WARNING! Hidden danger in the car. PLEASE read!!

Splash

New member
If it happened to me, it can happen to you! I'm posting this in hopes that I can prevent this tragic accident from happening to someone else.

I had to install Charlie's FR85 today with the belt, LBP. Because I knew once it was tight I would not be able to move the seat forward to access the tether, I hooked the tether first and just left it loose, intending to tighten it when all was said and done.

So I put the seat in, tether loose, and got the seat nice and solid. I reached back to tighten the tether, and it was slightly twisted, so I leaned over the seat to untwist it. I had to get pretty far down there to see what I was doing, and I had my arms in as well. I untwisted it and tightened it and stood up.

And I didn't move.

My HEAD got STUCK between the seat and the side of the car! STUCK! And because my arms were in there as well, I couldn't maneuver enough to get unstuck. And the seat was already buckled and belt locked so I couldn't move the seat up. So I just kinda floundered there for a minute, trying to figure out how to unstick myself. I mean, I put my head IN the hole, surely I can get my head OUT of the hole, right? So I twisted and turned and managed to dislocate my shoulder (worry not, I sublux dozens of times a day and fully dislocate several times a week, so it wasn't a big deal) and wiggled my arm out so I could change the position of my head and slip out.

Glad I got out, since I'm home alone and it was 96* when I was doing it and Sam was inside sleeping. I could have hung out there for a long time!


ETA- I know it could have been bar, but it turned out fine. I really meant this to be humorous.
 
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mrs_teeee67

New member
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!! That could really have been a bad thing! Since you're ok now though, I must admit I did enjoy the visual you provided.
 

jourdysmom

CPST Instructor
:eek: OMG I would have gone into a full panic attack!!!! I once got my arm stuck in the engine compartment of my mothers 2000-01 Dodge Grand Caravan trying to fix the serpentine belt... I thought I could just reach that little bit farther, couldn't but then couldn't pull my arm back out... I panicked, out in the snow by myself for what seemed like forever...then just pulled as hard as I could and out came my arm... My entire upper arm was a HUGE bruise.... hurt for weeks LOL. My kids were in my van with the heat on watching a movie, so they never heard me yelling for help LOL

So glad that you were able to dislocate yourself to safety!!!!
 

Mae

Well-known member
I must admit I did enjoy the visual you provided.

I don't know that I would say that. I would be offended if I was the OP and somebody said that. I admit, it took me aback when I read you said that. :twocents:

Splash, I'm glad that you were able to free yourself. I can only imagine how scary that must have been. You should consider yourself "lucky" that your shoulder has a tendency to dislocating.
 
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Splash

New member
Oh I'm not offended! I meant it to be humorous. I meant the whole thing to be humorous. I doubt I was ever in any huge danger, and if I'm goin to laugh someday then I might as well laugh now!
 

Evolily

New member
I always manage to do things like that. It's like I underestimate my size or overestimate by flexibility and then... bam. I'm stuck.
 

Mae

Well-known member
Oh I'm not offended! I meant it to be humorous. I meant the whole thing to be humorous. I doubt I was ever in any huge danger, and if I'm goin to laugh someday then I might as well laugh now!

You amaze me. I probably would have peed my pants, seriously. Then cried.
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
As I first started reading I was thinking oh my gosh what did she do? Are the boys okay? The further I got I was chuckling, then outright laughing. that is totally something I would do. I got my arm stuck behind a seat once and had to bellow until someone heard me and came to unbuckle it so I could get out. The sheer panic when you're stuck though!
 

glockchick

New member
I've gotten stuck before doing that as well. Never quite that stuck, but stuck non the less. ;)

Glad you got out and didn't become some weird news story somewhere. ;)
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
YIKES! I'm still cringing at the thought of dislocating a shoulder :eek:. Glad you got yourself out!
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I thought it was hilarious.

Beautifully written: Great set-up, great zinger.

I did get a little worried/skeeved about you dislocating your shoulder, though.

I only wish we had it on tape.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
lol Hilarious.

I ALWAYS......I mean ALWAYS..(this is a true testament to my complete stupidity, lol) for get to flip the front seat forward in bob's tiny little metro when i put seats in...so when all is said and done, I am TRAPPED in the fricking backseat of the metro, with a RFing seat completely blocking my egress, and you can't reach around the front seats to get at the latch that allows the front seats to flip forward, so I'm literally trapped back there.......I'm glad MY kid can open doors, lol.
 

christineka

New member
I once was installing seats from middle to back and got myself stuck in the third row. I've learned my lesson- I now install the third row, then the middle-most seat, and work my way outboard.
 

robbertbobbert

New member
I may or may not have once gotten myself stuck between the passenger's headrest and the ...ahem... ceiling once. I was like 16 and my sister had taken something of mine when we pulled into the garage so naturally I had to go OVER the seat. not next to it or open the door. It was hilarious.
 

kidzndogz

New member
Dude, that *is* dangerous. And someone could have de-pantsed you and left you, stuck, with your butt hanging out. Even worse!

I was taking seats out of my car last month (I have had an empty back seat for an entire month! I know that sounds weird for a car seat board, but I'm really enjoying having NOTHING in my backseat for once) and I fell backwards onto the floor. So my head/back were up against the back of the passenger seat, my feet in the air. Shaped like a V. Butt on the floor. Vivo on my head. Completely stuck because my damn stomach didn't allow me to rotate and get out of there. I yelled and yelled and no one heard me. Finally Shaun came out for some random reason and rolled me onto my side and pulled me out. I got stuck under his Volvo a few days later. :rolleyes:


We need a thread devoted to backseat car seat debacles.
 

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