Travel seats

This post was on a forum I frequent...and I'd love to help out this mom, but really have no advise other than her 11 month 4 week old son should not be riding in it. I don't know her sons size or their financial ability to buy seats...nothin. Just want to be able to give her some help...

Has anyone ever used a portable car seat or a car safety vest? (http://www.securebaby.com/sb22909.html - this is a link to what I am talking about) I am going to be traveling with my son and I will have to be riding in taxis. If anyone has any experinence using one of these car seats/vests please let me know what you thought of them. Thanks!

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It's impossible to use properly, get a good install in, and there's no way he should be in it. *Maybe* if he was older, say four or five, he could withstand the evilness that is a portable seat. But at less than a year? I wouldn't even want to think of it. Besides, taxis are not good for carseats that are forward facing. The head excursion is too great (since most don't have tether anchors or have tethers used) and so the heads can impact the divider.

With that in mind a Scenera would probably be the best bet. Or depending on where she's going, a public transportation card for the subways/buses.

Piper and I are going to NYC next Friday. I'm taking one of my lightweight backless boosters (rated from 30 pounds) for the TWO planned rides in a taxi. We're staying with a cousin in an inconvenient location, so I may carry it with me daily in case we decide to hop in a cab. This is the first time I'm doing this. In the past we've taken the subway, the buses, and walked. She has ridden in cabs a few times, and I hated it. NYC is crazy. I can't believe I did it, even after I knew better. Rushing home for dinner. As if that was important. Anyway. Piper is five now and 33.5 pounds. For the first time I'm ok riding in a taxi with her in a booster. Otherwise the only ways I was comfortable with her were on the subways or the buses in a pinch. My personal favorite is the subway. Piper's just in the awkward age of too big to carry around and too small to walk the half mile to the nearest subway stop. We may get to know the M31 bus line very well.

Wendy

They are absolutely NOT safe for a child that age -- unless the child is so obese as to not fit any typical convertible seat.... Kiddo might still fit the Graco SafeSeat Step1 (which can be installed without the base) or a Cosco Scenera (maybe with GogoKidz for strolling, although it would have to be removed for vehicle installation).

I lugged my kiddo's Cosco Apex through NYC + Omaha + Denver: every place we went was willing to give me a safe place to store it while we enjoyed their services

Thanks for the help! I'm still stuck on exactly WHAT to tell her. I can't copy/paste your replies on that board either b/c it will end up getting removed since it's copying. Unless ya'll give me permission to c/p the stuff onto that board- then I can!

This was my reply to her original post:

As a car seat technician, I would strongly advise against those type of restraints for such a young child. I'm assuming it's for the child in your ticker? Your child should still be rear-facing and that harness is only for forward facing. Children don't normally sit in them correctly and slump, they just aren't a good idea for someone young. There are a few good ones out there, but they are a lot more $$ and still not good for a child as young as yours. In my honest opinion, your best bet is using your own car seat or buying a very easy to install seat. By using your own seat you're probably going to install it a lot better than you would a brand new one because you're used to it.

I'll ask some other technicians if they have any additional ideas for you though!

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And here is her reply to me:

I should have clarified, it won't be used until the end of Feb. when he will be able to be in a forward facing car seat(even though I plan on keeping the car seat we have in our car now rear facing as long as I can). He has also already meet the requirements for height and weight(according to the requirements provided on the website). My main concern is my child safety. I don't want anyone to think that I would sacrifice my son's safety for convience. I am just trying to figure out the safest, easiest way to travel with my son. I would only use the portable car seat in taxis for short periods of time (if it is safe) not for a long car ride. Please let me know if you find out any info. from the other technicians. Any info I can get would be great! Also since I have never riden on buses or trams with my child what is the rule? I know that many buses do not have seat belts, is it ok to take a baby on one with out a car seat?

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Help...I don't have a dang clue what to tell her

Here's Patriot's post about the TNG in response to another thread, which pretty much sums up my opinion exactly

Patriot201 said:

It is next-to-impossible to install. :thumbsdown::thumbsdown:
It is next-to-impossible to use correctly. :thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

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So long as the parent is willing to accept a REALLY loose install in most vehicles + a really obnoxious, difficult harness then more power to her I guess Despite the nontraditional install, it does crash well (because kiddo sits low & far back) but the only good use I found for mine was a tool for Leila to appreciate safe buckling by letting her strap in her dolly.

P.S. feel free to copy/past anything I've said about it as your own.

Well, what city is she going to? Maybe someone can help with location specific advice. For instance, if she's going to NYC or DC I'm sure someone can help her with sites (hopstop.com is good) for figuring out point A to point B without a taxi.

Buses do not have seatbelts. They have size going for them. Are they the safest? I'm not sure. Certainly between a taxi with that POS seat or a bus I'd choose the bus. And I have chosen the bus. And I will choose the bus.

We have traveled with Piper a LOT. Big cities and small towns. If it's small enough we rent a car, or I've installed her carseat in taxis and shuttles. You gave great advice, make sure she knows the seat before she goes. In cities that are fairly big but small enough not to have a huge public transportation system I use my feet quite a bit. Seattle is a great example of that. Piper and I have walked all over the city. North to Belltown, south through downtown, west to the water, and east to more water. Or depending on where we were going I'd look up the bus routes and take us on the bus. Piper enjoys the bus. Even when out in Seattle when we went out of the city and to a suburb we took a bus. It's a great way to see a bunch of areas you wouldn't see on your own. In New Orleans the last time we were there (pre-Katrina) I set out on foot and after a mile or a mile and a half when I couldn't find what we were looking for I got us on the cable car and we took it back down to our area. I've walked over a good chunk of New Orleans. Again, a great way to get to know a city. DC has my favorite subway system. I've flown into DC, rented a car just so I could get from the airport to the furthest subway stop. Park in a park n ride and get on and go downtown that way. Many times I've simply taken my own car. I've driven to DC, I've driven to NYC, I've driven to southern Florida. That freed me up to park in or near the city and then take public transportation from there. Or walk. In NYC I take the subway, second to that I take my feet, and third to that (especially going from west to east and back to west again) I take buses. Even in China we were frequent bus riders and subway takers. NYC taxis are tame compared to them.

Rather than a terrible carseat, maybe she could invest in a good stroller or baby carrier (I'm nervous about pushing a baby in a stroller in front of me in cities. There are crazies on the roads!). Then get a bus or subway map and just hoof the rest of it. If it's so far that there aren't buses or it's too far or hard to walk, then renting a car is an option. Maybe having someone give her a ride? Borrowing a SS1 for the trip?

And just because she's traveling doesn't mean he should be unsafe. How are they getting to this place? Flying? He should have a seat and his carseat on the plane (RFing) anyway. It's a PITFA to travel with a carseat like that without a car on the other side. I've had to leave our carseat in our hotel room while we walked inbetween needing it in taxis to and from the airport. I've brought it random places, like Tiffany.

Where is she going and how is she getting there? What is she planning on doing? Does she have access maybe to a SS1 and a stroller for it? How about a baby sling or a backpack?

She sounds really open to suggestions and advice. Can she come here and we can talk to her directly?

Wendy

I would "As someone who is clearly very concerned about her child's safety, you will not be satisfied with this product."

wendytthomas said:

Buses do not have seatbelts.

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Lots of 'em don't but ours do. :thumbsup: