Question Would you ever rent a carseat?

triscuitsmom · May 12, 2009

I'm heading to Ottawa on the weekend. We are having a hard time figuring out how to get our carseats there. We are going on the train and it appears that they are too big to be carryon, and there isn't any checked luggage on the train we are taking. I've taken a Radian as carryon before and just slid it behind my bag but the other carseat we'd be taking (either a ComfortSport or a TrueFit) won't fold so it's bulkier.

We were going to just have my MIL pick up a seat to keep at her house and try and schlepp the Radian with us (though that in and of itself will be tricky with two kids and our bags and no car of our own to get to the station lol) but she says she doesn't have room to store a seat. She pointed us to a rental place in Ottawa that has seats www.precioustravellers.ca for rent.

I'm not comfortable with the seat option they have avaliable for my toddler but I would put L into a Snugride (and have before so I have some experience installing it even though we don't own one).

They have a good policy for trying to ensure the safety of the seats it seems but I just can't shake the feeling that I shouldn't use a seat I don't know the history of (I've only ever used non new seats that were bought new at some point by someone I trusted with carseat safety).

What are your thoughts? Am I being over paranoid? Any suggestions if you don't think I am on how to get around the train issue (has anyone travelled with a non folding seat on the train?)

Lea_Ontario · May 12, 2009

I don't have any advice on the train situation - it's been so long since I've been on a train, and I cannot recall if they have a lap-belt or not.

But, I would NOT use a rental seat. No way, no how.

With no car of your own to get to the train station - how are you transporting the kids to that point?

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
I don't have any advice on the train situation - it's been so long since I've been on a train, and I cannot recall if they have a lap-belt or not.

We might be taking the train from Montreal to Ottawa so I called Via Rail to talk to them. Their are no lap belts on the train (or any other seat belts).

Kashi said:
But, I would NOT use a rental seat. No way, no how.

A big ditto to that!

The train from Montreal to Ottawa doesn't have checked baggage, it only has carry on baggage and from what I could tell, our car seat doesn't fit in the dimensions they list. I asked Via Rail about it, and she told me if it doesn't fit for me to take it on, that they WILL find a spot for it and not to worry about it. It will be allowed on. We haven't booked our tickets as of yet, but before I do, I will be calling Via AGAIN to see if I get the same answer from the next person. Give them a call and see what they say and make sure post it here. I'd like to know that the info is consistent.

Assuming they allow the car seat, that's one down for me. Not sure what I'm going to do about the stroller yet that also doesn't fit their dimensions!

Lea_Ontario · May 12, 2009

TechnoGranola said:
We might be taking the train from Montreal to Ottawa so I called Via Rail to talk to them. Their are no lap belts on the train (or any other seat belts).

I just sent an e-mail, worded in such a way that it was obvious that I expected to be able to use my child restraints. Didn't feel like calling.

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
I just sent an e-mail, worded in such a way that it was obvious that I expected to be able to use my child restraints. Didn't feel like calling.

Let us know what they say. When I called I said "I will have a car seat with me" and she said, "you won't be able to use it on the train, there are no seat belts but you can bring it with you". Then, I went into how it didn't fit into their dimensions and she told me it was no problem, they would find a spot for it.

Lea_Ontario · May 12, 2009

See - I'd just show up with it, regardless of what they said. I'd show up with the full expectations of using it. I think my kids would have a complete fit sitting in a seat without their seats.

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
See - I'd just show up with it, regardless of what they said. I'd show up with the full expectations of using it. I think my kids would have a complete fit sitting in a seat without their seats.

I don't get how you would install it? Or you'd just plop it on the seat with your child in it not attached to anything? That's not something I would do. But, I'm also not at all worried about not being able to install it. My child will enjoy sitting in the train seat without a child restraint, she loved the time we rode the city bus! I just want to make sure that it can come on the train because I'm not leaving it behind and I'll be irked if they say it's too big and I have to go rent a car....

Greyhound buses don't have seat belts either (at least not all of them do) and we had to take the bus once. It sucked because it was an overnight bus and a child restraint would have been nice for DD to sleep. Instead she slept on me and I didn't sleep the entire night.

Lea_Ontario · May 12, 2009

TechnoGranola said:
I don't get how you would install it? Or you'd just plop it on the seat with your child in it not attached to anything? That's not something I would do. But, I'm also not at all worried about not being able to install it. My child will enjoy sitting in the train seat without a child restraint, she loved the time we rode the city bus! I just want to make sure that it can come on the train because I'm not leaving it behind and I'll be irked if they say it's too big and I have to go rent a car....

Obviously, I wouldn't use the seats. But I would be set up to write a 'complaint' letter to Train Company X about it after.

What would they do ?
Boot me off the train because I had the extra pieces of 'luggage' with me ? Make me leave them behind ?

My oldest would be the one to freak about not having a seat (he's autistic and change is difficult for him).

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
Obviously, I wouldn't use the seats. But I would be set up to write a 'complaint' letter to Train Company X about it after.

What would they do ?
Boot me off the train because I had the extra pieces of 'luggage' with me ? Make me leave them behind ?

I guess I don't understand going in with that attitude. I am sure I must be misunderstanding you. I'll be taking my seat based on the fact that the VIA rail employee told me that it can come with me regardless if it fits in the carry on dimensions. I believe they are aware that kids need their car seats and families aren't going to give them business if they can't take their seats. Each person is allowed 2 pieces of carry on, so I am going to make the toddler's luggage her child restraint and her stroller. Each adult and my older daughter will have 2 bags each which works fine for us. These short trip trains don't have a car for checked luggage so there isn't a lot of room on them. (kind of like those small Air Canada Jazz planes where you have to "sky check" your carry on even. And when they swapped us to one of those planes they had to send people's luggage on a different plane because the little one didn't have enough room! LOL). I'm not going to come with extra luggage because I'd rather not cause a problem when I've already read and clarified the rules.

