Waterbaby and I did a LLL Fair this morning. I got to do a Boulevard CS!

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
It was very cool. 8/1/08. Get this. The mom blogs and so Britax SENT her a CS to review. Like, she gets to keep it. It's free. And we on car-seat.org are chopped liver???

Her son is six months old, and when I went up to them she asked if it was ok that we put in a new seat instead of showing her her old one. Sure, I figured he was going from the infant to the convertible. I get out to her car and she's got a Marathon installed. I was so confused. Normally people upgrade to the Marathon, not something else. I clapped when I saw the CS. LOL She couldn't believe how happy it made me. I'm such a dork. Nathan just rolled his eyes when I told him about it. However, in true c-s.org fashion, when I went inside and told Waterbaby she said, "I am so jealous!" LOL

I have permission from the mother:
2769078000_b5088947bb.jpg


2768025917_4a2072b8bf.jpg


It's hard to see, but this is the Boulevard as it's installed. It's rear facing, and I pulled back the cover. So the head of the seat is to my right, the car's seat is to my left. I pulled back the cover. Where it's black there is where the harness adjuster comes out, same as it would on any other Britax. The black addition is what makes it go click, though. And it did. TIGHT. I tightened it to what I thought was acceptable (no pinch) and I had to give it one more tug. Britax is going to be getting a lot of calls of, "Mine is broken, it doesn't click. OH! It needs to be THAT tight??"

2768163587_6d7ed4a68d.jpg


Also at today's fair for me was a 2000 Snugride DX 5, which I hadn't seen before. Mom is due in two weeks. I told her to go out tonight and buy a new seat. Otherwise you know the baby will come before she buys the seat.

Another is a questionable Cosco combination without the harness. They weren't using it, thank goodness. These poor people, they had nothing going right for them. First, they installed their Snugride like this:

2768983140_746226cc42.jpg


2768086391_538b9176e1.jpg


That's the LATCH strap looped around the hinge for the back of the car's seat to come forward and hooked back on itself, and then attached to the sliding latchplate of the buckle. The seatbelt was buckled in. You have to give the dad credit on that one. And you have to give the mom credit. She knew something wasn't right. She came to the fair specifically to have her seats checked. She wouldn't take the kids out because someone had to keep a hand on the seat to keep it from tipping. I taught the parents how to do a locking clip seatbelt installation (1999 Explorer) so the seat didn't tip. Plus put their foot down for them.

Then I went on to the next seat. Fourteen month old girl. TINY. Maybe 18-22 pounds. They weren't certain. They had her in an Evenflo something (no model name, just a number). The hospital sold it to them when she was born. They had it forward facing with the rear facing foot still in place, still in the bottom slots which weren't reinforced. It was a two door car, so they wanted her forward so they could get her in and out. I said it wasn't best practice, and she may not be big enough (they were *pretty* sure she was over 20 pounds) but if they wanted me to I'd show them how to do it properly. So I go to rethread the black harness through the top slots and it doesn't reach the splitter plate. For some reason they have a random harness on the seat. It didn't come with the seat. The adjuster strap is gray. And thicker than the black harness. So I told them we had to put her in rear facing (trying to keep the smile off my face) because the top slots weren't reinforced, and the harness doesn't reach. They had no other seat to use for her. So they have to deal with it until they get a new car, which will be soon. I also gave them Evenflo's number to call about the harness, and the name of some economical seats to buy for both kids. They will put the little girl rear facing in the new car. They got why it was safer, it's just back breaking with the angle of the doorway to get a rear facing non bucket in there. I hate to think what they would have done with their five month old in the Snugride who was already 18 pounds. They were really nice, and took the fact that they had royally screwed up really well, and were angry and upset at the hospital for selling them a seat that was not what it should have been.

Their boss gave them the crappy Cosco combination with no harness or labels, and they were by this point amused to hear it was no good. If it had had a harness I would have used it for the 14 month old rather than the questionable Evenflo. But nope. And the cover just nearly fell off. I brought it home so SafeKids can destroy it next month. I showed it to Piper when I got it home saying that I was going to get it destroyed, and she said, "It's already destroyed!" LOL

So that was today. Nine seats in four hours. No one yelled at me or argued too much with me (unlike Waterbaby, someone fought with her). I don't know how many seats she did. I would think about the same. It was pretty good.

