Lemonade
New member
and she was actually thrilled about it.
Was dropping off paperwork at a daycare that I might start subbing at. Lady is putting her DD in car seat in car next to us. Appears to be right around a year (was 14m). It's an Alpha Omega reclined FF. I apologized and said I hope she didn't take offense but I'm a tech and the seat needed to be upright FF. (I was going to mention RF if I had a chance.) She was so thrilled and said she had been trying to get in to see a tech! She just got a new car (a late model Volvo wagon, no latch or TT.)
I told her I could help out. My kids were in my car and her DD wasn't all too patient so it was somewhat rushed. She said she wanted her RF but couldn't get the seat in that way. It would only fit RF in the center forcefully braced and forget outboard. And holy cow was the installation her DH did creative. Seatbelt actually looked correctish except for being reclined. Then another seatbelt through the belt path the other direction, wrapped under the seat, hooked to one end of the latch strap, with other end of the latch strap hooked to something under the front seat. I installed it where they had it, outboard. Showed her how to do it. Told her they can try it center if they want because it was not super tight. Within tolerance, but not as tight as I'm used to getting seats. Just because of the geometry of how the seat fit on the vehicle seat. I also took off the newborn head support and adjusted the straps to the right level (they were way too low). She bucked her in and it was nice and snug and chest clip was properly used so that's great. I told her to sign up for a check because other techs might have some tricks I don't know to be able to use it rear-facing. It did have switchable latch plates...the ones you are shown in class but will likely never see again
But the seatbelt locked so I used that. I perhaps could have gotten it a smidge tighter with the latchplate locked but I didn't want to try something new in a rush with no one there to check me on it.
While it was not in any way ideal for that 14m old to leave FF, she was far safER than before I intervened and that's the whole point. And the seat was actually being used within manufacturer's guidelines when they left, vs beforehand.
Was dropping off paperwork at a daycare that I might start subbing at. Lady is putting her DD in car seat in car next to us. Appears to be right around a year (was 14m). It's an Alpha Omega reclined FF. I apologized and said I hope she didn't take offense but I'm a tech and the seat needed to be upright FF. (I was going to mention RF if I had a chance.) She was so thrilled and said she had been trying to get in to see a tech! She just got a new car (a late model Volvo wagon, no latch or TT.)
I told her I could help out. My kids were in my car and her DD wasn't all too patient so it was somewhat rushed. She said she wanted her RF but couldn't get the seat in that way. It would only fit RF in the center forcefully braced and forget outboard. And holy cow was the installation her DH did creative. Seatbelt actually looked correctish except for being reclined. Then another seatbelt through the belt path the other direction, wrapped under the seat, hooked to one end of the latch strap, with other end of the latch strap hooked to something under the front seat. I installed it where they had it, outboard. Showed her how to do it. Told her they can try it center if they want because it was not super tight. Within tolerance, but not as tight as I'm used to getting seats. Just because of the geometry of how the seat fit on the vehicle seat. I also took off the newborn head support and adjusted the straps to the right level (they were way too low). She bucked her in and it was nice and snug and chest clip was properly used so that's great. I told her to sign up for a check because other techs might have some tricks I don't know to be able to use it rear-facing. It did have switchable latch plates...the ones you are shown in class but will likely never see again
But the seatbelt locked so I used that. I perhaps could have gotten it a smidge tighter with the latchplate locked but I didn't want to try something new in a rush with no one there to check me on it.While it was not in any way ideal for that 14m old to leave FF, she was far safER than before I intervened and that's the whole point. And the seat was actually being used within manufacturer's guidelines when they left, vs beforehand.
