The taxi driver told me the strap must not go round you both- just yourself, and then LO sat on your knee. Apparently your weight would crush the child in an accident* xx
> 
> I was in a car accident about 6 weeks ago, the 2 little ones were in the back and the passenger side took the impact- where the baby was. He woke up screaming, my little girl screamed too, the car was a right off, but thank god the babies were ok- I dread to think what the impact would have done to them with no car seats!Click to expand...

Absolutely, the law states that under 3's should travel unrestrained and over 3's should use the adult seat belt. 

If you were thrown forward in an accident the seatbelt would lock and hold you back, it would have serious consequences for a lo in between these 2 Opposite forces


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## Kate&Lucas

suzib76 said:


> Absolutely, the law states that under 3's should travel unrestrained and over 3's should use the adult seat belt.
> 
> If you were thrown forward in an accident the seatbelt would lock and hold you back, it would have serious consequences for a lo in between these 2 Opposite forces

Oh wow I never knew this.
I travel in taxis once or twice a week with Lucas to and from the village and don't use a carseat so I've always strapped him in, I'll stop that from now on.
I don't own a carseat because I don't own a car, would you not have to take the kids with you to make sure he fits when buying one? Apologies for any ignorance I've never bought one (apart from on a travel system).


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## shambaby

absolutely not - the law requires seats to be used for a reason, and i wouldn't risk my child's life by not using one. i know it's legal in a taxi, but i wouldn't do that either. 

i am a very careful driver, but i have been in a car accident (on my own) on a road i knew very well, but there was mud on it, i lost control and the car ended up on it's side in a ditch. it only takes a second and there is no way to know when or where it will happen, i don't remember that much detail about it but i remember being sure i was about to die, and i very well might have - or at least been badly injured - without the seatbelt, so i couldn't imagine letting hayden ride in a car without the proper safety measures.

i guess in the extremely unlikely even that i had to get him to hospital and for some reason there was no seat, i would have to consider that situation, but tbh if it was that urgent i think i would be calling an ambulance :shrug:


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## gretavon

personally...hell no


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## LoraLoo

I'm suprised at how many have said yes on the poll.

I have also seen children sat in car seats, but not strapped in? What is the point?!


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## Tasha

No I wouldnt. My FIL and BIL are firemen though and my friend a paramedic, so I also would never use just a lap belt either. I have heard the consequences and they arent nice, would never want to see them. 

There is a mum at the school who has car seats for her three and eight year old but never even straps them in. I see them standing in the car as she drives :wacko:


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## leelee

I answered yes. I have taken my DS in a black cab in his pushchair on a few occasions as we don't drive and it has been a necessity. I also did on holidays last year, as we were far more remote than we were lead to believe, and it would have been more dangerous to walk back an unlit busy road. 

I am glad I am not in a situation anymore where I would need a cab (can walk everywhere or use a train/bus) as I didn't like it. And this year we are going to a place that is defo within walking distance. I wouldn't do it again and wouldn't recommend it. It is very stressful.


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## suzib76

You should check with your local licensing authority regarding this, ours stipulates that children must be removed from the pram.


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## LockandKey

Nope, never, I would never, ever take DD out without her car seat, extremely unsafe, and if the nursery was right down the road and I was without carseat, I'd walk her over myself


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## Toms Mummy

I have on occasion.... it's generally my friends, if I see them in the car and they are walking in the rain then I offer them a lift (sometimes it's just from one end of the village to the other.

My OH did it the other day too, he has taken Tom on the train to see his grandparents, they picked him up from the train station but don't have a carseat so he sat with my OH on his knee.

I would never do it on my own, without someone holding on to him


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## Toms Mummy

Also... they are allowed on coaches and buses without carseats. Buses scare me more than taxis!


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## MrsBandEgglet

Nope, absolutely not! Never. A guy I used to work with told me of a family he knew once whose 3 year old was killed from sitting on his mamas lap when his father crashed the car. It was horrific. It's just not worth it imo. I also think it should be illegal in taxis,, they're still cars and just as capable of crashing :wacko:


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## MrsPoodle

Nope! Me and hubby both have seats in our cars so either of us can take her out if needed. Even if we didn't, it only takes 2 secs to install it and strap her in.


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## Mummy2B21

Definitely Not!


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## CarlyP

Never!

You can not risk your child's safety no matter how short the journey!

It is completely irresponsible, they can't protect themselves and even if you were holding them you don't know what your reaction would be in a crash, you may cling to them you may fling them, not worth thinking about what could happen.


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## marley2580

MrsBandEgglet said:


> Nope, absolutely not! Never. A guy I used to work with told me of a family he knew once whose 3 year old was killed from sitting on his mamas lap when his father crashed the car. It was horrific. It's just not worth it imo. *I also think it should be illegal in taxis,, they're still cars and just as capable of crashing* :wacko:

Out of curiosity how would this work practically?


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## Missy86

No, it takes me 2 secs to put the car seat in another car


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## MrsAitch

I only ever did once, for not even 1/2 a mile.

I'd managed to lock myself out of the house, I literally popped my head out the front garden to see if my DH was home from work. The keys were on the inside of the door.

The baby was in my arms luckily otherwise I would have smashed the window to get in.
She was only a few weeks old and it was night and cold and the only neighbour in was one with a boistrous dog. 
I sat in there for a bit but had no nappies and she needed changing and the dog kept jumping on us. So I called my mum to pick her up but she didn't have the car seat as it was in hubbys car, who was about 40mins away so I jumped in the car and strapped myself in and held her in my arms.

I was teriffied for the whole 1 minute.


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## MrsBandEgglet

I think if you are prepared to travel by taxi then you can still put your child in a car seat. I've travelled by taxi before with my LO and I simply put the carseat in. I just don't see how going in a taxi means your child is any safer *out* of a carseat than they are in a car driven by yourself or a relative/friend. Also, I don't think it's very fair on the taxi driver as if, god forbid, something were to happen they would have to live with that for the rest of their lives too. I drive myself now but when I travelled by taxi before I always felt very safe and on a whole I think they are very good drivers but you can't predict how others on the road will drive and I think for that reason if I child is supposed to go in a carseat by law then they should. If you can't get the carseat in the taxi you get the bus/train where you can keep your child in their pram.


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## Kate&Lucas

What if you're off on a day out, or shopping? Imo it'd be unsafe to try and juggle a carseat in one hand, shopping bags in the other and try and keep up with a lively toddler. Lucas doesn't use his pram much anymore, so even on busses and trains he sits on a seat. Are prams even any safer? :shrug:


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## Annabel

No, no way!

We were on the motorway coming back from london on friday and there was a guy sat in the back of a car with a newborn baby out of the car seat. The traffic was doing 50mph. I wanted to call the police, Im sure its illegal! I couldn't watch, it had me in tears!


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## punk_pig

Kate&Lucas said:


> What if you're off on a day out, or shopping? Imo it'd be unsafe to try and juggle a carseat in one hand, shopping bags in the other and try and keep up with a lively toddler. Lucas doesn't use his pram much anymore, so even on busses and trains he sits on a seat. Are prams even any safer? :shrug:

A train crash is MUCH rarer than a car crash and a bus is much more protected in a collision (plus is more likely to be travelling more slowly) than a car - so if I was going on a shopping trip I'd take public transport instead of a taxi, I still do sometimes even though I drive now, because car parking can be sooooo expensive.

However modern car seats weren't always around; people just held their children, my parents held me or just bunged the carry cot on the back seat - I'm not going to judge them for that but the roads are busier now and the law has been changed to reflect this. I wish manufacturers wouldn't take advantage of anxious parents and overprice things though...:growlmad:


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## mummy_ellie09

Absolutely not! There has only ever been one time I've had to have Josh on my knee and that's when a train was cancelled and there was a coach put on. I was terrified the whole journey home which took about 45 minutes. I have a car seat spare which an ex left for me which gets used if needs be


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## CaptainMummy

Shoot me down here ladies but I often get in a taxi with Paige on my knee.. I know I shouldnt really, and I dont have any excuses but I do :S

*Thinking maybe i shouldnt have admitted it!*


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## marley2580

punk_pig said:


> Kate&Lucas said:
> 
> 
> What if you're off on a day out, or shopping? Imo it'd be unsafe to try and juggle a carseat in one hand, shopping bags in the other and try and keep up with a lively toddler. Lucas doesn't use his pram much anymore, so even on busses and trains he sits on a seat. Are prams even any safer? :shrug:
> 
> A train crash is MUCH rarer than a car crash and a bus is much more protected in a collision (plus is more likely to be travelling more slowly) than a car - so if I was going on a shopping trip I'd take public transport instead of a taxi, I still do sometimes even though I drive now, because car parking can be sooooo expensive.
> 
> However modern car seats weren't always around; people just held their children, my parents held me or just bunged the carry cot on the back seat - I'm not going to judge them for that but the roads are busier now and the law has been changed to reflect this. I wish manufacturers wouldn't take advantage of anxious parents and overprice things though...:growlmad:Click to expand...

It's not always that simple though. I've been out and found myself with a load of shopping, a couple of over tired children and no bus for an hour or so:shrug:


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## Celesse

No cos its illegal and we would probably get caught. 

Before we had a car I have travelled a short taxi journey with DD on my knee with the seat belt around both of us. She was 23 months at the time. We were travelling between our house and coach station in taxi. Baby was in car seat but we couldn't take DD's car seat in the coach (I forget why now).


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## Louppey

Baby France said:


> I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!

If a taxi driver had to be responsible for every single one of his passengers he'd never get any fares at all.

A child is the responsibility of the parents, no one else imo.

What if, for example, someone doesn't own a car and they have to get a taxi? If they don't own a car, they won't own a car seat... but they still need the taxi? I'm not saying it's OK, but i'm also saying, well what can you do? I personally wouldn't be comfortable with it, but if an adult is comfortable with it then it is their choice to make.

What about trains/buses/coaches? You don't need a car seat or a seatbelt on them but if there was an accident you'd be f*cked. Tbh I don't understand the laws, they don't seem to cover all bases.


----------



## Tasha

Also a bus might be more protected in a collision, but that doesnt take into account the crazy bus drivers who pull away as soon as you are on, sending you and your toddler flying down the bus. I've seen young children really hurt like that on two occassions.

If you have lots of shopping, a pushchair for a baby and a toddler walking I can see why you would get a taxi, who do you look after first? The toddler and the pushchair goes toppling over, the pushchair and the toddler goes flying. :shrug: Crashes obviously are a worst case scenerio but they arent the only thing a parent has to consider.


----------



## Louppey

Tasha said:


> Also a bus might be more protected in a collision, but that doesnt take into account the crazy bus drivers who pull away as soon as you are on, sending you and your toddler flying down the bus. I've seen young children really hurt like that on two occassions.
> 
> If you have lots of shopping, a pushchair for a baby and a toddler walking I can see why you would get a taxi, who do you look after first? The toddler and the pushchair goes toppling over, the pushchair and the toddler goes flying. :shrug: Crashes obviously are a worst case scenerio but they arent the only thing a parent has to consider.

Reading this, i'd definitely opt for the taxi without car seat than a bus. No way i'd ever attempt a bus with toddler/buggy/shopping :shock:


----------



## Pingu

I saw this once, there were 2 children approx 1/2 and 3/4 years in the car with no seatbelts, 1 of them was in the front passenger seat. The driver was going pretty fast around a busy supermarket aswel, he then parked up and left the children in the car alone. I rang the non emergency police number as I.managed to get his number plate and descriptions etc. They said they would send a policeman to check it out.


----------



## rosie272

I have photos of me and my sisters in the early 80's with our parents in the car just on their knees or seatbelted in the back! I have been in black cabs with Charlie loads when he's been strapped in his pushchair or in a booster seat (I always request a taxi with one) It's not ideal but I don't have a car and sometimes shopping/toddler/buggy is just too much :shrug: 

You should never put a seatbelt around yourself and the child as it's much more dangerous if something happens - your weight would crush the child :( Thats why I would never take Charlie on my knee, the alternative to not putting the seatbelt on him is him flying through the windscreen :/


----------



## special_kala

Ive had to get taxis before with the girls. There is no way i could do a food shop and carry around car seats as well.

Its not ideal but i cant drive.


----------



## holly2234

special_kala said:


> Ive had to get taxis before with the girls. There is no way i could do a food shop and carry around car seats as well.
> 
> Its not ideal but i cant drive.

Exactly this for my future! I cant drive/afford a car and at the moment, when i need to go shopping i load LO's pushchair but she is walking and wont need it forever. When this time comes, i will have to get a taxi. Sometimes it has to be done.

Ive tried online shopping but i end up spending a fortune and getting nothing!


----------



## Lu28

Absolutely no way unless it was a life or death emergency. I just don't accept that there is an acceptable reason to go without one. Most of the situations described in this thread are not necessities and aren't something I would risk my child's life over - buying a tv, going shopping, going for a day out? I'm sorry, but never in those circumstances for me. I once was in a situation where I was going somewhere where I would need a lift on the way back in a car without a seat so I dragged our car seat around with us which was absolutely a pain in the arse but as far as I was concerned, it had to be done. There have been many day trips etc I have ended up not going on because of car seat issues. I don't think it makes a difference whether they're in your own car, a taxi or a bus - if there's a crash, the result is the same.

There are very few situations which would lead me to justify putting my child's life at risk by getting into a moving vehicle without her in a proper car seat.


----------



## Lu28

holly2234 said:


> special_kala said:
> 
> 
> Ive had to get taxis before with the girls. There is no way i could do a food shop and carry around car seats as well.
> 
> Its not ideal but i cant drive.
> 
> Exactly this for my future! I cant drive/afford a car and at the moment, when i need to go shopping i load LO's pushchair but she is walking and wont need it forever. When this time comes, i will have to get a taxi. Sometimes it has to be done.
> 
> Ive tried online shopping but i end up spending a fortune and getting nothing!Click to expand...

But there's no reason why online shopping can't work if you use a list and just buy what you need, there's always a way especially when a child's life ends up being at risk.


----------



## Mum2b_Claire

Online shopping all the way here, much easier to spend less imo. I do drive but have to park on the road and I'm not doing 3/4 journeys back and forth with bags and 2 children.


----------



## lozzy21

Iv had to get taxis a few times unexpectedly with no car seat. I'm not happy about it but iv had no choice. We don't drive so if we need to get some where quick a taxi I'd our only option. Take last month for example, we had to rush Niamh to A&E at half five in the morning because she came out in the strange rash and her car seat was in my mams car ready for her collecting her from nursery so we got a taxi in with her on my knee, what was the other option?


----------



## kitabird

I did it once when we were on the way back from holiday and had to get a taxi home from the airport in the middle of the night. I didn't like it at all though, made me very uneasy, so I wouldn't do it again. Also, if you sometimes go without a car seat then your child will start to see it as optional rather than compulsory.


----------



## Lu28

Also, if you book your taxi in advance, they will often times have a car seat that you can use. On the couple of occasions I have needed to use a taxi to/from an airport, I've rung around until I found one that could supply a seat.


----------



## bumpy_j

I actually do this quite alot, in taxis

We have Hackney Carriages (London Cabs but not in London) where I live which are giant, super reinforced, tank sized things that drive very slow like buses, you can fit about two pushchairs standing up in them. They do have childs seats in them (fold out from the middle back seat) but they're like booster seats so I feel safer having Joel on my lap. I wouldn't do this for any great distance or go on the motorway with them without a car seat - just for going round the corner where it would normally take me 40/50 minutes to walk alongside busy roads. 

Normal car no way unless it was an emergency and I had no seat on me.


----------



## marley2580

Lu28 said:


> Absolutely no way unless it was a life or death emergency. I just don't accept that there is an acceptable reason to go without one. Most of the situations described in this thread are not necessities and aren't something I would risk my child's life over - buying a tv, going shopping, going for a day out? I'm sorry, but never in those circumstances for me. I once was in a situation where I was going somewhere where I would need a lift on the way back in a car without a seat so I dragged our car seat around with us which was absolutely a pain in the arse but as far as I was concerned, it had to be done. There have been many day trips etc I have ended up not going on because of car seat issues. I don't think it makes a difference whether they're in your own car, a taxi or a bus - if there's a crash, the result is the same.
> 
> There are very few situations which would lead me to justify putting my child's life at risk by getting into a moving vehicle without her in a proper car seat.

There's no way I could drag around 3 car seats with me in case I get caught out and need to get a taxi


----------



## Lu28

marley2580 said:


> Lu28 said:
> 
> 
> Absolutely no way unless it was a life or death emergency. I just don't accept that there is an acceptable reason to go without one. Most of the situations described in this thread are not necessities and aren't something I would risk my child's life over - buying a tv, going shopping, going for a day out? I'm sorry, but never in those circumstances for me. I once was in a situation where I was going somewhere where I would need a lift on the way back in a car without a seat so I dragged our car seat around with us which was absolutely a pain in the arse but as far as I was concerned, it had to be done. There have been many day trips etc I have ended up not going on because of car seat issues. I don't think it makes a difference whether they're in your own car, a taxi or a bus - if there's a crash, the result is the same.
> 
> There are very few situations which would lead me to justify putting my child's life at risk by getting into a moving vehicle without her in a proper car seat.
> 
> There's no way I could drag around 3 car seats with me in case I get caught out and need to get a taxiClick to expand...

Neither would I but the situations where a person would be genuinely caught out are few and far between - like the lady (sorry can't remember who!) where the train was cancelled and she had to get on a connecting bus.


----------



## lozzy21

None of the taxi companies in my area have car seats, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen. If your in an accident and it's old seat and fails you can sue the company, same if the driver fits it and fits it incorrectly.


----------



## Kate&Lucas

How exactly do you get a carseat on a bus with no seatbelts?

My reasons for not using a carseat may not be life and death but I've no plans to change the way I do things. If I were to learn to drive and buy a car, I'd buy a carseat. For now I don't own and won't be buying one.


----------



## Sparkes

Put it this way. 

I was in a petrol station the other day sat in the passenger seat (OH was driving) and a woman was talking to someone sat on the back seat of the car (I couldn't see them) I thought at first maybe she is on the phone? But she passed them something and a little arm popped up. 

She nipped in to pay for her fuel, I got out and looked in the car and a girl of no older than 3 was sat there.

Why couldn't I see her? Because she wasn't in a carseat. As she drove off I took her registration number and rang the police. 

WHY DO IT. You can get them as cheap as £20 for goodness sake!


----------



## stepmum

My OH is a taxi driver and the reason why they don't carry car seats is because of the liability issue, as Lozzy21 says if its an old seat or it's fitted wrong or if it's the wrong seat for the age/weight of the child and there is an accident then the driver (not the company) gets sued because they are self employed.

The company is perfectly fine with people putting their own seats in though obviously and my OH says this happens a lot, though the drivers are not allowed to fit them or remove them.

I still put our car seat in when we go out in the car though.:thumbup:


----------



## JASMAK

No...and I was in a car crash...two, actually. One when pregnant with my son, and the other was with my two oldest kids in the back seat (they were very young at the time). Without car seats....no doubt about it....my kids would be dead...


----------



## suzib76

stepmum said:


> My OH is a taxi driver and the reason why they don't carry car seats is because of the liability issue, as Lozzy21 says if its an old seat or it's fitted wrong or if it's the wrong seat for the age/weight of the child and there is an accident then the driver (not the company) gets sued because they are self employed.
> 
> The company is perfectly fine with people putting their own seats in though obviously and my OH says this happens a lot, though the drivers are not allowed to fit them or remove them.
> 
> I still put our car seat in when we go out in the car though.:thumbup:

See I am the opposite, if people have an infant carrier I ALWAYS fit it to make sure the seat belt is correctly routed, the amount of people who think you pull the lap part round the back and the Diagonal part fits across the part of the seat above baby's feet is actually shocking.

Just had a wee look for a vid to show what I mean, I think 9 out of 10 infant carriers I have seen, not just at work but friends etc also, have had the seat belt routed the opposite way

It's one of my absolute pet hates. So yes, if anyone brings an infant carrier into my car I always fit it for them. 

Another thing that is quite shocking is the amount of people who will take a baby OUT of a car seat and leave it on the pram (some of the wheelchair taxis can take the pram in boot standing up, the fiat doblo and Peugeot partner). I always insist they put the baby into the seat



https://news.stv.tv/scotland/99060-fitting-your-car-seat-infant-carrier/


----------



## lhancock90

Nope. Accidents happen no matter how short the journey is.


----------



## Lellow

I said no, but i have a few times....on holiday. 

Whilst car seats are the norm here and are common practice, its not over in Morocco.

We didnt want to take ours with us due to its bulk, so we wanted to buy one over there instead to leave it there, but they are very few and far between, the quality was horrific, basically just a piece of plastic that would do nothing to protect my child, so we opted to keeping car journeys to a minimum.

