Carseat check tomorrow....

babygirlsmom1005

New member
So a neighbor of mine called me tonight. She made a appt. for a car seat check tomorrow with the police station here (she said she asked if he was a CPST and they said he was). She asked me to come along. I'm proud of her for taking these steps to make sure her new seat is installed correctly (and told her that).

She had her 2, almost 3 year old in a HBB and I talked her into getting her back into a harness (yeah I know, RF'ing is safer but I have the feeling she would have blown me off totally as she thinks I'm crazy for having my 4 year old RF'ing - baby steps - get her back harnessed was priorty - like I've seen someone on here say - it's easier to make one step than two at one time), she did listened and went and bought a GN right before Christmas.

She said she wanted me to go with her to the police station in the morning to get our (yes our) seats checked. I agreed to go with her to support her and show support for her new decision of re-harnessing her daughter.....but IDK, I'm not sure I want a police officer messing with my installs and I'm not sure I want a opinion (espically if he's not up to date) on having my 4 year old RF'ing when majority around here are in boosters. I'm not sure how much experiance this police officer will have with my seats (TFP, Frontier and Radian XT are what is installed in my truck).

IDK, just a rush of thoughts came over me when she said the magic word "our" and when I asked her, "Mine too?" and she said "Yes." I agreeded like I said to support her and her decision (and basically a pat on the back for making a good decision to re-harness her child).

I espically don't want a lecture about RF'ing in front of someone who thinks I'm crazy to begin with (must not be too crazy as she re-harnessed her child, but I think y'all kwim). IDK I could be totally wrong and this guy could be all for it, know the carseats (and know about rear face tethering), etc....
 
ADS

Maedze

New member
Call the officer in advance, ask to speak to him :) I think you should go. Be prepared to defend your position in a polite way, but don't assume he's a know-nothing. He may be up-to-date!

Bring copies of the CHOP studies, the British Medical Journal advisement, etc.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Call the officer in advance, ask to speak to him :) I think you should go. Be prepared to defend your position in a polite way, but don't assume he's a know-nothing. He may be up-to-date!

Bring copies of the CHOP studies, the British Medical Journal advisement, etc.

Thanks, I'll see about getting those printed out. I'll do that also and call and speak with him in the morning. I already printed out the press release from SK about the RN's being retroactive to 40 lbs RF'ing since Madeline is now 36 lbs....just trying to be prepared.

I hope hope hope he is up to date - how awesome would that be?
 

newbiema

New member
Well... I am not sure what to tell you other than GL! It sounds like she might be trying to set you up to get thrown under the bus, but there is probably no way to tell for sure. Hopefully this guy is up to date with his carseat info, but you never know. I visited a very chic baby boutique in a ritzy area this weekend to check out a Radian (nowhere else around here carried them), and all of the salepeople thought I was weird for wanting to keep DS RFing well over a year! I doubt they were techs, but you would think at least one of them would have some idea about ERFing.
 

Maedze

New member
Do you have to bring your kids with you? If not, nobody needs to know how old they are...

:confused:

I would never 'check' a car seat without demographic information from the parent. In fact, I will not do scheduled checks unless the children are present. You don't get to be so picky at a community event, but I don't think showing up without the kid and ...lying about the child's age???.....would blow over very well especially with her friend there.
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Do you have to bring your kids with you? If not, nobody needs to know how old they are...

I have no one to watch them, so my kids will be with me, I'm not sure if her daughter will be there or not. It's too late to get a sitter that I trust (Madeline has SPD and both of them have food allergies, and since I'm not sure how long this will take, I have no pumped milk for Marshall and he sucks at taking a bottle - my kids are always with me).
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
:confused:

I would never 'check' a car seat without demographic information from the parent. In fact, I will not do scheduled checks unless the children are present. You don't get to be so picky at a community event, but I don't think showing up without the kid and ...lying about the child's age???.....would blow over very well especially with her friend there.

True - like newbiema said, I hope she isn't trying to set me up with the RF'ing thing with my daughter....that would totally suck and well, that would be just mean after my DH and I have gone out of our way to help her in some tough times.
 

babyherder

Well-known member
Just wanted to say you can have the officer check your installs without messing with them. He can check the tightness, slot heights, etc. without changing anything. I'd just let him know before hand that he is not to adjust/change anything without your permission. I babysit and switch out seats a lot so its important I know how to install by myself. When I got one of my seats checked I asked them to make sure I did it right and if anything was wrong just to tell me so I could fix it.
 

Joyofbirth

New member
If the check doesn't go over well, you can ask her to go with you to get a second opinion. The techs from Safekids do checks in Arlington and Fort Worth and are awesome. They got my friend's baby re-rear-faced at like 18 months. I often go to get my seat checks for whatever reason and ask a friend to come along and get their seats checked too. I'm currently trying to get my friend's 15 month old turned back around. hope it all goes well though. I second calling him in the morning and talking to him about his belief system. If nothing else, perhaps you can ask him to please keep his opinions on this matter to himself in front of your friend.
 

brightredmtn

Well-known member
Just wanted to say you can have the officer check your installs without messing with them. He can check the tightness, slot heights, etc. without changing anything. I'd just let him know before hand that he is not to adjust/change anything without your permission. I babysit and switch out seats a lot so its important I know how to install by myself. When I got one of my seats checked I asked them to make sure I did it right and if anything was wrong just to tell me so I could fix it.