Wendy
 
ADS

tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member
:eek: on the snugride LATCH install!!! Oy.

The BV looks great! I really hope that it sells like hotcakes so more parents know how to get the harness tight.

I don't think LLL here does any of these types of fairs. I should look around and find out!
 

serabi

New member
Man, when we tried the (brand new) floor model of the CS at BRU, I was very unimpressed - it wasn't tight enough IMO. Maybe I need to try it actually installed in the car!
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
It was a smoother pull for most of it. Then it got tight and needed tugging, but it was more productive tugging. Does that make sense? Instead of pull tugtugtugtugtugtug it was puuuullllllllll tug TUG. That one final tug to get it to click was a tug and a half, though. The mom and I were both kind of waiting with baited breath for it to do something. LOL

Wendy
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
LOL, that makes perfect sense, thanks! (Thinking I need to get one for DH's car, he's SO lazy about tightening the harness that I can barely have him use the Roundabout right, can't imagine subjecting him to the Radian when Leah's taller!)

:)
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
It was very cool. 8/1/08. Get this. The mom blogs and so Britax SENT her a CS to review. Like, she gets to keep it. It's free. And we on car-seat.org are chopped liver???

everyone except Darren, I'm guessing. I'd almost bet a new BVCS that it was a similar situation.

cool that you got to play with one. Myt BRU didn't have them out yet last time I was there.
 

emars002

New member
LOL, that makes perfect sense, thanks! (Thinking I need to get one for DH's car, he's SO lazy about tightening the harness that I can barely have him use the Roundabout right, can't imagine subjecting him to the Radian when Leah's taller!)

:)

I'm thinking the same for DH - today he put DD2 her MA and i put DD1 in the TF. He got in the car while i was still buckeling DD1. DD2's straps looked funny so i walked to the other side of the car and her right strap had one twist in it (which you would think is impossible for a MA w/ hugs but DH managed to do it) and I pinched a bunch of harness before i even undid the twist - I mentioned to him nicely that it was twisted and it wasn't tight enough and he felt bad...i just think its harder for them to understand how it all works...I think he would benefit greatly from a BLVDCS - i would just have to come up with another reason for needing it other than "honey, this is so you know when the harness is tight enough" - maybe i could tell him i think the cover is prettier:whistle:
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
WOW at that SR install! Also at the little girls seat! It is great that she left RF at least! I know it is a PITB to keep kids RF in a 2 door, but safety outweighs my convence anyday of the week IMHO!

I also like the looks of the CS, but I HATE the wings on the BLVD!
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Really? I like the new wings. They're wide open. To me they don't seem as immobilizing as the old. Which can be good and bad. :)

I agree about rear facing, definitely, but I saw their point and then some. The mom had a head and neck injury and could not physically put the kids in the car. And right now dad will either put baby in second so he can lean over the base to put the little girl in, or he'll put them in from the trunk. The height of the car and the angle of the doorway to the backseat, it's just really hard. If it had just been the mom we would have HAD to find a way to get her in there forward facing. One of those best of a worst situation. I mean, it already was, but there was no way the mom could do anything. Watching her pick up the kids looked painful. But it all worked out. I hope at least. I'm curious as to what happened with the harness at the hospital, and what Evenflo will say.

Wendy
 
i'm not even sure i would call that snugride thing an "install" it looks like they just took straps and wrapped and clipped them to anything they would reach.
the cover on the boulevard looks much better in those pictures then on the website. i like the swirls in the tan
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
i'm not even sure i would call that snugride thing an "install" it looks like they just took straps and wrapped and clipped them to anything they would reach.
the cover on the boulevard looks much better in those pictures then on the website. i like the swirls in the tan

I told the mom that, actually. I told her it was in the car, but it wasn't actually installed. At least they knew it was a problem and didn't get all huffy when I pointed out that it was a fatal problem. They knew that, and that's why they came. So the best of all worlds. A really horrendous installation and no upset parents. LOL

Wendy
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,896
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top