This year we have sent over a £39.99 Kiddicare car seat by freight and its there ready and waiting at the in-laws.


----------



## Ceejay123

Arrggh No... I picked someone from OH's family up once with their two year old.. 'Don't worry they'll sit on my knee' Erm, excuse me! No they won't! I refused to go until I had a car seat available. x


----------



## bbyno1

I have done it a few times,yeah.


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## hmcx

Not in our own car, but we do use taxis. I wouldn't do it on long journeys and definately not on motorways but if i need to go somewhere and can't walk or use public transport then its the next option! I'm not saying its my favourite option, But she always sits on my lap and i hold her very close and tight.


----------



## smelly07

I dont drive, usually i will walk or get the bus but i have got taxi's before,my husband is a firefighter as well i may add, and doesnt have an issue with my judgement the few times i have used taxi's, i only use them if need be and where the route only consist's of quieter roads with speed limits of 30, i wouldnt use them with long journeys which involve fast/busy roads/motorway... when you have more than one child it would be very difficult to carry multiple car seats around, , its about making a judgement as a parent and living with the consequence of our actions and choices but thats down to the parent no one else x


----------



## XfairyhopesX

Ive done it 3x so far and yes it isnt brilliant bit depends on circumstance... i dont drive so buses is my usual no car seats on there. 1x hospital dash home, taken by ambulance so no seat and grandparent picked us up! 2x snow coming v v fast around 1.5 years ago and i was at my mums having lunch (good job we did as an hour later it was 3 foot.....) 3x was a torrential rain storm and i was at a playdate she lived 3 streets away and was at the house i was at the playdate.... said would you like a lift... i pondered and said ok... not ideal but it was torrential and was a 2 min car journey. Im not really bothered if people disagree with it... those people prob arnt bus bound.... :) and in 2 years 3x isnt really a habit.


----------



## louandivy

people take carseats on buses?! I have never ever seen that in my life.


----------



## Lollip0p

The only time we have taken lo out without a car seat was last year and she was really poorly, she went unconsious, we couldnt wake her so we just took her to a&e, I had her on my lap trying to wake her, she was under my seatbelt, but I would always have her in a car seat unless it was an emergency like a&e, but if i was by myself I would probably put her in the car seat.


----------



## dani_tinks

I can't imagine ever doing that, nope.


----------



## Tasha

louandivy said:


> people take carseats on buses?! I have never ever seen that in my life.

I really dont see how that would be possible, you need seatbelts to strap the thing in otherwise it is likely to go flying with your child strapped to it, causing more damage to him/her.


----------



## RachA

LoraLoo said:



> RachA said:
> 
> 
> I have on occasion done this. It's been in situations such as i've walked round to my parents with my two children. On needing to return home it's been raining ridiculously hard, they only had a booster seat and my car was with my OH over 30miles away so getting the carseat was not a possibility. *On this occasion i sat in the back with my lo on my knee and we were both strapped in using the seatbelt.*
> Yes that could be classed as irresponsible but i would also consider it irresponsible to walk for 20min in chilling rain with no rain cover on the buggy.
> 
> Can I just say- this is not safe. I had to use a taxi once, coming back from somewhere, I put LO on my knee and put the strap around us both. The taxi driver told me the strap must not go round you both- just yourself, and then LO sat on your knee. Apparently your weight would crush the child in an accident xx
> 
> I was in a car accident about 6 weeks ago, the 2 little ones were in the back and the passenger side took the impact- where the baby was. He woke up screaming, my little girl screamed too, the car was a right off, but thank god the babies were ok- I dread to think what the impact would have done to them with no car seats!Click to expand...




suzib76 said:


> LoraLoo said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> RachA said:
> 
> 
> I have on occasion done this. It's been in situations such as i've walked round to my parents with my two children. On needing to return home it's been raining ridiculously hard, they only had a booster seat and my car was with my OH over 30miles away so getting the carseat was not a possibility. *On this occasion i sat in the back with my lo on my knee and we were both strapped in using the seatbelt.*
> Yes that could be classed as irresponsible but i would also consider it irresponsible to walk for 20min in chilling rain with no rain cover on the buggy.
> 
> *Can I just say- this is not safe. I had to use a taxi once, coming back from somewhere, I put LO on my knee and put the strap around us both. The taxi driver told me the strap must not go round you both- just yourself, and then LO sat on your knee. Apparently your weight would crush the child in an accident* xx
> 
> I was in a car accident about 6 weeks ago, the 2 little ones were in the back and the passenger side took the impact- where the baby was. He woke up screaming, my little girl screamed too, the car was a right off, but thank god the babies were ok- I dread to think what the impact would have done to them with no car seats!Click to expand...
> 
> Absolutely, the law states that under 3's should travel unrestrained and over 3's should use the adult seat belt.
> 
> If you were thrown forward in an accident the seatbelt would lock and hold you back, it would have serious consequences for a lo in between these 2 Opposite forcesClick to expand...


Thanks i wasn't aware of that :thumb up:


----------



## Baby France

Louppey said:


> Baby France said:
> 
> 
> I completely agree. I wouldn't do it in a taxi either....I think its irresponsible of taxi drivers too to allow it!
> 
> If a taxi driver had to be responsible for every single one of his passengers he'd never get any fares at all.
> 
> A child is the responsibility of the parents, no one else imo.
> 
> What if, for example, someone doesn't own a car and they have to get a taxi? If they don't own a car, they won't own a car seat... but they still need the taxi? I'm not saying it's OK, but i'm also saying, well what can you do? I personally wouldn't be comfortable with it, but if an adult is comfortable with it then it is their choice to make.
> 
> What about trains/buses/coaches? You don't need a car seat or a seatbelt on them but if there was an accident you'd be f*cked. Tbh I don't understand the laws, they don't seem to cover all bases.Click to expand...

:thumbup: I've already answered that.

Can anyone ever remember the apprentice when they designed a seat for a child that was in the form of a back pack? Maybe they should do something of the same? Obviously I doubt it'd work for a newborn, but toddlers at least? A booster seat type thing that could be carried around in the form of a back pack? Does that make sense?


----------



## xSophieBx

No I wouldn't!!! I also dont believe their story.. thats crazy.. even the shortest of journeys can end in a accident - u never know whats going to happen!


----------



## Ozzieshunni

I've done it. We don't drive so it's been for short journeys (five minutes tops) and usually if it's bucketing down rain. I did my research about it (like Suzi said). I've been in a grand total of ONE taxi with a built in child seat. It was pretty cool. 

Do I feel bad about it? Naw. Would I do it in a personal car or for longer distances? Hell no.


----------



## LittleBoo

bumpy_j said:


> I actually do this quite alot, in taxis
> 
> *We have Hackney Carriages (London Cabs but not in London) where I live which are giant, super reinforced, tank sized things that drive very slow like buses, you can fit about two pushchairs standing up in them. *They do have childs seats in them (fold out from the middle back seat) but they're like booster seats so I feel safer having Joel on my lap. I wouldn't do this for any great distance or go on the motorway with them without a car seat - just for going round the corner where it would normally take me 40/50 minutes to walk alongside busy roads.
> 
> Normal car no way unless it was an emergency and I had no seat on me.

I love the way you describe Hackneys :')


----------



## LittleBoo

Hmm, we always use car seats in our car, and my Mum has two for the boys in hers. But we use public transport 90% of the time, my partner works 6 sometimes 7 days a week, takes the car and I don't drive anyway. So 90% of the time, probably more, we travel without car seats.


----------



## LauraBee

I've done it a few times. All three times I wasn't expecting to get into a car with her (but ended up missing the last bus home) I was babywearing so she was tight against me in my seatbelt and none of them were more than five minutes during non-busy road times. It would have been an hour long walk in the dark and once in the rain too.

I still take the carseat into a taxi though.

We mostly walk or bus everywhere though (no one in the house drives).


----------



## XJessicaX

NO! NO way!!!

I work in a hospital on a neuro ward and I have seen what a car crash does to an adult without a seatbelt. Horrific. A human projectile smashing through the window results in a snapped neck, lacerations caused by shards of glass embedded inches deep into their skin, twisted spines, dislocated shoulders, deep burn marks where the person has skidded across tarmac and massive head trauma. This is with a large adult. A baby I don't even want to think about. Shocking yes, but sometimes shock is what is required to change how we do things!


----------



## Raggydoll

No way never. Unfortunately you could be the safest driver in the world but you can't predict the actions of others.

I lost a friend in a RTA. He was driving a short journey to work.

I was also in an RTA on what would have been "just a five minute journey" accidents happen within an instant.


----------



## sweetcheeks78

LauraBee said:


> I've done it a few times. All three times I wasn't expecting to get into a car with her (but ended up missing the last bus home) I was babywearing so she was tight against me in my seatbelt and none of them were more than five minutes during non-busy road times. It would have been an hour long walk in the dark and once in the rain too.
> 
> I still take the carseat into a taxi though.
> 
> We mostly walk or bus everywhere though (no one in the house drives).

I'm sorry but this just makes me cringe. Can you imagine the force of your weight crushing her between you and seatbelt. It was dark, raining = bad driving conditions. I'd have walked. Rain won't kill you, a car crash might.


----------



## raychmumtobe

Have to admit ive done this a few times. Iff I know ill be using a cab or getting in a car at some point in the day, I take the pram out with the car seat on, if not I tend to wear LO in my mei tei or wrap. I use buses almost 90 percent of the time, but there have been a few times when ive really been in a rush to get home and have jumped into a cab with LO in the wrap, strapped to me and seatbelt over us both. When im on the bus, there no seatbelts to strap her in anyway, so she just depends on me and the busdrivers safe driving.


----------



## suzib76

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

I CANT SAY IT ENOUGH TIMES

DONT *EVER* HAVE A SEATBELT OVER BOTH ADULT AND INFANT

sorry but it seems people think this is safer in a taxi (or car for those that have done) than having the lo travle unrestrained - it is one of the most dangerous situations you could EVER put your child in

im not posting this to make people feel bad, or even to judge anyones actions, but if it now stops just one person doing it, then its worth it in my book

under 3 year olds should travel unrestrained - adult wears belt whic would break the force of adult getting thrown forward into child

over 3s should use the adult seatbelt - that is on a seat of their own

it isnt even necessarily about accidents, the force of an adult being thrown into a child, even slamming on the brakes, either emergency stop or having to quickly brake for whatever reason but not quite stop, at 30mph is enough to kill a child

pleas dont ever strap a seatbelt round you and your child


----------



## pinklightbulb

I've done it. I don't drive and have no choice but to use taxis.


