Taxis and babies.

Shelli

Hi All,
Sounds like a stupid question but...

How do people travel in taxis with babies? Or is it just not done?

I have to take a trip next week with my 9mth old, which will involve a taxi trip. I can't bring my car seat so what do I do?

Nevyn

Taxis are excempt but you should bring your car seat if you can other wise you have to sit in the back with the child on your lap and the seat belt around the both of you.

Victor

If there is no alternative, try to get a taxi with a rear facing seat (nearly all wheelchair accessible taxis have them).

Susannahmia

Thaedydal wrote: »

and the seat belt around the both of you.

Isn't that even more dangerous for the baby?

Victor

Thaedydal wrote: »

Taxis are excempt but you should bring your car seat if you can other wise you have to sit in the back with the child on your lap and the seat belt around the both of you.

My preference would be for a separate safety belt around the child, like on an aircraft. Maximise the space between the child and the seat in front.

nesf

Susannahmia wrote: »

Isn't that even more dangerous for the baby?

Yes. In a crash the child would be subjected to all the force of the belt stopping your and your baby's weight from going forwards and a baby's body is not designed for anything close to that. The baby's body would be between the belt and your body as the two attempted to get closer together essentially crushing the child. In a bad crash at high speed it would be very nasty. That said, the option of holding a baby, isn't going to be any less nasty in a high speed crash so you're fecked either way to be honest when you can't use a car seat.

Without a car seat, and for a baby, your best bet is to just hold the child and be strapped in yourself. If you can't bring a car seat and you need to get a taxi you don't really have much of a choice.

TequilaMockingBird

I used to get a load of grief off taxi drivers when I was fitting a car seat, they seemed to rather you just sat in the car with the child. They'd be sighing just at the sight of you with a buggy/pram and a car seat, never mind the rest of the paraphernalia needed to travel anywhere with a baby.

metrovelvet

The safest thing to do - if you are not going to use a carseat- is to carry your baby in your baby sling or carrier in the backseat and slip the seatbelt in between your torso and the baby's body.

Its not ideal - carseat is best- but its the best when you are not using one.

mdebets

nesf wrote: »

Yes. In a crash the child would be subjected to all the force of the belt stopping your and your baby's weight from going forwards and a baby's body is not designed for anything close to that. The baby's body would be between the belt and your body as the two attempted to get closer together essentially crushing the child. In a bad crash at high speed it would be very nasty. That said, the option of holding a baby, isn't going to be any less nasty in a high speed crash so you're fecked either way to be honest when you can't use a car seat.

It doesn't even need a crash. The driver has just to break hard once and the damage is done.

scab-e

Shelli wrote: »

Hi All,
Sounds like a stupid question but...

How do people travel in taxis with babies? Or is it just not done?

I have to take a trip next week with my 9mth old, which will involve a taxi trip. I can't bring my car seat so what do I do?

I bring a car seat when I need to take a taxi with a baby. It's easier if you have one that's easy to install quickly and you're used to taking it in and out. Tax drivers grumble about everything but how can that be of any importance compared to the safety of your baby?

It can be hard to flag down a taxi on the street if you're with a small child. Same thing if you're in a wheelchair. The driver just sees you as extra trouble that he doesn't get paid extra for.

Shelli

scab-e wrote: »

I bring a car seat when I need to take a taxi with a baby. It's easier if you have one that's easy to install quickly and you're used to taking it in and out. Tax drivers grumble about everything but how can that be of any importance compared to the safety of your baby?

It can be hard to flag down a taxi on the street if you're with a small child. Same thing if you're in a wheelchair. The driver just sees you as extra trouble that he doesn't get paid extra for.

It was easier when he was smaller, I got a taxi once but his car seat was one that clipped into the top of the pram, no hassle.

I'm getting a train to Belfast next week and a taxi will be meeting me at the station, afaik it's only a short distance to our destination but I'll still be very uneasy not using a car seat, unfortunately there is just no way I could bring his car seat, it's huge.

Rubens

Hiya Shelli,
If the baby is only 9 months why don't you clip your rock-a-tot car seat onto the buggy?
You may have a good reason for not being able to do this, and I'm stating a very stupid and obvious solution that isn't possible!! If that's the case, I apologise (I hate it when people do it to me!!)

Triangle

Our taxi company will bring a seat if asked. They must have a couple in the back of the office.

Thought this was nationwide, we've always taken it for granted all Cab companies would do this.