Connor's Mom
New member
I went to a local Safe Kids inspection station today to have the install on my Regent checked. I was fairly confident in the install under the new guidelines but I just wanted to have it double checked by a tech. Well, it was pretty much a waste of my time but hopefully I helped them out, lol. Out of the 5 techs there only 2 had even seen a Regent and those 2 where unaware that it harnessed to 80lbs. One of them asks "are you aware that there was a recall on these seats?" I tried informing her that it was not a "recall" it was an "advisory" and she kept trying to argue the recall with me saying that she had gotten something in an email last week. Luckily I had come prepared. I had printed all the letters regarding the advisory off the Britax web site which she read and asked to keep, I let her. She stated that the thing that she had read had not come from Britax and it was not very detailed. But even after reading the paper work she was still not getting it all and both techs where confused about the LBP/SBP thing.
She and the other tech that had seen a Regent before stated that they had installed one earlier in the week at another check and did it using LATCH and NO recline bar. I asked her if she knew the DOM of the seat that they had helped install and she said that she could not remember. I told her that the recline bar must be used if the DOM was after 6/18 but she could not remember. Neither could remember the weight of the child to know if the correct LATCH method was used either. O'well, I know it might be hard to remember all of that if you are doing alot of checks.
Then much to my dismay they uninstalled my seat. Beings that none of them knew how to properly install it I had to show them both how to get it back in. Luckily, since I had played with it quite a bit it was much easier getting it back in this time and I was able to get it installed in less than 5 minuets.
Also none of them had ever seen the WHALE seat identification system in use. I have all the info typed up and fixed to the back or the seat with a current labeled picture of DS. I let them know that I had gotten my packets from the local PD for free and they had done a video on the news about it. I got the "I have never seen anyone actually use it" comment.
One of the techs asked what other seats I had and I told her that we also have a MA. And she says "They harness to 50 pounds right?". I told her it was 65 pounds. They both said that they don't see alot of high weight harness seats and I kinda got the feeling that they thought it was strange when I said that I was hoping to get DS to at least 7 harnessed in the Regent.
They did have some Scenaras and what looked like Cosco Voyager HBB seats to give to parents that brought their kiddos in with seats that where in improper use so that was a good deal.
Everyone was VERY nice I just didn't think that they had the knowledge I would think that one doing seat checks would have. I know it is impossible to know every car seat out there but I would expect at least a basic knowledge of HWH seats. Just makes me want even more to become a tech myself.
She and the other tech that had seen a Regent before stated that they had installed one earlier in the week at another check and did it using LATCH and NO recline bar. I asked her if she knew the DOM of the seat that they had helped install and she said that she could not remember. I told her that the recline bar must be used if the DOM was after 6/18 but she could not remember. Neither could remember the weight of the child to know if the correct LATCH method was used either. O'well, I know it might be hard to remember all of that if you are doing alot of checks.
Then much to my dismay they uninstalled my seat. Beings that none of them knew how to properly install it I had to show them both how to get it back in. Luckily, since I had played with it quite a bit it was much easier getting it back in this time and I was able to get it installed in less than 5 minuets.
Also none of them had ever seen the WHALE seat identification system in use. I have all the info typed up and fixed to the back or the seat with a current labeled picture of DS. I let them know that I had gotten my packets from the local PD for free and they had done a video on the news about it. I got the "I have never seen anyone actually use it" comment.
One of the techs asked what other seats I had and I told her that we also have a MA. And she says "They harness to 50 pounds right?". I told her it was 65 pounds. They both said that they don't see alot of high weight harness seats and I kinda got the feeling that they thought it was strange when I said that I was hoping to get DS to at least 7 harnessed in the Regent.
They did have some Scenaras and what looked like Cosco Voyager HBB seats to give to parents that brought their kiddos in with seats that where in improper use so that was a good deal.
Everyone was VERY nice I just didn't think that they had the knowledge I would think that one doing seat checks would have. I know it is impossible to know every car seat out there but I would expect at least a basic knowledge of HWH seats. Just makes me want even more to become a tech myself.