----------



## Sherileigh

I'm pretty sure it's illegal here without a car seat. Not sure about taxi's...but If a child isn't safe in a car without a seat, than they wouldn't be safe in a taxi either without one? 
I was going to drive about 5 mins away the other day but forgot my car seat was in my husbands car so we stayed home, never considered driving with my child out of a car seat!


----------



## blondey

Absolutely not!! Unless it was such a real emergency and there was no other way I could get there and OH/mum/dad/brother couldn't help

I don't get how people can use the excuse 'oh it was only a 5 minute journey/only round the corner' How long does it take to have an accident?! They could happen pulling off your drive.

I don't really know the ins and outs of getting a taxi with a baby as I rarely get them, but surely it should be illegal to go in a taxi with an unrestrained baby?


----------



## suzib76

maybe it should be, but it is not. there is an exemption in the law that allows it.

like i have said above, under 3's should travel unrestrained and over 3's should use the adult seat belt


----------



## LauraBee

sweetcheeks78 said:
 

> I'm sorry but this just makes me cringe. Can you imagine the force of your weight crushing her between you and seatbelt. It was dark, raining = bad driving conditions. I'd have walked. Rain won't kill you, a car crash might.

No, the rain wouldn't have killed me but it would have made Bee very ill. And although I live in a relatively safe area, the estate I have to walk through is very dangerous, I don't need to find official statistics to tell you that driving accidents are a lot less likely than violent crimes. I'm sure the point of this thread is not to condemn people but to simply ask whether or not we have strayed from the law/guidelines. I have done this a total of three times, all unplanned and all because I know that we would've been more likely to be stabbed than be injured in an accident. In fact, I believe that someone was stabbed and mugged in the area I would've walked through, at the time I would've been walking there and risking the car accident meant that we were home safe whilst that was happening. It's not something I do often and we're still alive.

As for the restraints, I was not aware of that and _if_ I did have to do it again, I will be sure to have her on a separate seat from me.


----------



## New2Bumps

Charlotte-j said:


> Nope, it only takes like 1 min to strap the kids in the car so not worth the risk imo.
> 
> I only would ever consider this is there was an accident and I had to get my child to a hospital asap
> x

This is exactly my thought although we have a spare seat for the other car so we wouldn't have to make that decision unless I was at someones house without the car (really rare!). If I was using a taxi I'd take the car seat just as I did when LO was 4mo and I used a taxi. A nightmare to have to keep it with you but not the end of the world. 

The 30 ppl that have said yes and maybe are scaring me!
I hope the 8 ppl who said maybe were also thinking complete absolute emergencies!

_ETA: I can understand the problem with having to carry around more than one car seat but thankfully I won't be in that position as LO will be 3 and able to use an adult seatbelt if necessary and I'd just have the one carseat.
I honestly know that if I didn't drive I'd still own a £20 car seat from Asda for those occasions that friends offered me a lift/I needed to get a taxi/nanny or grandad wanted to take LO somewhere. I have 2 friends that don't drive and they both own a carseat for LOs._


----------



## suzib76

New2Bumps said:


> Charlotte-j said:
> 
> 
> Nope, it only takes like 1 min to strap the kids in the car so not worth the risk imo.
> 
> I only would ever consider this is there was an accident and I had to get my child to a hospital asap
> x
> 
> This is exactly my thought although we have a spare seat for the other car so we wouldn't have to make that decision unless I was at someones house without the car (really rare!). If I was using a taxi I'd take the car seat just as I did when LO was 4mo and I used a taxi. A nightmare to have to keep it with you but not the end of the world.
> 
> *The 30 ppl that have said yes and maybe are scaring me!*
> I hope the 8 ppl who said maybe were also thinking complete absolute emergencies!Click to expand...


its really common, especially in taxis

i would say on average over the course of a week at least 60% of the jobs involve picking up kids under 5 years old.


----------



## New2Bumps

suzib76 said:


> New2Bumps said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Charlotte-j said:
> 
> 
> Nope, it only takes like 1 min to strap the kids in the car so not worth the risk imo.
> 
> I only would ever consider this is there was an accident and I had to get my child to a hospital asap
> x
> 
> This is exactly my thought although we have a spare seat for the other car so we wouldn't have to make that decision unless I was at someones house without the car (really rare!). If I was using a taxi I'd take the car seat just as I did when LO was 4mo and I used a taxi. A nightmare to have to keep it with you but not the end of the world.
> 
> *The 30 ppl that have said yes and maybe are scaring me!*
> I hope the 8 ppl who said maybe were also thinking complete absolute emergencies!Click to expand...
> 
> 
> its really common, especially in taxis
> 
> i would say on average over the course of a week at least 60% of the jobs involve picking up kids under 5 years old.Click to expand...

Ohmygosh!:dohh:

Do you think that a big majority of these people are regular taxi users? If so then it's even worse that they haven't got a carseat as they are effectively using a car regularly. (Under 3s particularly as I assume chlidren over 5 would be in the seatbelt as they should be).


----------



## suzib76

New2Bumps said:


> suzib76 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New2Bumps said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Charlotte-j said:
> 
> 
> Nope, it only takes like 1 min to strap the kids in the car so not worth the risk imo.
> 
> I only would ever consider this is there was an accident and I had to get my child to a hospital asap
> x
> 
> This is exactly my thought although we have a spare seat for the other car so we wouldn't have to make that decision unless I was at someones house without the car (really rare!). If I was using a taxi I'd take the car seat just as I did when LO was 4mo and I used a taxi. A nightmare to have to keep it with you but not the end of the world.
> 
> *The 30 ppl that have said yes and maybe are scaring me!*
> I hope the 8 ppl who said maybe were also thinking complete absolute emergencies!Click to expand...
> 
> 
> its really common, especially in taxis
> 
> i would say on average over the course of a week at least 60% of the jobs involve picking up kids under 5 years old.Click to expand...
> 
> Ohmygosh!:dohh:
> 
> Do you think that a big majority of these people are regular taxi users? If so then it's even worse that they haven't got a carseat as they are effectively using a car regularly.Click to expand...

yep, in fact, the majority are regular users. thats just in dundee, i would reckon it is countrywide though


----------



## Laura80

I did it once when my daughter stopped breathing and we had to get her to a&e. It was literally a 2 minute drive and I was in the back holding on to her so tight. I was freaking out because she was sick but at the back of my mind I was also freaking out about neither of us having a seatbelt. I could never do it if it wasn't so urgent.


----------



## amygwen

I said no. I never would.

Although when I visited England when he was a year old with my sister (who also had a 1 year old at the time). We got a private car to drive us from our hotel in London to the airport. When he arrived, he had no car seats so we just sat in the car with them on our laps. I'd never been so petrified in my life and when I think about it now, I wish I had complained and made a bigger deal out of it, but had I done that we would've more than likely missed our flight. It's not worth it though to lose your child and risk it.

Nothing bad happened thankfully, but I would never ever ever do it again. Not worth it for ANYTHING.


----------



## freckleonear

I have done it quite a few times in a taxi. When we go on holiday, we travel with two children and all our luggage on our backs. We have to walk a couple of miles to the train station, change trains several times, and then catch a taxi at our destination. There is absolutely no way we could take a carseat with us. When DD was a baby I used to wear her in the Connecta so that she was securely strapped to me, but make sure the seatbelt when between me and her so that my weight wouldn't crush her.

We've also done it on the way to A&E several times. We do have cheap carseats in the loft for use in friend/family cars, but that's only practical when we're going in the car both ways. Usually when we go to A&E we take a taxi there and then walk back to save money, so taking a carseat with us wouldn't be possible.

I think the current laws allowing under 3s to travel unrestrained in taxis are reasonable. Obviously it's not ideal, but the law has to be practical as well. Not all of us have the luxury of owning our own car.


----------



## fairypop

Nope, unless it was an emergency situation such as hospital, but I think i would call an ambulance if it were an emergency. I can see how people could be caught out, I.e. in bad weather, but to do it routinely to go shopping or something just wouldn't sit comfortably with me. I would do food shopping online if I didn't have a car. I would be scared of taking my LO on a bus.


----------



## raychmumtobe

LauraBee said:


> sweetcheeks78 said:
> 
> 
> I'm sorry but this just makes me cringe. Can you imagine the force of your weight crushing her between you and seatbelt. It was dark, raining = bad driving conditions. I'd have walked. Rain won't kill you, a car crash might.
> 
> No, the rain wouldn't have killed me but it would have made Bee very ill. And although I live in a relatively safe area, the estate I have to walk through is very dangerous, I don't need to find official statistics to tell you that driving accidents are a lot less likely than violent crimes. I'm sure the point of this thread is not to condemn people but to simply ask whether or not we have strayed from the law/guidelines. I have done this a total of three times, all unplanned and all because I know that we would've been more likely to be stabbed than be injured in an accident. In fact, I believe that someone was stabbed and mugged in the area I would've walked through, at the time I would've been walking there and risking the car accident meant that we were home safe whilst that was happening. It's not something I do often and we're still alive.
> 
> As for the restraints, I was not aware of that and _if_ I did have to do it again, I will be sure to have her on a separate seat from me.Click to expand...


exactly the same for me. Ive done it twice in a cab, and honestly felt safer having my babe strapped to me than just sat next to me un restrained.. But now I know better, like you, if I was ever in that situation again, or see any of the other mums I know have done this, I wont do it and will tell them not to. But like you, the area ive been coming from is dangerous to be walking through, and getting a taxi seemed much less violent and risky. Its literally a short drive, and while some are saying that doesnt lessen your chances of being in a crash... Yes it does, it means youre in the car for a much shorter amount of time, meaning less chance of crashing. Yes, a crash can happen any time and quickly, butI would much rather risk a short ride in a cab with a small possibility of a crash, than walk through an area that could very well result in either me or my partner being attacked by a bunch of drugged up dickheads and our baby being left either in the pram watching her parents being attacked, or being attacked herself as she is usually strapped to me. I think i would rather risk the short taxi ride home. Of course I feel guilty enough about the 2 times I had to do this, and ever since ive been using the pram alot more with the carseat, and try to get the bus where possible. I understand that what I did was dangerous, I dont need anyone to make me feel worse for it. I appreciate the advice given of course, but honestly dont intend to do it again. Not that I intended to do it in the first place.


----------



## pinklightbulb

A question for those saying we should use car seats in taxis.

