Taxi's??

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

Were going down to toledo ohio this coming weekend for a MI search and rescue thing. While my husband is there for the day my plan is to take the kids to the toledo zoo. My husband needs the truck to keep the dog in while they are training so the kids and I will be taking a cab from the hotel to the zoo. My husband is going to pick us up so its only going to be one way 3 miles or less. Do you need car seats in a cab?? If so what can we do with them while were in the zoo?? We've never taken a cab with the kids and I've never even thought about how people work with their kids and cabs lol
Tia!!

keri1292 · Jun 21, 2009

Your husband is going to keep the dog in the truck???

Yes, you need seats in a cab. The law may excuse your lack of seats, but the laws of physics will not. Can you find a bus station that dh could drop you off at? Or a nearby bus stop to walk to?

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

The truck has a topper on the back that is very well ventilated and they are only in there for maybe 5 - 10 minutes at a time

they need somewhere to hold their dogs while the next trail is set for them. He's a bloodhound and they track for human remains so its kind of pointless to set a trail and the dog is with you or watching you while you lay the trail, kwim??
Also I looked for a hotel within walking distance but had no luck. My husband is leaving around 7 am and were not leaving for the zoo until around 10am or so. The kids will want to swim before we leave and I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant so I don't want to be walking at the zoo from 7am till 4 or 5

not to mention my 3 and 4 year olds won't last that long.

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

I forgot to ask what would the difference be in riding a bus with no seats and taking a cab with no seats? I really don't want to be walking around a big town I don't know with 3 kids, I just thought a cab would be super easy by picking us up at the hotel and dropping us at the zoo. I want to make the day as easy as I can its going to be looonngg and hot

bethng · Jun 21, 2009

Maybe you can call the zoo and ask them if they can hold your seats for you in an office or locked room of sorts? Tell them your situation and they might just help you out! Cant hurt to ask

carseatcoach · Jun 21, 2009

Busses are designed to be used without carseats or seatbelts. They are huge and reinforced. Cars, even those designated as taxis, are not designed to be used without carseats. A three-mile trip without carseats is not something I would do or recommend short of a life-and-death emergency. Can you rent a car for the day?

BookMama · Jun 21, 2009

chickabiddy said:
A three-mile trip without carseats is not something I would do or recommend short of a life-and-death emergency. Can you rent a car for the day?

Not to mention that the Toledo Zoo is on a very busy road - I wouldn't drive on it at all without car seats.

keri1292 · Jun 21, 2009

Tonya48615 said:
The truck has a topper on the back that is very well ventilated and they are only in there for maybe 5 - 10 minutes at a time they need somewhere to hold their dogs while the next trail is set for them. He's a bloodhound and they track for human remains so its kind of pointless to set a trail and the dog is with you or watching you while you lay the trail, kwim??
Also I looked for a hotel within walking distance but had no luck. My husband is leaving around 7 am and were not leaving for the zoo until around 10am or so. The kids will want to swim before we leave and I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant so I don't want to be walking at the zoo from 7am till 4 or 5 not to mention my 3 and 4 year olds won't last that long.

Gotcha. I figured there was a reason.

I'd call the zoo and see if they can hold your carseats, but even just getting three car seats to the gates may be tricky.

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

Yeah I was worried about getting them up to zoo also... Renting a car for the day just to go 2 or 3 miles up the road is out of the question. We don't have the money for that

but if a bus was hit or flipped wouldn't my kids fly all around the bus?? I've never taken public transportation either. I think I'm going to call around to different cab companies and see what they suggest and also the zoo to see what they offer.

bethng · Jun 21, 2009

keri1292 said:
Gotcha. I figured there was a reason.

I'd call the zoo and see if they can hold your carseats, but even just getting three car seats to the gates may be tricky.

Have the cab drive as close to the front gate as possible and take 2 or 3 trips up to the gate (or tip the driver a little more to help out) where hopefully they will gladly take the seats into their office and keep them for you until your dh comes to get you

Mommy0608 · Jun 21, 2009

If the hotel is close to the zoo, maybe they have a bus-type shuttle service that you could use to get to the zoo? I wouldn't put my kids in a taxi without car seats though. Like someone else said, a bus is designed to work without seatbelts or car seats.

