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Safety girl and the taxi cab dilemma
Filed under: Places To Go, Health & Safety: Babies, Baby Essentials
With all the preparations being made to sell our house, I have had precious little time to plan for our upcoming trip to New York City. It was nearly midnight last night when I finally sat down and gave some thought to what we should pack for a week away from home. To help me do this, I took a little trip in my head. I imagined where we would be each day and what we would be doing. Right off the bat, I ran into a problem.
Most of our getting around town will be via foot, subway or train. But the ride to and from the airport will be in a cab. Assuming that cabs don't come equipped with child booster seats, how do I buckle Ellie up safely? I am a stickler for doing things as safely as possible and don't see any reason why this should be an exception. I don't feel comfortable driving the few blocks to our neighborhood park without securing her in her booster seat. Am I supposed to let her ride in the back of a cab in New York City without it?
My solution is to pack the seat in my carry-on luggage so it is readily available when we arrive at our destination. Of course, this will take up a lot of valuable space in my bag, but it is all I can come up with. If you have a better idea, I would sincerely love to hear it.
Most of our getting around town will be via foot, subway or train. But the ride to and from the airport will be in a cab. Assuming that cabs don't come equipped with child booster seats, how do I buckle Ellie up safely? I am a stickler for doing things as safely as possible and don't see any reason why this should be an exception. I don't feel comfortable driving the few blocks to our neighborhood park without securing her in her booster seat. Am I supposed to let her ride in the back of a cab in New York City without it?
My solution is to pack the seat in my carry-on luggage so it is readily available when we arrive at our destination. Of course, this will take up a lot of valuable space in my bag, but it is all I can come up with. If you have a better idea, I would sincerely love to hear it.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-18-2008 @ 4:18PM
eli said...It is possible to travel from JFK, LaGuardia or Newark to Manhattan by bus/train/subway. That's what we've done, because the idea of carting around a car seat just to get to and from the airport does not appeal.
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3-18-2008 @ 4:49PM
bea said...I haven't traveled with my son yet, but I have looked on deliciousbaby.com and have gotten some great tips for traveling with him.
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3-18-2008 @ 5:08PM
SKL said...Personally, I'd skip the booster seat for such a short drive with a seven-year-old, unless she has medical issues. I didn't know people generally used booster seats with seven-year-olds. Is it typical these days?
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3-18-2008 @ 5:23PM
Meagan said...SKL, I think they recommend boosters up to age 8 or so these days... I always thought it was a bit excessive myself but now my niece is about to turn six and she's TINY so maybe I see the point. Still I'm with you on this one, I'd suggest just making sure she sits up straight and the adult belts are tight. I'm not sure why it would be any safer to ride a bus or train without a seat belt than a cab without a booster?
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3-18-2008 @ 8:20PM
Uly said...Buses and trains are a heck of a lot bigger than cars, so in accidents they absorb more of the impact than the passengers.
Trains also very rarely get into accidents in the first place, especially as compared to cars!
3-18-2008 @ 10:05PM
Meagan said...Fair enough.
3-18-2008 @ 5:55PM
Kerrie said...I live in NYC, and there are many car services that will furnish the back seat with a car seat -- you can book the arrangement and have them waiting curbside near your gate. I'm in Brooklyn and often use Legends: 888-LEGENDS. Good luck!
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3-18-2008 @ 6:54PM
CLM said...Check out racv.com.au. There are a couple of companies that make child harnesses that can be used with lap belts in taxis.
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3-18-2008 @ 6:58PM
LGirl said...Does your child pass the 5 step test?
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/634_5step_demo.pdf
(keep in mind each car has a different fit.)
I think bringing the booster along is the best idea. I think I would try to find a bag that it would fit in snugly on it's own or even rig a shoulder strap to it.
Congrats on not compromising on Safety!
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3-18-2008 @ 7:30PM
Margaret said...Hi Sandy,
Best of luck on your upcoming move!
I think your best bet to get you through the next year is a car seat vest. It's a sturdy vest that positions the seat belt in the correct position. If you're going to live in NYC, you guys will probably use taxis a lot.
I have a friend with older, but very tiny children and she's been using one for years. That way, if her kids need to get a ride home from school, it's just something that can be thrown into a backpack.
Here's a link to a random one I found on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KCV61U?smid=A36Z5KTFKBMK6Y&tag=nextag-baby-mp-20&linkCode=asn
I believe the law for car seats is usually "8 or 80" meaning your child should either be eight years old or 80 lbs to outgrow a carseat. The vest goes up to 80 lbs.
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3-18-2008 @ 8:20PM
Uly said...I should think she'd probably *not* use taxis and car service a lot - how expensive!