When we get to our destination, what do you suggest I do with two car seats while I'm in town shopping? Sometimes there is literally no other option.


----------



## 08marchbean

i have in a taxi and in someone elses car once. tbh i would be pretty annoyed in someone came and knocked on my car window to 'advise' me on something to do with my kids regardless of the circumstances.


----------



## sweetcheeks78

suzib76 said:


> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
> 
> I CANT SAY IT ENOUGH TIMES
> 
> DONT *EVER* HAVE A SEATBELT OVER BOTH ADULT AND INFANT
> 
> sorry but it seems people think this is safer in a taxi (or car for those that have done) than having the lo travle unrestrained - it is one of the most dangerous situations you could EVER put your child in
> 
> im not posting this to make people feel bad, or even to judge anyones actions, but if it now stops just one person doing it, then its worth it in my book
> 
> under 3 year olds should travel unrestrained - adult wears belt whic would break the force of adult getting thrown forward into child
> 
> over 3s should use the adult seatbelt - that is on a seat of their own
> 
> it isnt even necessarily about accidents, the force of an adult being thrown into a child, even slamming on the brakes, either emergency stop or having to quickly brake for whatever reason but not quite stop, at 30mph is enough to kill a child
> 
> pleas dont ever strap a seatbelt round you and your child

Thank you for explaining it better than I did. Makes me feel sick just thinking about it. :nope:


----------



## sweetcheeks78

LauraBee said:


> sweetcheeks78 said:
> 
> 
> I'm sorry but this just makes me cringe. Can you imagine the force of your weight crushing her between you and seatbelt. It was dark, raining = bad driving conditions. I'd have walked. Rain won't kill you, a car crash might.
> 
> No, the rain wouldn't have killed me but it would have made Bee very ill. And although I live in a relatively safe area, the estate I have to walk through is very dangerous, I don't need to find official statistics to tell you that driving accidents are a lot less likely than violent crimes. I'm sure the point of this thread is not to condemn people but to simply ask whether or not we have strayed from the law/guidelines. I have done this a total of three times, all unplanned and all because I know that we would've been more likely to be stabbed than be injured in an accident. In fact, I believe that someone was stabbed and mugged in the area I would've walked through, at the time I would've been walking there and risking the car accident meant that we were home safe whilst that was happening. It's not something I do often and we're still alive.
> 
> As for the restraints, I was not aware of that and _if_ I did have to do it again, I will be sure to have her on a separate seat from me.Click to expand...

I'm glad the restraint issue has been explained, I'm not condemning people. I can see the whole one off argument, needing to get to A&E or something but IMO it's not worth the risk in any other situation. I can't stress how dangerous it is. I don't see how anyone can justify it happening more than in a one off occasion.


----------



## pinklightbulb

I can. See above.


----------



## vaniilla

The only time I would ever put lo in a car without a car seat is if the dangers were higher for them not to - i.e life and death situation. Other then that? no, leisure doesn't come before life or irreparable damage. I hope they got stopped by the police, not only for being completely reckless with their child's safety but for breaking the law.


----------



## Ozzieshunni

If everyone saying we shouldn't do it in taxis would like to chip in and buy me a car, I would much appreciate it! :haha:


----------



## lhancock90

I don't own a car.
I own carseats.
Accidents don't just happen on long journeys. Thats a naive way of thinking. Whenever i've used a taxi, i've used a carseat, if it wasn't with me, i've gotten the bus or walked.


----------



## steph.4192

The other day when i saw this, my answer would have been no, but last night my poor bubba got sick and OH had the car and the car seat. I told MIL and she asked if we wanted to go to hers and so i accepted because i was worried. She did say she would try to find someone who had one but it was late so they picked us up with out one and even though it was not far i freaked out the whole time. I would never ever do it again unless it was a really bad emergency.


----------



## KittyVentura

My first answer is no. Ordinarily I would never allow my child in a car without a carseat.

However we have done it, but in pretty exceptional circumstances. We drove him in the middle of the night to A&E last year not in a car seat. We had in right there but to be fair he was going floppy, vomiting everywhere... we genuinely thought he had meningitis and in that moment I could not BEAR to put him down. So I sat in the back with him on my lap, cradled!

Also towards the end of my pregnancy we used a taxi a couple of times. I was so immobile I was house confined, do not drive myself and Ian was working away. There were a few times I HAD to use a taxi to get us to a shop and back.

SO yeah, extreme circumstances call for their own judgemet I think but as a rule I'd not do it xx


----------



## KittyVentura

Also, just to add. Using a carseat in a taxi is actually reckless unless it is one that is specifically for that model car (perhaps owned by the taxi driver etc). We all know that not all car seats fit all cars and the reason Taxi's are exempt from the usual car seat laws is because it's deemed MORE unsafe to use your own carseat in a taxi, which may not be a correct fit, than to go without. Taxis are one of the few legal exeptions. Emergencies are another. Also if you have more children than space for car seats, that's another xx


----------



## LoraLoo

KittyVentura said:


> Also, just to add. Using a carseat in a taxi is actually reckless unless it is one that is specifically for that model car (perhaps owned by the taxi driver etc). We all know that not all car seats fit all cars and the reason Taxi's are exempt from the usual car seat laws is because it's deemed MORE unsafe to use your own carseat in a taxi, which may not be a correct fit, than to go without. Taxis are one of the few legal exeptions. Emergencies are another. Also if you have more children than space for car seats, that's another xx

Thats true. We purposely picked a car seat that will fit in any car, but it was expensive- I cant imagine someone that doesn't drive and uses taxi's on occasions would want to to fork out that sort of money x


----------



## MrsEngland

Nope never, my daughter would never go in a car without her carseat.


----------



## jsmummy

I'd never ever let my son in any car without his car seat. But what other parents do is their buisiness and nobody has any right to go up to car windows and things and start butting their nose in!!! Leave people alone and let them make their own mistakes as long as they arent doing it to my child i couldnt give a stuff!


----------



## suzib76

jsmummy said:


> I'd never ever let my son in any car without his car seat. But what other parents do is their buisiness and nobody has any right to go up to car windows and things and start butting their nose in!!! Leave people alone and let them make their own mistakes as long as they arent doing it to my child i couldnt give a stuff!


Did you register just to be rude?


Its all very well letting people make their own mistakes, but where that mistake could be a child's life I can absolutely understand why the OP did say something. Admittedly I probably would have said nothing, but I feel that's a failing on my part more than anything. 

Reading through this thread it is so obvious that many people just don't know what's for the best, ok so some people just can't be told, but Being downright rude to the OP is completely unnecessary and if you have nothing constructive to add to this (very informative) thread, then I suggest you refrain from posting


----------



## lhancock90

jsmummy said:


> I'd never ever let my son in any car without his car seat. But what other parents do is their buisiness and nobody has any right to go up to car windows and things and start butting their nose in!!! Leave people alone and let them make their own mistakes as long as they arent doing it to my child i couldnt give a stuff!

I wonder, would you feel this way if your car collided with someone else's, someone who hadn't strapped their child in and the worst happened?


----------



## jsmummy

Yes i would! Someone elses mistake not mine. Is it not common sense to have a car seat for your baby/child till the correct age? Maybe people shouldnt be having children until they know exactly what they are doing. Car seats are basic health and safety, your not even allowed to leave hospital with your newborn without one. How can anyone be confused about it? Leave people alone. The woman in question didnt ask this poster for advice so why has she got to stick her nose in? You cant go round getting involved in peoples lifes like that. A BUNCH OF PATRONISERS YOU ALL ARE!!!!


----------



## lhancock90

jsmummy said:


> Yes i would! Someone elses mistake not mine. Is it not common sense to have a car seat for your baby/child till the correct age? Maybe people shouldnt be having children until they know exactly what they are doing. Car seats are basic health and safety, your not even allowed to leave hospital with your newborn without one. How can anyone be confused about it? Leave people alone. The woman in question didnt ask this poster for advice so why has she got to stick her nose in? You cant go round getting involved in peoples lifes like that. A BUNCH OF PATRONISERS YOU ALL ARE!!!!

I asked you a question. I didn't ask it nasty or aggressively. I was curious. Why the aggressive response? Were all having a discussion. As far as i can see, in the last few pages, its been very civil. Until now.


----------



## Baby France

jsmummy said:


> I'd never ever let my son in any car without his car seat. But what other parents do is their buisiness and nobody has any right to go up to car windows and things and start butting their nose in!!! Leave people alone and let them make their own mistakes as long as they arent doing it to my child i couldnt give a stuff!




jsmummy said:


> Yes i would! Someone elses mistake not mine. Is it not common sense to have a car seat for your baby/child till the correct age? Maybe people shouldnt be having children until they know exactly what they are doing. Car seats are basic health and safety, your not even allowed to leave hospital with your newborn without one. How can anyone be confused about it? Leave people alone. The woman in question didnt ask this poster for advice so why has she got to stick her nose in? You cant go round getting involved in peoples lifes like that. A BUNCH OF PATRONISERS YOU ALL ARE!!!!

:shock:

I'd actually give you a detailed response. However troll comes to mind, so I'd rather ignore you :D


----------



## LauraBee

sweetcheeks78 said:


> I'm glad the restraint issue has been explained, I'm not condemning people. I can see the whole one off argument, needing to get to A&E or something but IMO it's not worth the risk in any other situation. I can't stress how dangerous it is. I don't see how anyone can justify it happening more than in a one off occasion.

Okay, no offence but I never asked for your advice in the first place, I just replied to the thread and you chose to judge my post.

I *know* that it can be dangerous, but I also *know* that walking home would've been *more* dangerous. As the other poster said, I felt safer knowing that I didn't have to walk through an area where people are regularly attacked, and seeing as I had Bethlouise in the mei tai, there was a huge possibility that she would've been harmed too.

The fact is that the whole three _unplanned_ times in eighteen months, we were not in an accident and at least one of those times, someone was brutally attacked at the time that we would have been walking home.
_*We risked driving home without a carseat and neither of us were harmed whilst someone else was being harmed on our walking route half an hour after we safely arrived home.*_

We've been in a car a maximum of ten other times since she was born and I have spent money on several universal carseats, some of which weren't even used, for the times that I _plan_ to be in a car - even when we've used taxis.

As parents, it's our responsibility to weigh up the risks and advantages of everything we do and then accept any consequences that might come from our choices. I chose to take a car without a carseat, there were no consequences. If I had chosen to walk, I could have been injured and Bethlouise would probably be dead. I have no doubt over any of my choices as a parent and I honestly cannot see how my choice was not justified.


