My "new, fun" work car...Nightmare!

Raegansmom4

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #1

So now my youngest is able to go to my school's daycare with her big sister (I teach), so now I don't have to drive every morning to a town 6 miles away to put her in daycare when my school is about 5 blocks from my house (2 very, very small towns). So I'm super excited not to drive much at all anymore, but yeah - now I get to trade vehicles w/ dh. He has been driving a $300 91 Lumina that is JUNK and has been running horrible. Of course it makes sense since he drives 35 miles one way to work that he now gets the better vehicle (the Lumina should be able to make 5 blocks ok). Here's the nightmare part - the rear passenger door is "frozen" shut. There is no feasible way the MR fits rfing behind the driver, so here's my configeration: rfing MR on passenger side w/ the frozen door, GN on the driver's side. So, I will have to squeeze in through the driver's side to put dd2 in the MR and harness her while standing in the backseat. Any better ideas???

 

Mommy2Marcus

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #2

Is there enough room for you to sit between them?? I have a 2 door with Marcus RF on the passenger side. What I do is to put the drivers seat forward, then climb into the back seat & sit down next to him to buckle him. So if there is room to sit beside it I would.

Also can she climb into her own seat?? Marcus starting climbing into his own seat around 19-20 months. So, that would help alot. All I do is open the door, he climb in & then into his seat.

 

4boysmom

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #3

Can you roll down the window to buckle her ? I am serious but it is silly sounding.

 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician

• Nov 8, 2009

• #4

Keep your car.

DH might have a longer drive, but you have the kids. Is the almost-20-year-old car that drives horribly going to break down in the middle of the street, in the middle of traffic with you and the kids inside? What if you have to get the kids out quickly with the door stuck shut?

You have the kids, you get the better/safer car.

But that's just my opinion. Putting that aside, tightening her through the window isn't a bad idea.

 

libranbutterfly

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #5

good luck. I have had situations like that before too (I once drove a van w/ a broken sliding door, so we had the sliding door tied to the passenger door to hold it closed. We had one door for the whole van.) I really hope you are able to figure something out.

 

Raegansmom4

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #6

LISmama810 said:

Keep your car.

DH might have a longer drive, but you have the kids. Is the almost-20-year-old car that drives horribly going to break down in the middle of the street, in the middle of traffic with you and the kids inside? What if you have to get the kids out quickly with the door stuck shut?

You have the kids, you get the better/safer car.

But that's just my opinion. Putting that aside, tightening her through the window isn't a bad idea.

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I'm in a town of less than 400 people, so there is no traffic!! Traffic is meeting one car in the 5 blocks to school - I'm not exaggerating - we don't even have a single stoplight in the entire town! DH is going to work on the door today to see if he can "unfreeze it." I guess I didn't think about the emergency situation of getting kids out of the car quickly... I may be able to squeeze my fat ... between the two seats to buckle her in - the passenger rear window only opens the 1/2 way and is a crank style window anyway. Sigh. I'm really hoping we can scrounge up a couple thousand to get a van (talking a 99 or 2000 Dodge GC).

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #7

DH is going to work on the door today to see if he can "unfreeze it."

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I was going to ask if you'd taken it to a mechanic/body shop to see if they can fix it. Might cost some, but it would be cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

 

Raegansmom4

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #8

BookMama said:

I was going to ask if you'd taken it to a mechanic/body shop to see if they can fix it. Might cost some, but it would be cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

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DH used to be a mechanic, lol. He just never bothered w/ it since it wasn't "crucial" for him driving all alone. We've been talking for awhile about getting a van anyway after tax returns, so buying a different vehicle wasn't a solution to the junker anyway. We are driving to Houston in June for his twin nephews' graduation, and a van would be so much more comfortable for travel.

 

Laurette

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #9

Uh, walk the 5 blocks to school/work?

 

myliljunebugs

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #10

You could strap the baby in from the front passenger seat. Good luck!

 

agurlsride

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #11

Laurette said:

Uh, walk the 5 blocks to school/work?

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I dont think thats gonna work..she has to drop the little one off at daycare 6 miles away.

 

libranbutterfly

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #12

agurlsride said:

I dont think thats gonna work..she has to drop the little one off at daycare 6 miles away.

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Not anymore. That's what she used to have to do. I wouldn't want to walk in the winter, but in the spring and summer I think it would be great to walk. Of course, I am not the OP

 

agurlsride

New member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #13

libranbutterfly said:

Not anymore. That's what she used to have to do. I wouldn't want to walk in the winter, but in the spring and summer I think it would be great to walk. Of course, I am not the OP

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Oohhh!

Yeah, I know how the walking thing goes...
We walk a mile to school everyday...in AZ. Its usually neaing 100* in the morning...no fun. We used to walk to school in Boise, ID too...in the snow..also, no fun.

 

Raegansmom4

New member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #14

I plan to walk in the spring, but I'm in SD, so we see 40 below wind chills from about December-February. Right now it's 34 degrees, so I won't be walking the girls until probably April when it finally warms up here. DD1 can't wait to get to ride her bike "school," but we're not going to freeze to do it! DH has decided to keep driving his junker until the weather gets really cold. His car runs great until it gets really warmed up - which a 35 mile commute will do. It will run fine for a 5 block run unless I let it warm-up too much before leaving home! I don't want him to get stranded on the side of the road 1/2 way to work on one of those 40 below windchill days! I'm not worried about the car making it 5 blocks to my school. If it happens to break down on the 5 block drive, I can call a fellow teacher to pick us up - not a big deal.

 

kidrepair

New member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #15

Can your oldest DD buckle herself in? I would put her behind the passenger, the MR behind the driver and either have her climb in from the front into her seat or crawl under the rf seat to get to her seat...at least that is what I would do and being 4 or close to(sorry didn't look close enough to your siggy) she should be able to do it or learn to do it pretty quickly at that age....

 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

• Nov 9, 2009

• #16

If I had a 91 Lumina with a broken door, and two kids, one of whom is rfing, I would put the rfing child in the front seat (no airbags) and the ffing child in the rear center.

 

featherhead

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #17

safeinthecar said:

If I had a 91 Lumina with a broken door, and two kids, one of whom is rfing, I would put the rfing child in the front seat (no airbags) and the ffing child in the rear center.

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:yeahthat: