CPST's & CRST's...have you done an inner city check?

If so, what types of misuse did you experience? I worked an inner city distribution/check yesterday and I want to know if what I saw was the norm, or if it's even worse here than elsewhere.

Probably the same misuse as I see other places, w/a little more of the old or damaged seats. There were a lot of families asking for boosters for TINY 2 year olds, b/c they were free. I didn't see any extended rear facing, and saw several FF infants. Several cars w/more kids than seatbelts, or seatbelts that didn't work. The misuse seemed a little more extreme in some cases, but not a lot worse than I see working w/rural families where I live (one specifically - Cosco Touriva OHS - shield had come off and been put on upside down, huge beach towel in the seat, and the seatbelt pulled across like a booster!). I saw all ranges of cars, from ones that cost more than mine to ones that when i got out I felt like I needed a shower!

You know, this is really funny, but the one check we did that I would consider pretty "inner city", I saw more Upper-class parents than ever before (I have no idea why though, I guess they decided they would drive down for kicks ). Audis and Britaxes galore

At this same check though, we did experience a bit of mind-blowing misuse: one parent with an obviously 12+ year old seat - truly, truly disgusting, and the worst by far that I have ever witnessed and hope it never loses its title: 5 passenger car. 3 adults, a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a 2 week old infant. No car seats, no seatbelt usage at all. They drove in with the infant held by the mother in the passenger seat. Truly shocking (we knew they were coming and didn't have a CR for the infant, but really didn't expect it to be that bad). It really makes me upset just thinking about it.

Ok, then from what I'm seeing, what I saw yesterday was above & beyond the norm.

I did about 6 cars...out of those cars only 2 of them came with ANY restraints for the children at all. Of those 2, 1 the harness was so terribly twisted and only the chest clip was buckled. The other one the mom had borrowed it from her dad after his DD was done with it, however now the dad needed it back for the next kid so the mom was coming in to get a free seat because she didn't have the means to buy one herself. The one with the horribly twisted harness wasn't even buckled in properly...it was buckled OVER the child like a booster.

In the remaining 4 cars that I checked...

Car #1... 25lb 3yo come in in no restraint at all, l/s belt used with the shoulder belt behind his back.

Car #2...33lb 4yo no restraint at all, l/s belt used with the shoulder belt behind his back. 45lb 6yo, no booster, l/s belt used with the shoulder belt behind her back.

Car #3...60lb 7yo, arrived in the front seat with the l/s belt on properly, but of course it was across his neck and he was messing with it.

Car #2 AGAIN...28lb 11 month old. NO RESTRAINT AT ALL. Lap belt only, with brother & sister holding him up.

There was also a van that came in through another lane that had a 6yo & a 6 month old in it...the 6yo was holding the 6 month old...no restraint for either.

Then there were 2 infants (both under a month old) that came in in different cars...one arrived in a borrowed, crashed, ancient disgusting OHS. The other arrived in a borrowed hospital issued Graco Avanta(?? I think that's what it's called?) with the straps all wrong...not sure how you can mess up a 3pt harness, but they managed it. Both were given convertibles.

I expected it to be bad...I worked at a rural event a year ago in my home state and saw lots of ancient carseats in use. But this really, really, really shocked me...I mean I would wager a guess that more than 75% of the vehicles that came in had absolutely no restraints for these kids at all...and of those, I would say that 99.9% of them were legally required to still be in one.

That is just so sad for those kids. I'm sure the parents want the best for them, but are just oblivious to it and/or don't have the resources to know otherwise. Then I always wonder/worry that they will continue to use the seat given to them, and use it properly, kwim? So much to think about.

Both the mom's that came in with their kids at least in a seat, both were VERY receptive to making sure that they knew how to put it in properly after they were given a new seat. The one mom thanked me profusely and after she installed her DD's new seat told me that she never thought that her DD's seat was wrong and that she felt "stupid" for it being so wrong. I told her that she wasn't stupid, that she didn't know any better and if no one was willing to show her then how would she learn? She was PROUD to show off her installation to the senior checker and told me that she felt like I had "empowered her".

She made my day. :thumbsup:

I also was very proud of the mom that brought the 11 month old in though too in all honesty. She heard about the check on the radio while she was on her way to take the 4 & 6yo school shopping. She didn't realize that we would GIVE her seats if she needed them. She didn't have a seat for the 11 month old, and is due any day with #4 and didn't know that the hospital would GIVE her a seat for the baby if she told them she needed one. She changed her plans for the day to go home and get the baby because she knew he NEEDED a seat, but she didn't have the money to even buy a Scenera at Walmart. So while he arrived in a less than perfect manner, he left perfectly safe, and the older kids were still going to have time to get their school supplies. :thumbsup:

This is exactly WHY I want to get certified. We live in a nice suburb of Rochester, but Dh works in the city. I routinely see infants on laps and tiny children with adult belts. I'm terrified to have even a little fender bender here. What if I hit one of "those" cars. I'd never be the same.
There are so MANY at risk kids that need help. We have a huge spanish speaking population as well. I honestly don't think that they have the info that they need. I'll need to look up a few words that I never had to use before to help them with their seats. When I'm certified, that is, which is looking like next year now.

waterbaby said:

That is just so sad for those kids. I'm sure the parents want the best for them, but are just oblivious to it and/or don't have the resources to know otherwise. Then I always wonder/worry that they will continue to use the seat given to them, and use it properly, kwim? So much to think about.

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You know in complete honestly, without being cynical, I don't think all parents want the best for their kids Some do of course and are just ignorant. And yes you can give some parents a great seat but they will be to lazy to install it or if the kid rides in a different car they won't bother to install the seat in that car and deep down a lot of parents just think, oh they'll be fine and the whole concept of car seats or being diligent about usage just irritates them, like they have such more important things to worry about. But hey giving them advice and/or seats cant hurt. There will be some who will pay attention and try their best.

strollerfreak said:

If so, what types of misuse did you experience? I worked an inner city distribution/check yesterday and I want to know if what I saw was the norm, or if it's even worse here than elsewhere.

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umm... i would say it depends on WHICH inner city you're referring to???

tarynsmum said:

You know, this is really funny, but the one check we did that I would consider pretty "inner city", I saw more Upper-class parents than ever before (I have no idea why though, I guess they decided they would drive down for kicks ). Audis and Britaxes galore

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god forbid that yuppies actually *live* in the inner city . honestly, i think i know what the OP meant by "inner city" (poor urban plight???) but please, don't judge all cities that way. in boston and NY, it's the outer city suburbs that have the urban plight. the inner cities are full of yuppies buying up townhouses and driving expensive cars, while the less fortunate are driven outwards.

southpawboston said:

umm... i would say it depends on WHICH inner city you're referring to???

god forbid that yuppies actually *live* in the inner city . honestly, i think i know what the OP meant by "inner city" (poor urban plight???) but please, don't judge all cities that way. in boston and NY, it's the outer city suburbs that have the urban plight. the inner cities are full of yuppies buying up townhouses and driving expensive cars, while the less fortunate are driven outwards.

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Heck, it is trendy to live in Harlem now, lol.
And I agree with you as well. In Austin you are not living in the "inner city" (downtown) unless you are prepared to pay over $2500-3000/month for rent on an apartment, and that is more than likely a 1 bedroom. Most one downtown townhouses, which there has been an explosion of here, are going for more than $1 MIL!

Yeah, this is downtown Kansas City, the part of the city that is not the nice area to live in...West of the Plaza with it's ritzy shops and it's "Mercedes Bennnnnz's" (imagine Ron White saying it, LOL) and apartments & Condo's that anyone actually working there can't afford to live in.