----------



## tasha41

Since I've been in 2 accidents in 6 months... no, I'd never take LO anywhere without a car seat.

I usually don't think it's anyone's place to stick their nose in....

But I truly do not believe people understand how dangerous cars are and how frequently and quickly accidents happen. I don't think people even realize when they're distracted, I think we generally trust other drivers to not be drunk, talking on their phones, emotionally distressed, fiddling with their radios, etc way too much. So when it comes to car safety I have no problem discussing or giving my opinion to people like the OP did. I haven't yet, but I would not really hesitate to.


----------



## Breezy

Anytime I have needed to use a taxi (to the airport usually as I have my own car) they have had car seats available to use ana strap them into the cab for me


----------



## Ozzieshunni

Breezy said:


> Anytime I have needed to use a taxi (to the airport usually as I have my own car) they have had car seats available to use ana strap them into the cab for me

OT, but Alex has the same romper your LO has on :) Carter's, right?


----------



## LauraBee

I've never seen a taxi with built-in or ready-to-go carseats, I've always had to spend five minutes looking for the seatbelt, fitting it in properly and then wrestling Bee into it, then carrying it around whilst carrying her :dohh:

I'd be willing to pay an extra couple of quid to save me the hassle tbh :wacko:


----------



## KittyVentura

It surprises me to be honest that taxi drivers/firms aren't required by law to have a correctly fitting carseat available for use. If you rang and said you'd be travelling with an infant they could always stop and collect one/fit it etc. Even adding an extra couple of quid for the use. Anyone wishing to use a taxi with a child would either have to pay the fee or find an alternative mode of travel. I'm sure all parents would be happy to pay a slighly increased fare to be reassured that their child is safely restrained. I know I would have in the 3 times we used taxis at the end of my pregnancies! 

It's baffling that the law went down the route of not requiring infants to travel in a carseat in taxis to combat the issue of your own not being a correct fit for teh car instead of getting taxi firms to supply them and charge for the priviledge!


----------



## Lu28

pinklightbulb said:


> A question for those saying we should use car seats in taxis.
> 
> When we get to our destination, what do you suggest I do with two car seats while I'm in town shopping? Sometimes there is literally no other option.

I just wouldn't go into town shopping, it's that simple. I can understand emergencies and I can understand situations where you have found yourself needing to get in a car without expecting to on the way home. But I can't see the justification for preplanning going out in a car without a car seat. To me, no form of shopping is important enough to potentially put my child's life at risk. Groceries can be delivered to the door. Everything else can wait until it's appropriate to go on a bus or get in a car with car seats.


----------



## sweetcheeks78

LauraBee said:


> sweetcheeks78 said:
> 
> 
> I'm glad the restraint issue has been explained, I'm not condemning people. I can see the whole one off argument, needing to get to A&E or something but IMO it's not worth the risk in any other situation. I can't stress how dangerous it is. I don't see how anyone can justify it happening more than in a one off occasion.
> 
> Okay, no offence but I never asked for your advice in the first place, I just replied to the thread and you chose to judge my post.
> 
> I *know* that it can be dangerous, but I also *know* that walking home would've been *more* dangerous. As the other poster said, I felt safer knowing that I didn't have to walk through an area where people are regularly attacked, and seeing as I had Bethlouise in the mei tai, there was a huge possibility that she would've been harmed too.
> 
> The fact is that the whole three _unplanned_ times in eighteen months, we were not in an accident and at least one of those times, someone was brutally attacked at the time that we would have been walking home.
> _*We risked driving home without a carseat and neither of us were harmed whilst someone else was being harmed on our walking route half an hour after we safely arrived home.*_
> 
> We've been in a car a maximum of ten other times since she was born and I have spent money on several universal carseats, some of which weren't even used, for the times that I _plan_ to be in a car - even when we've used taxis.
> 
> As parents, it's our responsibility to weigh up the risks and advantages of everything we do and then accept any consequences that might come from our choices. I chose to take a car without a carseat, there were no consequences. If I had chosen to walk, I could have been injured and Bethlouise would probably be dead. I have no doubt over any of my choices as a parent and I honestly cannot see how my choice was not justified.Click to expand...

I didn't judge your post, you said you did something that is massively dangerous. I don't want to argue about it, there's plenty more I could say but I won't as we obviously have very different opinions and that's fine - we are entitled to those and I apologise for any offence caused. However I think I was justified in pointing out just how dangerous putting your baby between you and the seatbelt is. You can think what you want of me, interfering, judgemental, whatever. If me pointing this out stops you anyone else doing this in future it's worth it.


----------



## XJessicaX

Maybe Taxis should carry a baby seat in the boot of the car. They are so easy to strap in.


----------



## suzib76

XJessicaX said:


> Maybe Taxis should carry a baby seat in the boot of the car. They are so easy to strap in.

why?


----------



## XJessicaX

Because they they could transport safely a small child without the mother heaving around a car seat for the day!

I dont mean put the baby in the seat in the boot. I meant its not that often mothers travel with a newborn in a taxi so it could be so easy to keep a seat tucked away until one was needed.


----------



## suzib76

thats just it though, it isnt so easy just to tuck it away. i know in my car if i had an infant carrier in the boot i wouldnt be able to fit a couple of large suitcases in 

also where do we draw the line, why carry an infant carrier but not a seat for a one year old? what about babies that are borderline? should the taxi driver then weigh them?

practically this situation is a no go, it is also explained much earlier on in the thread

bottom line is when you take your child out and decide to use whatever means of transport, you are ultimately responsible for your child


----------



## suzib76

XJessicaX said:


> *Because they they could transport safely a small child without the mother heaving around a car seat for the day!
> *
> I dont mean put the baby in the seat in the boot. I meant its not that often mothers travel with a newborn in a taxi so it could be so easy to keep a seat tucked away until one was needed.

this is not the responsibility of a third party


----------



## Cattia

I did this once. It was when I was in labour with George and we had to get to the birth centre in the middle of the night. My biggest worry and fear was that Abigail was going to be disturbed in the middle of the night and I would have to leave her crying with my friend who was looking after her, so I cradled her on my lap while she slept and she didn't wake up at all. It was late at night and it was literally around the corner, it would have taken less than five minutes to walk. I don't think in a rational state that I would have taken the chance even then, and I certainly didn't plan it, but it just felt like the right thing to do at the time. I wouldn't do it again, I also agree that the law ought to be that taxi drivers supply car seats, at the very least stage 1 ones. If people rely on taxis for getting to places but can't carry a car seat when they get there it does put them in a very tricky position.


----------



## LauraBee

sweetcheeks78 said:


> I didn't judge your post, you said you did something that is massively dangerous. I don't want to argue about it, there's plenty more I could say but I won't as we obviously have very different opinions and that's fine - we are entitled to those and I apologise for any offence caused. However I think I was justified in pointing out just how dangerous putting your baby between you and the seatbelt is. You can think what you want of me, interfering, judgemental, whatever. If me pointing this out stops you anyone else doing this in future it's worth it.

Sorry, it didn't come across that you were focused on the seatbelt. 

It just seemed like you were saying that me choosing the carseat-less journey (when there have been no fatal accidents at all in the past seven years on this route) over the walk home (where there has been twelve fatal attacks within the past year) was unjustified. [Yes, I just checked statistics]

I admit that until the other poster explained about restraints, I would have felt that having the seatbelt over us both was safer, but now I know better and won't do that if the situation arose again (although, I now aim to get the second-to-last bus, so that if I did miss it I could get the last one). :thumbup:


----------



## Ozzieshunni

I never had an issue with taxis when using the travel system. I would always have a car seat because it was attached to the stroller. I think if taxis were to provide them, they should be the ones for like 9 months to 4 years.


----------



## pinklightbulb

Lu28 said:


> pinklightbulb said:
> 
> 
> A question for those saying we should use car seats in taxis.
> 
> When we get to our destination, what do you suggest I do with two car seats while I'm in town shopping? Sometimes there is literally no other option.
> 
> I just wouldn't go into town shopping, it's that simple. I can understand emergencies and I can understand situations where you have found yourself needing to get in a car without expecting to on the way home. But I can't see the justification for preplanning going out in a car without a car seat. To me, no form of shopping is important enough to potentially put my child's life at risk. Groceries can be delivered to the door. Everything else can wait until it's appropriate to go on a bus or get in a car with car seats.Click to expand...

In my town, there isn't home delivery babe :flower: I live in semi-rural Northern Tasmania, believe me I have looked at other avenues and get the bus where possible. But sometimes I NEED things that can't wait from the shops in the closest town to mine. Nappies are one thing that come to mind. Food is another :) 

Honestly I get what people are saying. But I physically cannot carry two car seats with me. Where the hell am I going to put them? It's a lose-lose situation for me and probably a lot of other mums that live semi-rural and don't drive.


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## RachA

It's funny how fixated people are on taxi's but not about things like buses. While a young child can obviously be left in the buggy on the bus that isn't always the case. You don't see people carrying car seats around to use on buses - even if they did have seat belts which they don't. If a bus was to be involved in an accident then it's likely that a child would be thrown a lot further than in a taxi/car and therefore suffer worse injuries etc.

Personally i feel that the upper age limit for booster seats etc is too high - obviously you have to draw a line somewhere but suddenly growing 1cm over the hight limit isn't suddenly going to make it safer for the child.
Baby seats i understand a lot more and generally i wouldn't travel without one. However sometimes there are situations where it's unavoidable - visiting my parents is one example. They used to live a 15min drive from us and i would walk or take the bus most of the time - sometimes it got to the stage when there were no more buses and to walk home would take me 1hour 20min in the dark etc. You could argue that maybe i could of left earlier so that i could travel on the bus etc but sometimes with children things happen outside your control and before you know it time has gone and so has the last bus home! The law allows that if you are 'caught short' as it were then you are allowed to travel without a carseat. Obviously travelling regularly without a car seat is a choice that the parent has made and therefore not getting 'caught short' and therefore reckless.
Where we live the hospital doesn't allow you to leave if you don't have a carseat, even if you don't own a car. I heard of people who gave birth in the same hospital as me who we told they could go home but when the staff found they didn't have a carseat with them, the husband had to go and and buy one. The car seat was only ever used to carry the child out of the hospital as they didn't drive and never went in parents cars etc, and they lived something like 4 houses away from the hospital. I think that insisting that everyone owns a car sit is a bit silly as some people honestly never use them.