Sorry that there's not a simple answer. Do you have two vehicles at home? If so, can you just drive separately? Gas for your own second vehicle might be cheaper than renting a car for the day.

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

Thanks for all of your replies!! We do have 2 cars a suv and a truck so gas would be crazy. We are only staying one night because we just don't have a lot of extra money right now. So taking 2 cars or renting a car is not an option. I didn't think about a shuttle I'm going to call ahead and see about that

as far as carrying all 3 seats up to the entrance and keeping 3 kids at my side for multiple trips, that scares me lol. I'm sure there's going to be a line to get in and plenty of people. I think the best option is to check on some kind of shuttle bus.

andre149 · Jun 21, 2009

I would check on the shuttle bus... none of the other options seem very feasible. Check with the zoo, but also check with the hotel. A lot of hotels offer transportation to nearby attractions for free or a small fee.

Good luck!

BookMama · Jun 21, 2009

Even if you take a shuttle from the hotel, you're going to have to deal with car seats. Toledo has a pretty good bus system - you really should check out the routes. http://www.tarta.com/routes.htm

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

Were booking our room tonight so afterwards I'm going to call the hotel and see what they suggest and offer

TechnoGranola · Jun 21, 2009

I'd either take public transportation/shuttle or let my husband go alone and take the kids to do something fun in my hometown. Under no circumstances would I ride in taxi without child restraints and personally, I wouldn't spend the time fiddling with 3 across in a taxi and hauling my seats to the zoo to store and then having to reinstall in the taxi on the way home (especially while pregnant). I installed ONE seat in four different taxis on our recent vacation and taxi drivers tend to get huffy while waiting for seats to be installed and sometimes they offer to "help" which of course is no help at all! And I hate driving with cabbies who are in a huff because they tend to drive faster and rougher to make up for the time they waited for you, or take a longer route purposely so you get charged more. Which brings me to the fact that taxi drivers tend to speed and follow too close so I'd feel a heck of a lot safer on a bus anyhow!

carseatcoach · Jun 21, 2009

^^^

I agree. Given the budget constraints -- which I understand -- and other factors, this just does not seem feasible unless you are willing to consider public transportation. Lugging three seats to and from a taxi and installing and uninstalling (especially in a three-across) just seems like a nightmare and NOT a fun vacation day. I would also be concerned about a hotel shuttle: many of them are 15-passenger vans and like taxis, may be LEGAL to use without carseats, but definitely are not safe.

love-pink · Jun 21, 2009

I didn't say I was against public transportation I said I didn't want to be walking all over a town I didn't know looking for a bus stop. If there is one near or around the a corner or two I would have no problem taking a bus

and we will be going even if we have to lug around 3 seats we rarely have the time or money to get away with the kids, or without and it will be a wonderful experience for my kids to see an actual zoo. We live in a very small town and we don't have things like taxis or public buses so I was just asking for others info on them or experience with them.
Well figure it out some way so we can all have a fun day.

libranbutterfly · Jun 21, 2009

Hopefully there is a shuttle. Maybe you can call around and try to find a hotel that has a shuttle to the zoo? If not, then definately look into the buses. If you ride on a bus, you want to sit in a front facing seat, and make sure the children stay seated properly. Depending on their temperments, I'd probably put the 4 yr old by the window next to the 7 yr old, and the three year old by the window beside you, in the row behind the other two.

If the bus and shuttle are not available, then maybe you could work a little on booster training your daughter before the trip (if she is at least 40 lbs). Put her and the 7 yr old in boosters, and 3 yr old harnessed in the center.

ETA I would use the carseats on the shuttle, if it was available, as well. The shuttle driver would be less likely to get huffy about it, IMO, and you wouldn't feel as rushed

bobandjess99 · Jun 21, 2009

The bus is decent if you are close to a route. As coincidence would have it, we are quite possibly going to the toledo zoo next Weekend also, LOL! I am from there and my family lives there..we were planning to make a trip within the next week or two...
Do you know which hotel you are staying at yet?

Taxi's??

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