WWYD? Possible bad info being given to a friend at a seat check

calihannah

New member
My BFF told me today that she had her seats checked by the Highway Patrol (I've emailed her to ask for specifics), and that her seats were "installed perfectly."

Now, I strongly suspect that her Snugride was moving more than an inch at the belt path, since every time I've seen her in the past month, I've ended up tightening the base of this seat. It somehow keeps getting loosened (how is a mystery, though). For it to have been "perfect" this one time would really surprise me.

Which leads me to my point...I'm worried that she got bad information wherever she got her seats checked. WWYD?
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Well, I wouldn't do anything until you see the seats. :) It's possible that they used a locking clip or something other than the method she had been using to actually get it to stay tight. If the techs did their jobs, the seats were removed and she was shown how to properly put them back in, so maybe she meant that NOW they are in perfectly.

It is of course possible she got bad info; that happens. Especially with the highway patrol, techs can be very... hit or miss. Some are GREAT (including those who are police and firefighters.) Some are NOT (including those that aren't police or firefighters) and seem to not retain more than a quarter of what they learned in their training. You may find, as I did, that many of the techs who were "voluntordered" into training don't retain it quite as well as those who truly volunteered (although of course some take to it like a duck to water and retain everything and are GREAT. :thumbsup:)

In any case, if ANY tech is giving out bad info, try to find out as much identifying info as you can (location and date are essential, name is helpful) and you can report them to Safe Kids and/or their agency for giving out bad information, and hopefully they will be re-trained or at least corrected.
 

AtTheSouthDam

New member
Look at the seats. If they are wrong give her as much info as you can wothout getting to the point of alienation. Maybe arrange for a decent tech to check, explaining sometimes police want to help but don't know the best practices.
Be prepared to be ignored.

A fireman gave my SIL really bad advice and I can't undo it. He was a proffessional (that said it was okay to put a 30 lb 20 month old in a booster and use a clip to adjust the belt). I am just obsessed. I cringe and want to cry when ever she drives away (last time she had the belt behind the childs back as she was leaning out the window. She'll be 3 in Sept.)
 

Midwife@heart

New member
A tech gave a mom at a daycare wrong info too. Now she has her 2 yr. old in a combination carseat on booster mode and I can't do anything. I spoke to the tech myself and we didn't get anywhere.
 

calihannah

New member
A tech gave a mom at a daycare wrong info too. Now she has her 2 yr. old in a combination carseat on booster mode and I can't do anything. I spoke to the tech myself and we didn't get anywhere.

This is exactly my fear -- because a "professional" said something, it's now written in stone.

I'll check the seats myself before I say anything (I'm not a tech, but a good friend is and she has rubbed off on me...), but it has me worried sick.
 

Midwife@heart

New member
This is exactly my fear -- because a "professional" said something, it's now written in stone.

I'll check the seats myself before I say anything (I'm not a tech, but a good friend is and she has rubbed off on me...), but it has me worried sick.

People are so weird that if it wasn't so expensive (for me) I would become a tech just to have the "professional" title :rolleyes:
 

monstah

New member
It's also possible the techs helped her fix her seats and she just doesn't want to admit she had made a mistake. I would be embarrased to say "Yeah, you were right." KWIM?
 

calihannah

New member
It's also possible the techs helped her fix her seats and she just doesn't want to admit she had made a mistake. I would be embarrased to say "Yeah, you were right." KWIM?

Ahhh. That's a good point. You know, I think that might be it. Thanks for that perspective on things (and all the others)!
 

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