Not if he's using Safe Kids paperwork. Seats, even if they are installed correctly, must be uninstalled and reinstalled.

If she only made an appointment for herself though, there won't be time to do your car too. When the CHP did my first install they were very strict about appointments. I think I just found your loophole!
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
Not if he's using Safe Kids paperwork. Seats, even if they are installed correctly, must be uninstalled and reinstalled.

If she only made an appointment for herself though, there won't be time to do your car too. When the CHP did my first install they were very strict about appointments. I think I just found your loophole!

You may have.....I know she said our, but I'm not sure if she set up 2 appts. or not....Hmmmmm.....

I'm not worried about having my installs checked, I'm just worried about the non-up-to-date info and such....
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
You've met 2 local techs at our get together, if this appointment doesn't go well, have them set up a check for you! ;)
 

celtic1885

New member
If the check doesn't go over well, you can ask her to go with you to get a second opinion. The techs from Safekids do checks in Arlington and Fort Worth and are awesome. They got my friend's baby re-rear-faced at like 18 months. I often go to get my seat checks for whatever reason and ask a friend to come along and get their seats checked too. I'm currently trying to get my friend's 15 month old turned back around. hope it all goes well though. I second calling him in the morning and talking to him about his belief system. If nothing else, perhaps you can ask him to please keep his opinions on this matter to himself in front of your friend.

I've done the FW/Arlington checks several times..........good source for a 2nd opinion if needed.

You've met 2 local techs at our get together, if this appointment doesn't go well, have them set up a check for you! ;)

:happy-wavehello: ;) (would be a good excuse to get everyone together again....as if we needed on)
 

babygirlsmom1005

New member
You've met 2 local techs at our get together, if this appointment doesn't go well, have them set up a check for you! ;)

Oh I know, if she would of asked me first, I would have contacted one of the gals I met there for a check.

And yes, if it doesn't go well, will be contacting one of them (if she wants a second opinion).
 

Maedze

New member
Just wanted to say you can have the officer check your installs without messing with them. He can check the tightness, slot heights, etc. without changing anything. I'd just let him know before hand that he is not to adjust/change anything without your permission. I babysit and switch out seats a lot so its important I know how to install by myself. When I got one of my seats checked I asked them to make sure I did it right and if anything was wrong just to tell me so I could fix it.



This is actually NOT an appropriate car seat check, and no CPST should agree to it. In an approved check, the seat is completely removed from the vehicle, checked from head-to-foot, so to speak, and then put back in. You cannot do a good check without doing that.
 

armywife12

New member
This is actually NOT an appropriate car seat check, and no CPST should agree to it. In an approved check, the seat is completely removed from the vehicle, checked from head-to-foot, so to speak, and then put back in. You cannot do a good check without doing that.

I went to our local SafeKids office and had my MyRide checked by one of the techs. She was actually the head lady who I believe was also an instructor. She checked my seat for tightness and watched me buckle my son in his seat to make sure it is done correctly but she didn't actually take the seat out and have me install it again. I asked her if she wanted to see the manual but she declined. The install was rock solid and I thought that is why she didn't have me take it out to get checked. I thought she was great and she was thrilled that my son was still rear facing at 2 yrs old but I guess she didn't do her job correctly. That stinks. I was really hoping we'd have some great techs in Savannah since so many here don't use their seats properly. She was urging me to go to the next tech course but it was 40 minutes away and I was still in school. Maybe next year...
 

Maedze

New member
I've found some real doozies on a seat that appeared to be correctly installed and adjusted at first wiggle.

As in, the harness straps had been chewed through, so the parents just knotted them together behind the seat.

You also can't get the model number and check for recalls, generally, without uninstalling the seat.

I'm not trying to bash someone who might be a great CPST, but a full check involves completely removing the seat from the vehicle, checking it all over for any damage, running the model number for recalls, making sure the harness is routed correctly from top to bottom, check the vehicle for any problems (twisted seatbelt, LATCH secured to something other than an lower anchor, etc), and then completely reinstalling, sticking the kid in it and describing how the harness is supposed to be adjusted, then removing, then having the parent reinstall.

A check, done right, should take the better part of a half hour, at least.
 

Pixels

New member
My first ever check, the seat appeared to be perfect when it came in. Rear facing seatbelt install, LATCH strap routed through the FF belt path and hooks properly stowed on the seat. It wasn't until I pulled the seat that I realized that the LATCH wasn't stowed on the seat, it was attached to the vehicle. Dad had installed the seat rear facing with both LATCH and seatbelt, one through each belt path. The seat had an open belt path, and I hate to think what would have happened to the childs lower back when the strap pulled tight in a crash.

Just this week, I moved DN's FFing seat to RFing for DD. I found pool noodles (a pyramid) under the ffing seat, but they weren't visible while the seat was installed.

You can't always see what is wrong with an install if the seat doesn't come out. In addition, the DOM and serial number stickers often aren't accessible to check for recalls.

If a parent came to me for a check and didn't want the seat removed, I wouldn't refuse to help. I would try to convince them, and document, but help with everything that I could to the best of my abilitites.
 

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