The train/bus/walking combination is a heck of a lot safer, and cheaper - and, in many circumstances, it's even faster!
3-19-2008 @ 11:03AM
ninainindia said...I myself would not worry about having no booster seat. It's not that important to have one.
But if you are really that concerned about it; I know there are taxicompanies that provide one for you.
Reply
3-19-2008 @ 11:57AM
Tree said...I'm just curious to know why you feel that boosters are not important. Is it your opinion, or something else?
3-19-2008 @ 12:13PM
ninainindia said...It's my opinion, no scientific research has gone into it ;)
I just feel that we live our lives to sheltered nowadays. I don't believe in wearing a helmet while cycling to work, worrying about a booster seat on a short trip to wherever, hiding a book about sex from children etc etc.
It just seems that people are increasingly becoming scared of just living life and I don't want to be like that.
3-19-2008 @ 3:20PM
SKL said...Tree, I agree with Nina and have a couple of rationales.
1) The extra time, awkwardness, and worry involved in bringing or renting a booster needs to be weighed against the minute chance that it might make a difference on a 7.5-year-old's short drive when buckled into a back-seat seat belt. Having traveled a lot, I can say there are a number of safety concerns involved in not traveling as lightly and efficiently as possible, particularly to a place such as New York, and particularly when you are with a young child. I've found that even when I have brought gear that wasn't absolutely necessary, I've not used it in the rush of travel, so then I felt stupid having dragged the cumbersome stuff halfway around the world.
2) With the exception of severe risks, I feel that people do better if they experience the natural results of their actions most of the time. If you scrape your elbow or bump your head when falling off a wee bike at age 4, you are less likely to do something stupid and fall off a big bike in traffic at age 14 or 24. Helmets and such don't protect from all severe injuries. It's better to develop the ability to make a smart decision in a dangerous situation than to be artificially shielded from every "foreseeable" and "preventable danger.
To each his own, but there are valid reasons for opting out of "maximum safety."
3-19-2008 @ 1:13PM
Paula said...Take your booster on the plane & have the child use it on the plane in her seat. It will provide a safer seat for her with the correct placement of the seatbelt and she'll love being able to see out of the window easier.
I recently took a train ride to Canada from Michigan with my 4 year old to visit my husband's family there & we took his booster on board. We used it on the train & while driving around town with his family.
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3-19-2008 @ 7:33PM
Tree said...SKL- but boosters don't "artificially shield" kids from danger, they actually protect them. Your #2 reasoning just doesn't apply to a child's safety in a car.
The whole reason boosters are recommended is because when the seatbelt does not fit properly, it can do more harm than good. If a child is too short, and the belt is too high on their neck, it can choke them. And yes, I know a family who's 7 yr old died that way, so it can happen. So it's all about the proper fit of a seatbelt so it can work the way it's supposed to.
nina- I went to Denmark a few years ago and they have at least as many bikes in the city as cars, if not more. And I don't think I saw anyone wearing a helmet. I did see people carrying briefcases, groceries, even a guitar on their bikes. It made me wonder if more people in the US would bike to work if they didn't have to wear helmets. Who wants helmet hair at work!
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3-19-2008 @ 9:53PM
SKL said...Can't they just opt out of the shoulder belt? That's what I'd do if I felt its fit wasn't correct in the backseat. They used to only have lap belts in back seats anyway, probably because of the safety issue you mentioned. Less is more. Does anyone smell a booster seat marketing ploy?
I wasn't saying my #2 applied to child seats, but it applies to Nina's general comment. Nevertheless, I don't plan on having my kids sit in car seats until they are eight. I would rather remove the shoulder straps or forbid their use.
4-29-2008 @ 11:01PM
Leian said...Hi Sandy -
Long time no hear. I wish I had seen this post before, but I've been out of cyberspace quite a bit recently (2 deaths in the family and other drama that have made this spring interesting...)
In any case, surely you've traveled by now but for future reference (and for other readers), yes, many car services in NYC can equip their cars with carseats, but there is also a car service specifically designed for families called KidCarNY. Although the service was designed for to help NYC families schlep their kids and stuff, even visitors can take advantage of the service. I posted about it on my blog:
http://www.childofleisure.com/2007/08/car-service-with-car-seats/
Also, Executive Car is a nationwide car service that offers car seats in most, if not all, of their fleets. You can find them in many major cities across the country.
Note that in some cases you'll pay extra for the car seat, but it's worth it not to be lugging yours to and fro, and of course for the peace of mind. (Don't forget to ask about brands and models if that concerns you, although most do try to keep their seats current and clean.)
I hope this info helps you next time you travel - and when you do come back to NY, please give me a shout!
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