WHY are they so STUPID?

I just did the seats in my boss' wife's car AGAIN.
She took them out last time (and will again). She makes me put them in, and I spent my time and my energy doing it in the hot Florida summer sun wearing long pants, and I guarantee you that by tomorrow she will have taken the seat out again.

She has a Cosco Summit in there with the lower anchor straps. And the straps were hooked to both anchors, but the belt wasn't through the belt path! Come ON, you can not tell me that it's not amazingly obvious that there is a problem when you can move the car seat 2 FEET from the seat back.
And she had the belt so tied in knots that I couldn't even undo it and ended up putting it in with the belt. Nice and tight... but not for long.

She is SUPPOSED to put her 2 yo in the Summit and her 3 yo in a booster. I know that he should still be in a harness, but she is not willing to buy another seat. And boosters are 'too hard' to use. And the 2 yo screams because SHE wants to be in the booster. So, she ends up putting the 2 yo in the booster, but not buckled in at all, and the 3 year old in the middle (2006 explorer) not buckled in.

She seems to think that the children have latches on their butts that effortlessly and without fail attaches them to the seats. Therefore not only do the seats themselves not need to be attached to the car, but the kids don't even need to be buckled into the seats.

And her husband is asking me if he can extend my services to his clients to install THEIR seats (and I said sure) and offered to pay for my CPST license (I took the class a LONG time ago, 99 or 2000, and let it lapse and I am not even eligible for a recert) if I want to retake the class.

WTF? So he is going to pay for ME to take the class, and do it for his clients, and not even knock some sense into himself to keep his kids alive in the car?

Their other car is a 2006 mustang convertible and they also don't buckle the children in. They have a HB turbo and an AO elite in there, but neither fit in the bucket seats. The kids just sit there.

I have fantasies of buying two Radians for the mustang and two regents for the explorer. And they COULD do it no problem. For the cost of a month's worth of spa visits for her. But they won't. Because she either is too stupid to realize it, or just doesn't care (a combination of both I think, but I am leaning more towards the latter).

Okay. Done with my ranting. I just don't get how someone can be so DUMB when it comes to her kids' lives.

Is putting seats in a part of your job description? If not, I wouldn't do them.

You run an incredible risk of liability if you are installing seats and you are not currently certified. Do you have liability insurance?

Sounds like one of those situations where you should just let it be. They don't appreciate safety seats. And I agree, you should be careful, you could be held liable if you are installing seats and are not certified.

No, it's not in my job description. I do them because she asks me and she knows I know how to do them. Plus I do NOT like her and it gets her out of my hair. And I just hope that maybe one day she'll realize it's important and listen. I don't do them for complete strangers. But I would do them for a friend or family without batting an eyelash.
I would never do it w/o cert for the general public.

Shoot, being unbuckled is agaisnt the law in your state, isn't it? Call the police on her, when you know she's out with the kids. That might slap some sense into her, but I doubt it (and if she continues to do it, call 'em again)

Anonymously of course.

Illegal, yes. And it's a primary moving violation (meaning they can pull you for it, not just ticket you for it after they've pulled you for something else). And she is about 1 point from losing her license entirely.
I HAVE called the cops once. But I know from experience that FHP doesn't do anything but send you a note about it being important for kids to be buckled up. At least, that was the case when I tried it several months ago. If it happens again she'll know it was me.

I wouldnt install her seats. I wouldnt install seats for anyone who isnt trust able. You dont know that in the future she may uninstall them and reinstall them her way and get in an accident and blame you for her kids deaths b/c you installed her seats and you have no proof you know how to do it correctly. I've seen you post you used both the LATCH and belt for installs which is incorrect and dangerous, if something happened that could be a serious problem for you.

I'm also not a tech but i'll install seats for my family and close friends if they need help or i'm babysitting but if i cant get it tight i'll ask them to do it. If its not going to be tight i want it to be on their head not mine, they also may be better at getting it in their own car.

I assume your boss thinks you're installing the seats and as your a past tech you're going to do it correctly so he doesnt have to worry about it himself. (or he considers it women's work) Does he know that techs do more than just install seats? Many ppl dont know that you're supposed to TEACH ppl how to do it not just do it for them.

Have you tried teaching her kids how to buckle their own belts? At 3 i think they could do it (maybe 2, i think it depends on the child) If the parents are refusing to use a 5 pnt seat at all maybe its best to take the step down in safety and put them both in boosters.

Yes, her kids know how to buckle them. Well, her older child knows how to buckle his booster. But the harness is a puzzle buckle and no way can a 2 year old do that one!
I redid the mustang. I knew it was wrong at the time and I had to weigh the options... and after awhile (even though another tech had backed me up in my thought process) I changed my mind and undid it and told her to do it herself. Which is way worse than I would have but like you said I am not doing it unless I am confident of it.

I've tried teaching them SO many times to do it. And each time his wife says she has it and understands, but then can't get it back done. And I have no clue why she keep taking the seats out since they never go anywhere in another car...

She won't buy another booster. Otherwise I would say to put the 2 year old in a booster. She actually IS a good booster rider for a 2 year old, and is on the big side (about 36 pounds, I don't know her height but I know the turbo is at the second height setting for her) but mom won't buy another one. That's why I talked her into the FIRST booster, since two car seats was just 'too much time' and he has been in it since just after his second birthday. He was way too immature and just a hair over 30 pounds, but for awhile she was using it almost okay.

They know how to put these seats in and use them correctly. I know they do. It's just laziness. And he DOES put them in the seats correctly (the husband) but trust that the seats are actually installed, which they rarely are.