CPS_obsessed_EMT
Senior Community Member
Today at a seatcheck, there was a lady that didn't have an appt but was going by and saw the sign. I agreed to fit her in, and when I went out to her car I immediately knew that something was wrong with the seat. It was a convertible seat, but it only had a 3pt harness. I asked her if she knew the seat history, and she said "yea I bought it new". I looked at the DOM and it was made in 07. At first I thought that the straps were routed wrong, but nope, there was nowhere for hip straps to go and the buckle was that of a 3pt. The cover was SO dirty and beat up that I had a hard time recognizing what it was (it resembled a Touriva).
I explained to her that I was trying to figure out what was wrong, because on a forward facing seat, there HAS to be 5 points of contact (each shoulder, crotch, each hip) and said that for the hips there are either straps or a bar that comes down and rests on their hips.
She said "Oh, yea, it came with a bar but she didn't like it so I took it off"
Ummm okaaaaay
I asked her if she still had it, she said no, if she did she didn't know where it was, she is in the middle of moving to Georgia (across the country) and will be leaving on Friday.
I said I don't know if I can let you leave like this, it is absolutely unsafe. She said she was on her way to Walmart and could get a new one there. We had a Scenera and a Booster with us. I was going to sell the Scenera to her, but then I put her in it, and her shoulders were already even with the top straps. (oh, did I mention the child was 22 months and 21lbs)
I could not BELIEVE a child that age/size was already even with the top slots on a Scenera!
So I recommended the Graco Cargo to her (higher top slots and affordable and our local store carries it) and was going to lend her our Scenera for the trip to Walmart (which I have done before)
But my supervisor wouldn't let me lend it to her. Its the first time she hasn't let me do that. To be honest, I think she was stereotyping the mom (won't go into detail)....
So I at least tried to get the mom to put the seat RFing for the trip to Walmart, but she wouldn't do it, she said that she would scream if she couldn't see her. And she promised she would drive "very safely" to Walmart.
Anyway, she never came back I'm trying to decide if its a good thing or a bad thing I didn't lend her the seat. On one hand, at least her daughter would have been a *little* bit safer. But on the other hand, I would have been in a crap load of trouble as we have a VERY tight budget to work with and we do NOT give out seats for free. And if someone was going to steal a seat, I would rather have it at least be someone who could get some use out of it (remember, her shoulders were at the top slots...though maybe still better than a FFing 3pt)
I'm sure I am already in a somewhat amount of trouble because I don't have proper documentation or signatures for her leaving the way she did. But I REALLY thought that she was going to come back with a new seat. I really really did. She told me she wanted her to be as safe as possible because she was friends with a mom and daughter that were killed in an accident.
Ugh, I am so naive. I wish she would have at least been honest if she couldn't afford the $70 for the Cargo. Hell, I would have given her money out of my pocket for a new seat (ok..so I don't actually have any money in my pocket...but I would have at LEAST given her one of the seats sitting in my garage that are getting close to expiration, which is better than what she's in...)
Now all I can do is worry about that lil girl :crying:
I was impressed however with how tightly her seat was installed and how tightly she had the straps.
Somebody please tell me she has SOME kind of chance in a 3pt FFing seat?? (if not just lie to me )
Oh, and I can't reiterate enough how shocked I am to see a less than 2 year old outgrown a Scenera and at only 21lbs too :dizzy:
I explained to her that I was trying to figure out what was wrong, because on a forward facing seat, there HAS to be 5 points of contact (each shoulder, crotch, each hip) and said that for the hips there are either straps or a bar that comes down and rests on their hips.
She said "Oh, yea, it came with a bar but she didn't like it so I took it off"
Ummm okaaaaay
I asked her if she still had it, she said no, if she did she didn't know where it was, she is in the middle of moving to Georgia (across the country) and will be leaving on Friday.
I said I don't know if I can let you leave like this, it is absolutely unsafe. She said she was on her way to Walmart and could get a new one there. We had a Scenera and a Booster with us. I was going to sell the Scenera to her, but then I put her in it, and her shoulders were already even with the top straps. (oh, did I mention the child was 22 months and 21lbs)
I could not BELIEVE a child that age/size was already even with the top slots on a Scenera!
So I recommended the Graco Cargo to her (higher top slots and affordable and our local store carries it) and was going to lend her our Scenera for the trip to Walmart (which I have done before)
But my supervisor wouldn't let me lend it to her. Its the first time she hasn't let me do that. To be honest, I think she was stereotyping the mom (won't go into detail)....
So I at least tried to get the mom to put the seat RFing for the trip to Walmart, but she wouldn't do it, she said that she would scream if she couldn't see her. And she promised she would drive "very safely" to Walmart.
Anyway, she never came back I'm trying to decide if its a good thing or a bad thing I didn't lend her the seat. On one hand, at least her daughter would have been a *little* bit safer. But on the other hand, I would have been in a crap load of trouble as we have a VERY tight budget to work with and we do NOT give out seats for free. And if someone was going to steal a seat, I would rather have it at least be someone who could get some use out of it (remember, her shoulders were at the top slots...though maybe still better than a FFing 3pt)
I'm sure I am already in a somewhat amount of trouble because I don't have proper documentation or signatures for her leaving the way she did. But I REALLY thought that she was going to come back with a new seat. I really really did. She told me she wanted her to be as safe as possible because she was friends with a mom and daughter that were killed in an accident.
Ugh, I am so naive. I wish she would have at least been honest if she couldn't afford the $70 for the Cargo. Hell, I would have given her money out of my pocket for a new seat (ok..so I don't actually have any money in my pocket...but I would have at LEAST given her one of the seats sitting in my garage that are getting close to expiration, which is better than what she's in...)
Now all I can do is worry about that lil girl :crying:
I was impressed however with how tightly her seat was installed and how tightly she had the straps.
Somebody please tell me she has SOME kind of chance in a 3pt FFing seat?? (if not just lie to me )
Oh, and I can't reiterate enough how shocked I am to see a less than 2 year old outgrown a Scenera and at only 21lbs too :dizzy: