You've never really seen it all...

Mama Jo

New member
A young mom came into the pregnancy center with her newborn to shop in our boutique.

Baby was in a bucket seat with the harness undone while they were shopping. I didn't want her to forget to strap the baby in, so I made a mental note to say something if the baby was still unbuckled when they were leaving.

Much to my surprise, at one point while shopping she picked the baby up to soothe her and the seat had no harness!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: Nothing. It was a shell and a cover and that's IT!

So as she was leaving, baby back in the seat, I told her not to forget to buckle her in so she didn't slide out when she was walking out to the car.

Her response???? "Oh, that's ok, I just use the seatbelt through here [pointing to seatbelt guides]. It's alot easier."

:eek: :eek: :eek:
 
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mommaon112903

New member
:eek: :thumbsdown:

I didn't know a seatbelt could save an infant's life :rolleyes: May someone hit mom over the head with a smart stick before something tragic happens to the babe.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Unfortunately, many really don't understand the purpose of a carseat or how things work in a crash. I'm sure if most of those people understood, they'd do things differently...

I agree though, you've never really seen it all. You do eventually reach a point though where nothing shocks you anymore. One of my most memorable seats at this point involved multiple pieces of plywood... :whistle:
 

Mama Jo

New member
Unfortunately, many really don't understand the purpose of a carseat or how things work in a crash. I'm sure if most of those people understood, they'd do things differently...

That's exactly it. These are the people who don't understand why carseats are needed. Or seatbelts for that matter.

They probably just assume an infant carrier is a place to put the baby if there's no one in the car to hold her. The same people who, as soon as their toddler can walk, will get rid of the carseat alltogether. :(
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Yowza!! :eek:

Honestly though, I can see how someone could think that. Maybe they find a seat beside a trash can (you know someone removed the harness so people would NOT use it), so they don't realize it needs a harness and just buckle it in through the belt guides. They know a baby doesn't fit into a seat belt and this seat is a cozy place and the seat belt holds it in.

I guess this gives points to the manufacturers who make non-removable harnesses! I guess now we need yet another label on the seat, maybe right on the cover stating "this restraint must be used with a harness as supplied by the manufacturer. If it is missing, please call #". :rolleyes:
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
What did they do with the plywood?

I can't go in to specifics because specific details of the public seat checks I volunteered at are all bound by client confidentiality... but I will say there were numerous pieces involved, so use your imagination. ;)
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
Wow. That beats mine. Mom had baby in a carrier, in a snowsuit. Harness was loosened all the way (to fit the snowsuit), harness came out around the arms (not over the shoulders), and she only buckled the chest clip. :eek: But, I guess..... at least it HAD a harness.
 

brightredmtn

Well-known member
This thread makes me really sad.

I chatted with a mom at DS's preschool today. She had just dropped off her eldest and was putting her about 12 month old into her Sienna. She's not American, I thought she was from South America but maybe not because I asked about her car seats which were not American either (and had way cool belt paths) and she said they were Dutch or Danish I don't remember now :eek:. She said that they were so much better than American seats but her 12 month old was FF with a huge puffy coat on and his harness straps were below his shoulders. Probably so he could reach this tray thingy hanging off the seat in front of him. :thumbsdown:
 

P1ally

New member
Wow.... I mean.. wow..

And I think people used the plywood under their car seats so their kiddos could see out the window..

Do I win a prize??:D
 

romanoma

New member
very very sad to see such little ones not restrained at all :(

And I was thinking of the plywood over the top of the seat in some way to keep the kid from being ejected? Like a boarded up window? IDK, the imagination can run wild...
 

steph_s

New member
snowbird25ca;1102427 One of my most memorable seats at this point involved multiple pieces of plywood... :whistle:[/QUOTE said:
What no bungee cords?


The weirdest contraption I have seen by far was an infant swing seat attached to the vehicle with bungee cords and the use of all 3 seat belts in the seat. Was quite a sight to see! I had to take a second and a third look at the seat to even figure out it came off a swing. It still had the long poles attached to it, but that is ok because they used those to wrap the seat belt around! It at least had a 5-pt harness though. Not saying it was a great idea, but I can't imagine the logic behind using a seat belt that isn't touching your child to keep the child in their seat!
 

mommy-medic

New member
People don't cease to amaze me. Today leaving Target I was loading up the back of my Suv and parked behind me was a small 2 door car. Mom was young, maybe 17 or 18, and was putting baby in her seat. HUGE puffy coat, staps fully extended, baby about 10 months old FFing. I waited till she was done buckling so I could load my things up (carts, car doors, back hatch, etc all in the way so we had to work around one another) and couldn't bite my tongue. I asked cordially if she was all set, and mom said yes, then I pointed out that she might want to tighten up her straps as they were falling off of her. Mom snapped "we got it" so I left it at that (and my back hatch was open, so they could clearly see my EH'ed 8 year old and my ERFing almost 3 year old, as well as fire dept jacket that says FIRE across the back in HUGE letters. (And now that I think about it I have a clear rubbermaid bin in my cargo area with a lid but against the outside edge of it is child safety brochures, lol) Can't save them all!

Ooooh- I have pics of lumber and ratchet straps and I think bungee cords being used, but not sure if I can post it here or not. (kids faces blacked out). Will move it over to SCM if anyone wants to see/add to that thread.
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
Unfortunately, many really don't understand the purpose of a carseat or how things work in a crash. I'm sure if most of those people understood, they'd do things differently...

I agree though, you've never really seen it all. You do eventually reach a point though where nothing shocks you anymore. One of my most memorable seats at this point involved multiple pieces of plywood... :whistle:


My most memorable was parachute rope!
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
My most memorable was parachute rope!

Hahaha - yeah, that would be memorable because it's not something you see every day.

To the guessers, nope, plywood wasn't to help the kid see better, and I guess I should be grateful it wasn't over top of the kids.

I've seen bungee cords, weird things done with seatbelts, weird things done with the harness that go way beyond just loose and low chest clips... I guess it says something when those things just aren't shocking or memorable anymore. :(
 

HONEYhas3

CPST Instructor
My 2 so far were:

A modified 5 point bucket into a 3 point bucket, installed with LATCH(UAS) which wasn't tightened at all.


FF newbie in a bucket, the handle was up, latch straps wrapped around the handle, tied in a know and hooked to the top TA. Baby was FF so mom could turn around in the front passanger seat, knee on her knees and reach back and feed baby a bottle, or change her bum!!!!!!! both seats on either side of baby were empty.
 

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