Kashi said:
My oldest would be the one to freak about not having a seat (he's autistic and change is difficult for him).

I hope I didn't imply that I thought your kids *should* be fine with change, because that totally wasn't my intention! I was just trying to say that I was at least lucky in that regard because my little one will have a riot sitting in the regular seat and it's a 2 hour trip during day hours, so it'll work for us. I totally understand having a child that doesn't like change, because as much as mine will be fine with things like the riding without her seat on the train, there are lots of other things where change will cause a screaming fit.

Lea_Ontario · May 12, 2009

TechnoGranola said:
I guess I don't understand going in with that attitude. I am sure I must be misunderstanding you.

I would not have called to ask about car seats if the kids and I were taking the train. I'd just have shown up assuming that, since they transport kids, they can accept the safety seats.

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
I would not have called to ask about car seats if the kids and I were taking the train. I'd just have shown up assuming that, since they transport kids, they can accept the safety seats.

Okay, I guess you and I just differ (which is fine!).

I called and asked when we took the bus, and for our upcoming flight and for the train. I am easily frustrated and get very annoyed when things don't go well, so for my sanity I need to find out all the rules beforehand.

J-max · May 12, 2009

We took VIA Rail completely across Canada last summer (we had a BLVD and 2 RSTVs with us) They will find a place to stow the seat, just ask friendly. The seats do not work well to have a carseat "installed" on them, they are just nice plushy seats. Part of the reason we travel by train is that it is much more kid-friendly.

just FYI - VIA is a million times better to deal with than Amtrak

tcottawa · May 12, 2009

Kashi said:
I would not have called to ask about car seats if the kids and I were taking the train. I'd just have shown up assuming that, since they transport kids, they can accept the safety seats.

I'm so confused, do you mean accept them as carry-on, or have them installed? The train (and every train I've ever been on) does not have seat belts. Even so, it is still much safer than driving.

EDITED: Oh, I get it, you mean as carry-on. I would show up and insist they take them on, since airplanes do. I can't imagine them not letting me bring them on. I would definitely throw a fit...

TechnoGranola · May 12, 2009

J-max said:
just FYI - VIA is a million times better to deal with than Amtrak

Shows how much I know about trains in Canada, I thought VIA was the only one!

Curiosity got me, so I checked Amtrak's site for price comparison with VIA and it looks like VIA is my only option anyway (Amtrak doesn't appear to have a station in Ottawa, but does have one in Montreal, so I could leave the city I'm in, just can't get to there I need to go. :ROTFLMAO

J-max · May 12, 2009

TechnoGranola said:
Shows how much I know about trains in Canada, I thought VIA was the only one! Curiosity got me, so I checked Amtrak's site for price comparison with VIA and it looks like VIA is my only option anyway (Amtrak doesn't appear to have a station in Ottawa, but does have one in Montreal, so I could leave the city I'm in, just can't get to there I need to go. :ROTFLMAO

Sorry, VIA is Canada's version of USA's Amtrak, but there do interchange in a few places - at least Montreal, Vancouver, and maybe Winnipeg

triscuitsmom · May 12, 2009

OK... I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't think it's safe to rent a carseat.

In answer to the question, we will be either getting a ride to the train station in my Moms vehicle (which has two TrueFits "perma" installed... not really obviously but I hate taking them out because they are such a pain to get back in as solid as I insist they be) so we'd have to fit the seats we'd be taking and our luggage in her trunk and it's really not that big... or else we'll be walking the 15 minutes from our house to the station with both kids and whatever seats we are taking.

That's really good to know that VIA will just find a place for them even though they are too large. We'll just take both seats if that's the case. I feel better knowing the history of the seat.

hipmaman · May 12, 2009

I think it is said in the posts above but just in case...

You cannot install or use a carseat on board a train. There is just no way to attach the seat. The seat will have to go as a piece of luggage and in the 'cargo' space and not as a carry-on.

HTH

triscuitsmom · May 12, 2009

hipmaman said:
I think it is said in the posts above but just in case...

You cannot install or use a carseat on board a train. There is just no way to attach the seat. The seat will have to go as a piece of luggage and in the 'cargo' space and not as a carry-on.

HTH

*nods* Yeah I know you can't install them, I've gone on the train many times going to visit my family in Toronto :thumbsup:

My problem is that there is no checked luggage on the train and they are too big for carry on, so I wasn't sure whether they'd let me take them on the train or not and I need them at our destination as we'll be in my MIL's car while we're there and she has no seats for the kids. Her suggestion was for her to pick up rentals but I'm really not comfortable with that.

Shanora · May 12, 2009

They will make space for them!! When are you Traveling?

triscuitsmom · May 13, 2009

Shanora said:
They will make space for them!! When are you Traveling?

This weekend... leaving Friday and getting home on Sunday.

BTW... It's cool to see you over here! We're on the same due date thread on TBW :thumbsup:

Question Would you ever rent a carseat?

New member

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

Well-known member

Forum Ambassador

CPST Instructor

New member

Forum Ambassador

CPST Instructor

New member

Moderator - CPST Instructor

New member

Well-known member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics