How my son REALLY rode with a friend

About two weeks ago I was VERY sick, sick enough that my DH had to take Josef to work with him (he works as an Assitant Manager at Advance Auto Parts), which is a 10hr shift. I have two very good friends whom conspired for R to come to the store and pick Josef up to take out for a play-date. Josef was and Ray had EVERY intention of putting the Monterey in R's van. R said that would not be neccessary since she had her daughter's extra booster in the van. Ray was fine with that, since he knew that B (her daughter) was in a HBB Turbo. When we started asking Josef how his day went he said "Mrs R made me sit in a flat seat with nothing behind my head like in Daddy's car".

I recently found out that not only did Josef sit in a LBB, but the R has taken ALL of the headrest off AND one of the back seats out. Meaning that when she had her three plus Josef that B (whom is exactly a month younger than Josef) was sitting up FRONT! It is a 2005/2006 Toyota Sieana, so I KNOW there are air-bags up front. WHY on earth NOT put the extra seat back in?! I saw the van while we were at a play-date and was just beyond words, as she had her 14month old daughter FF in an older version Evenflo Triump with straps up near her ears and P is almost outgrown his AO due to height.

She knows how I feel about car seats, and feels guility Josef rode in a LBB since she knows what he rides in with DH and I, but also insited that Ray not move the Monterey as it was raining and she did not want Ray to get wet

Josef keeps telling us that Mrs R would not let him sit in the AO because that seat was for the babies....Josef replies "I am NOT a baby and I LIKE seats like this!"

R is a really great friend but after this I will never, never let Josef ride with her again. I am just very thankful that nothing happened to Josef, now I am praying that R does not get into an accident with B in her LBB and no head-rest behind her. Anyone have any videos or links about LBBs with zero head-support?

Sorry to hear that Josef didn't ride the way you expected him to. That's always dissapointing.

Are you sure he didn't have adequate support behind his head, though? I took a series of pictures of DS in various boosters in my dad's Odyssey (for an article on my blog) and it's very clear that even if the headrest had been removed, the vehicle seat was tall enough to provide more than adequate head support when DS was in the backless booster. Perhaps the same was true with your DS and your friend's B. :twocents:

I would be furious. Outraged. Especially since she knew you wouldn't like it and did it anyway.

I saw B get in, and Josef and B are very similar in height (they are so cute together) and B's neck would snap if R had to slam on the break

It would not have been too bad if the headrest were on the seats, as it looks like the back seat is a split bench so I am pretty sure that with the headrest there would have been adequate protection.

I want your blue parkway though