I also agree that suggesting that taxi's provide car seats etc is unrealistic. As PP said, they would have to provide a seat for an infant, a toddler and a booster seat. Then what about situations when the mum has twins? If you legislate for 1 situation you have to do it for all of them otherwise it leaves the drivers/company open to being sued etc.

I think we can all be pretty black and white about some times but if circumstances are different then we have to accept that maybe some greyness is actually there and we have to use our God given common sense and decide what to do.


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## Sarahwoo

I wouldn't. Unless it was life or death. We don't take taxis and we don't use buses. We sometimes take a train ride but trains are far safer then cars / buses / taxis.

We have two cars with car seats fitted in each. My parents have another seat for there car. We also have a seat which has never been used which is my 'in case of emergency' seat - if we had to take a taxi or something unexpectedly. The seats in our cars are extended rear facing seats so we don't ever take them out, so it was important to me that we had a seat that would be available to use in another car. 

I understand why taxis don't use seats but it's not a risk I would take. I do appreciate though that we are fortunate to be in a position where we both drive / have two cars etc.

I have to say though well done to the op for telling the people - I would have wanted to but not had the nerve!


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## pinklightbulb

It's tough as it is having kids and no license. It sucks even more that you know full well you're putting your kids at risk but don't get a choice sometimes :(


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## teal

I voted no. I'm lucky enough to drive so I've never had to take my son on a taxi or bus xx


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## ShanandBoc

No way.

Unless it was a life or death situation and i had no other choice then id weigh up the risks.

My cousin has her 1 yr old in a car seat but not her 3 year old or 5 year old.

Makes me worry. Here they are supposed to be in a seat until age 7.


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## Tasha

That's interesting shan, here it is until either the 12th birthday or they are 135cm.


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## ShanandBoc

oh really? That age limit has only recently increased in Australia too. 

You can of course keep them in a seat till they are older if u wish as far as i know :)


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## Baby France

I didn't realise that it was law until they were 12 or that they were at a certain height!

I've learnt quite a bit on this thread tbh.

I don't think that they are necessarily needed on buses. Maybe its where we are, but they don't go on motorways and don't seem to go above 30mph where we are? As they are so big, it'd have to be a big lorry or something similar for it to have a massive impact on a bus (or is that just my thinking being wired?).

Even though thanks to Suzi I completely understand the law and reasonings as to why taxi drivers don't have car seats...I think I would still be uncomfortable having my child in a car without a seat. But I think thats because I drive and religiously have the kids in seats and me being very protective.


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## marley2580

If I get the bus to the neighbouring town it goes 60mph on the duel carriageway


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## LauraBee

Baby France said:


> I don't think that they are necessarily needed on buses. Maybe its where we are, but they don't go on motorways and don't seem to go above 30mph where we are? As they are so big, it'd have to be a big lorry or something similar for it to have a massive impact on a bus (or is that just my thinking being wired?).

Ours are the same but the other day, I was on a bus which made an emergency stop (car sped across on a red light) and if I had been holding Bee, she would've flew into the chair in front! The pushchair almost went over (although I've seen that happen on the bus just with the parents overloading the back :dohh:) but I caught it just before it did.

I've also been on a few buses where the driver has forgotten to put the handbrake on and got out to switch drivers and we crashed into some parked cars or someone managed to get to the brakes just in time. No one was hurt because we weren't going fast, but I was really shook up for a while...

I think I'd feel safer in the taxi tbh, but I can't afford them - can barely afford buses with the recent price hikes! I'm just going to walk everywhere from now on :wacko:


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## pinklightbulb

I've been on a highway on a bus with Eamon. Not for the faint-hearted!


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## x__amour

Oh no way. Not unless it was an absolute emergency.


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## jcombs35

As everyone else says, no. Not unless it was a major emergency and I had to get someone to the hospital or they would die. It is irresponsible.


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## pinklightbulb

I don't think it's OK to generalise by saying it's irresponsible. I literally have no other choice in the matter at times. Not everyone drives or lives close to good public transport :wacko:


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## suzib76

Baby France said:


> I didn't realise that it was law until they were 12 or that they were at a certain height!
> 
> I've learnt quite a bit on this thread tbh.
> 
> I don't think that they are necessarily needed on buses. Maybe its where we are, but they don't go on motorways and don't seem to go above 30mph where we are? As they are so big, it'd have to be a big lorry or something similar for it to have a massive impact on a bus (or is that just my thinking being wired?).
> 
> Even though thanks to Suzi I completely understand the law and reasonings as to why taxi drivers don't have car seats...I think I would still be uncomfortable having my child in a car without a seat. But I think thats because I drive and religiously have the kids in seats and me being very protective.

It's funny I was thinking over the practicalities yesterday, I picked up a woman, her husband, and their 4 day old baby. Without a seat. They were going to the doctors surgery in town, which was about a 5 or 6 minute drive. Apart from being really on edge while driving them, in the main I was thinking about this thread, and why we maybe could carry seats in our taxis.

However it would then have prevented me from being able to do the 2 wheelchair users later on as I wouldn't have been able to fold down my ramp, because of the space being taken up by car seat/s

My conclusion is totally 100% that this is not my (or any other taxi drivers) responsibility. Why should we take that on? I understand it's impractical for people to have to carry car seats around etc etc but the reality is, people are prepared to travel in taxis, within the scope of the law, so why should I, as a taxi operator, carry seats on other peoples behalf, when it prevents me from picking up a massive amount of other work?

Wheelchair users specifically spring to mind, I don't see why I should be prevented from taking them because some parents feel I should be carrying car seats about just in case!

So yes, if you choose to travel in a taxi with your little ones, whether or not they travel in a car seat is completely and utterly up to the parents. I am not, and should not have to, take on responsibility for any children, other than my own


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## pinklightbulb

The sentiment that parents should carry car seats is all well and good, but what do we *do* with them once we've reached our destination, if there is nowhere to put them? I completely agree that taxi drivers should not have to carry seats-- my dad is a driver and it would cost him a lot of business losing that boot (trunk) space. 

Sometimes we must weigh up the risks of what we do. I can't leave my boys without essentials. The risk of them starving to death is much higher than being in a traffic accident!


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## LauraBee

I think everyone can agree that if you/your partner has a car, which is regularly used to drive children around, then it's irresponsible to not own the appropriate carseats.

Going beyond that situation, then it's really hard to make a comment unless you've been in a similar scenario yourself.

I doubt that telling the parents of a toddler that they should have a carseat would actually make them get a carseat - it's common sense to buy one whilst you're expecting (exceptions made for premature deliveries) and then get upgrade before it's outgrown. So, if they haven't managed to acquire one by the time they have a toddler, they probably won't get one until they are forced to by the authorities. Also, it may be that the assumptions are wrong - these people may not be the child's parents or have their own children, so for them to buy a carseat might just be unnecessary if they're only having the child in the car that once etc.

I'm agreeing with the "it's not my problem" regarding other parent's choices because it isn't. Everyone knows the law and the implications of travelling without carseats and if they choose (for whatever reason) to then travel without carseats, then that decision lies with them alone and if something were to happen, it is them who has to live with the consequences.


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## jcombs35

pinklightbulb said:


> I don't think it's OK to generalise by saying it's irresponsible. I literally have no other choice in the matter at times. Not everyone drives or lives close to good public transport :wacko:

I didn't mean to generalize. I just failed to be specific in what I meant. When I said that, I was thinking of parents who were driving their child around in their own car, going to McDonald's! I know there are many situations where it just isn't realistic to have one. Sorry if my words offended anyone.


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## pinklightbulb

Not offended babe :) Just reiterating that some of us have no option at times.


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## Ozzieshunni

pinklightbulb said:


> Not offended babe :) Just reiterating that some of us have no option at times.

This is true. We don't have a car and use taxis and buses. Yeah, it's not the best option and I try to walk 99% of the time, but sometimes, we just can't. Alex has doctor's appointments in the nearby city and if we can't get a ride, what choice do we have?


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## pinklightbulb

Ozzieshunni said:


> pinklightbulb said:
> 
> 
> Not offended babe :) Just reiterating that some of us have no option at times.
> 
> This is true. We don't have a car and use taxis and buses. Yeah, it's not the best option and I try to walk 99% of the time, but sometimes, we just can't. Alex has doctor's appointments in the nearby city and if we can't get a ride, what choice do we have?Click to expand...

None other :hugs: It's all about weighing up risks, like I said before :(


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## Ozzieshunni

pinklightbulb said:


> Ozzieshunni said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pinklightbulb said:
> 
> 
> Not offended babe :) Just reiterating that some of us have no option at times.
> 
> This is true. We don't have a car and use taxis and buses. Yeah, it's not the best option and I try to walk 99% of the time, but sometimes, we just can't. Alex has doctor's appointments in the nearby city and if we can't get a ride, what choice do we have?Click to expand...
> 
> None other :hugs: It's all about weighing up risks, like I said before :(Click to expand...

:hugs: Exactly! I'd rather have him in a taxi or on a bus than miss a medical appointment. I don't think people realize how offensive it is to tell us we're being irresponsible or that we have to "live with the consequences." Don't they think that I would rather have our own car with a carseat?


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## LauraBee

Ozzieshunni said:


> I don't think people realize how offensive it is to tell us we're being irresponsible or that we have to "live with the consequences."

Just to clarify, "live with the consequences" wasn't necessarily meant as a bad thing, there are consequences to literally everything. You know that the consequence of missing an actual appointment is far greater than the consequence of a potential accident. (Not entirely sure if that _was_ aimed at me, but I was the last to use that phrase)

ETA: It was also used to illustrate that it's not my business to tell someone else to use carseats, as if anything should happen it's them who have to live with it, not me.


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## Ozzieshunni

LauraBee said:


> Ozzieshunni said:
> 
> 
> I don't think people realize how offensive it is to tell us we're being irresponsible or that we have to "live with the consequences."
> 
> Just to clarify, "live with the consequences" wasn't necessarily meant as a bad thing, there are consequences to literally everything. You know that the consequence of missing an actual appointment is far greater than the consequence of a potential accident. (Not entirely sure if that _was_ aimed at me, but I was the last to use that phrase)
> 
> ETA: It was also used to illustrate that it's not my business to tell someone else to use carseats, as if anything should happen it's them who have to live with it, not me.Click to expand...

Well, unfortunately, in my case, it is a pretty bad consequence to miss one of Alex's appointments, seeing as the specialist he sees is only there once every couple of weeks. It's just unfair for people (not you) to judge others without knowing a situation. I think that's all I have to say.


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## LauraBee

Ozzieshunni said:


> It's just unfair for people to judge others without knowing a situation.

100% agree with you!


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## louandivy

Ozzieshunni said:


> LauraBee said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ozzieshunni said:
> 
> 
> I don't think people realize how offensive it is to tell us we're being irresponsible or that we have to "live with the consequences."
> 
> Just to clarify, "live with the consequences" wasn't necessarily meant as a bad thing, there are consequences to literally everything. You know that the consequence of missing an actual appointment is far greater than the consequence of a potential accident. (Not entirely sure if that _was_ aimed at me, but I was the last to use that phrase)
> 
> ETA: It was also used to illustrate that it's not my business to tell someone else to use carseats, as if anything should happen it's them who have to live with it, not me.Click to expand...
> 
> Well, unfortunately, in my case, it is a pretty bad consequence to miss one of Alex's appointments, seeing as the specialist he sees is only there once every couple of weeks. It's just unfair for people (not you) to judge others without knowing a situation. I think that's all I have to say.Click to expand...

Aren't you the one who basically said that mothers of kids with persistent nit problems are negligent? How hypocritical!


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## lhancock90

I don't see how "live with the consequences" is offensive.
Its true.
I formula feed, vaccinate etc. Things other women wouldn't agree with and i live with the consequences of that. Whatever they may be. I'm not offended when this has been said to me. 
:shrug:


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## Meredith2010

Only just come across this thread...

I have to admit I have been guilty of this a couple of times, when we go to the inlaws for dinner and put LO (this was before I had my daughter) to bed and then didn't want to wake him up to get him home (he's in a sleeping bag so would have to take him out to get the car seat done up). They live 1/4 mile from us down a sleepy residential road where you don't pass anyone in the day let alone 11pm at night - not that it makes what we do any more legal. So hubby holds him asleep in the car. 

I know it's wrong and the few times we've done it we know we shouldn't - but I suppose it's just weighing up the risk really. I literally drive at 10 miles an hour and we've never passed another car... but yes I know it's wrong so can't really defend myself.


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## PepsiChic

when my family booked a taxi in scotland for 8 (7 plus Barry in his car seat - which we DID tell them about)...

the taxi driver pulled up and tried to put the carseat in the trunk and said "he can sit on your lap i only have 6 seats in the back and one in the front.

well we refused to get in and he was furious said we cost him lots of money driving all the way to the airport from the city and how we should compensate him etc.

we told him where to go and called a different taxi company who not only had enough seats but the driver helped install the car seat rearfacing for us! 

so my anwser is no, wouldnt go anywhere without a car seat!


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## PepsiChic

Oh i also wanted to add, 

I do wake my toddler up to put him in the car seat dispite the drive from my MILs to our house bing 5 minutes on a straight road

I also spend time making sure the straps are not twisted and the harness hasnt lossened - every single time!

My husband is a great driver, but everyone else? well i cannot predict how they drive, I dont know if that car coming towards me has a drunk or exhausted driver in it that might swerv suddenly into our lane....


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## suzib76

PepsiChic said:


> when my family booked a taxi in scotland for 8 (7 plus Barry in his car seat - which we DID tell them about)...
> 
> the taxi driver pulled up and tried to put the carseat in the trunk and said "he can sit on your lap i only have 6 seats in the back and one in the front.
> 
> well we refused to get in and he was furious said we cost him lots of money driving all the way to the airport from the city and how we should compensate him etc.
> 
> we told him where to go and called a different taxi company who not only had e
> 
> nough seats but the driver helped install the car seat rearfacing for us!
> 
> so my anwser is no, wouldnt go anywhere without a car seat!

if the taxi was only licensed to carry 7 people it never should have been sent for an 8 job

he should have refused room take you when he saw there were 8 of you anyway

it doesn't matter where the child sits they still count as a passenger and he would have been breaking the terms and conditions of his license by taking you.

good on you for refusing anyway x


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## Baby France

You are right Suzi....in terms of a taxi, it shouldn't be the responsibility of the driver. I know in my hearts though that I wouldn't get in one without taking the car seats for the kids though. But that is easier said for me as we have a car and we've never had to take a taxi with the kids. 

Same as another poster too...we live just up the road from my family and I still wouldn't have my LO without being in their carseat. I just couldn't take that risk and I have also woken them up by putting them in OR stayed the night there.


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## blondey

Just a quick question, when everyone is referring to using a taxi without a car seat, do you mean black cab or mini cab (i.e. a normal car)

Surely if Joe Bloggs can't take his baby out in his family Mondeo without a car seat, why is it (if it is) legal to take a baby in a Mondeo mini cab without a car seat?

I can sort of see why with black cabs the law differs, not that I 100% agree with it.

xx


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## LauraBee

blondey said:


> Just a quick question, when everyone is referring to using a taxi without a car seat, do you mean black cab or mini cab (i.e. a normal car)
> 
> Surely if Joe Bloggs can't take his baby out in his family Mondeo without a car seat, why is it (if it is) legal to take a baby in a Mondeo mini cab without a car seat?
> 
> I can sort of see why with black cabs the law differs, not that I 100% agree with it.
> 
> xx

It's already been discussed, practicalities and where liability lies etc. This post says enough for me - 



suzib76 said:


> thats just it though, it isnt so easy just to tuck it away. i know in my car if i had an infant carrier in the boot i wouldnt be able to fit a couple of large suitcases in
> 
> also where do we draw the line, why carry an infant carrier but not a seat for a one year old? what about babies that are borderline? should the taxi driver then weigh them?
> 
> practically this situation is a no go, it is also explained much earlier on in the thread
> 
> *bottom line is when you take your child out and decide to use whatever means of transport, you are ultimately responsible for your child*

Basically, it's legal because there would be too many grey areas if it wasn't and parent's are more than welcome to use carseats in a taxi like I and others on this thread have done before, but it's not always easy to do so, which is why others choose not to :flower:


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## blondey

LauraBee said:


> blondey said:
> 
> 
> Just a quick question, when everyone is referring to using a taxi without a car seat, do you mean black cab or mini cab (i.e. a normal car)
> 
> Surely if Joe Bloggs can't take his baby out in his family Mondeo without a car seat, why is it (if it is) legal to take a baby in a Mondeo mini cab without a car seat?
> 
> I can sort of see why with black cabs the law differs, not that I 100% agree with it.
> 
> xx
> 
> It's already been discussed, practicalities and where liability lies etc. This post says enough for me -
> 
> 
> 
> suzib76 said:
> 
> 
> thats just it though, it isnt so easy just to tuck it away. i know in my car if i had an infant carrier in the boot i wouldnt be able to fit a couple of large suitcases in
> 
> also where do we draw the line, why carry an infant carrier but not a seat for a one year old? what about babies that are borderline? should the taxi driver then weigh them?
> 
> practically this situation is a no go, it is also explained much earlier on in the thread
> 
> *bottom line is when you take your child out and decide to use whatever means of transport, you are ultimately responsible for your child*Click to expand...
> 
> Basically, it's legal because there would be too many grey areas if it wasn't and parent's are more than welcome to use carseats in a taxi like I and others on this thread have done before, but it's not always easy to do so, which is why others choose not to :flower:Click to expand...

Sorry, what does ' this post says enough for me' mean?


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## suzib76

blondey said:


> Just a quick question, when everyone is referring to using a taxi without a car seat, do you mean black cab or mini cab (i.e. a normal car)
> 
> Surely if Joe Bloggs can't take his baby out in his family Mondeo without a car seat, why is it (if it is) legal to take a baby in a Mondeo mini cab without a car seat?
> 
> I can sort of see why with black cabs the law differs, not that I 100% agree with it.
> 
> xx


Taxi refers to any licensed taxi. Size and type of vehicle doesn't come into it

In Dundee many of the taxis are saloon cars, we have a handful of black cabs and shed loads of wheelchair accessible taxis. Our licensing conditions are the same and the law applies to us all the same as well


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## LauraBee

I think it gives some adequate reasoning as to why the laws are different for taxis that are just normal cars


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## pinklightbulb

I like the idea of a taxi meant just for babies/small children, but in reailty it would never work. Mind you I could ask my dad... we have specialty cabs for wheelchairs, why not a specialty cab with car seats that you could call and book?


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## PepsiChic

pinklightbulb said:


> I like the idea of a taxi meant just for babies/small children, but in reailty it would never work. Mind you I could ask my dad... we have specialty cabs for wheelchairs, why not a specialty cab with car seats that you could call and book?

That would be difficult because then a driver may be out of work if he cant carry say a group fo 5 people because a car sat is taking up a space.

It might work if they had like a cheap easy to install/remove car seat, that way when you call to book you could said "3 adults and 1 car seat please"

and they turn up with the car seat in the taxi ready for you that they can then remove for the next customer!

of course this would mean them being out of pocket paying for a car seat...BUt in a fantasy world we could wish the government to do that!


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## pinklightbulb

Yeah, that's why I said in reality it wouldn't work, lol. I wish though. Dad says it's not a bad idea but nobody would want to get stuck on that shift!


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## Lina

I personally would never travel without a carseat except in a medical emergency to hospital. It is simply not worth the risk and support tightnening of laws.


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## suzib76

PepsiChic said:


> pinklightbulb said:
> 
> 
> I like the idea of a taxi meant just for babies/small children, but in reailty it would never work. Mind you I could ask my dad... we have specialty cabs for wheelchairs, why not a specialty cab with car seats that you could call and book?
> 
> That would be difficult because then a driver may be out of work if he cant carry say a group fo 5 people because a car sat is taking up a space.
> 
> It might work if they had like a cheap easy to install/remove car seat, that way when you call to book you could said "3 adults and 1 car seat please"
> 
> and they turn up with the car seat in the taxi ready for you that they can then remove for the next customer!
> 
> of course this would mean them being out of pocket paying for a car seat...BUt in a fantasy world we could wish the government to do that!Click to expand...

It would be more than difficult it would be impossible. Whe wuld the car seats be kept when not transporting a child? 

I think there is a world of difference between having wheelchair accessible vehicles, and having taxis just to carry car seats. The wheelchair is that persons life. A car seat is merely a responsibility of a parent. it's non comparable imo

Ok, so it has it's challenges and is totally impractical for people going into town or whatever as you have nowhere to store your seat, but still, that is not the responsibility of the taxi driver. It is down to the individual in question to make the decision based on the laws we have

Whether those laws a right or wrong isn't really relevant. The law is the law, and people should be able to act within it in as responsible a manner as they possibly can.


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