Morganthe
New member
I need advice. Carseat advice. Not for me. Not for a friend, but a woman who has purchased items from me and I have her email address so I can probably suggest some solutions.
Here's the situation:
2 weeks ago, I sold my Tiffany parkway to a military spouse on Spangdahlem AB here in Germany, but technically American soil. :dizzy:
It was for her 5 year old daughter who wasn't there. We chit chatted a bit about my lack of any Japanese vocabulary other than Kunichiwah and we parted ways. She is Japanese, has been here about 3 or so months, and is trying to get ready for winter.
Today, we met up again for her to buy some snow boots and a waffle maker. I pulled in next to her car and she got out to talk with me.
Her 3 year old daughter was in a harnessed seat. She started fussing because MOMMY was outside the car where she wanted to be.
So the mom went over, opened the door, and I saw the entire seat move 2-3 FEET!!! :jaw: when the daughter got up.
Okay, here's where I show my total ignorance -- I'm pretty sure it's a scenario, one of those bagged Walmart seats -- floral pattern. But I could be mistaken. Easily mistaken.
So I'm standing there, flabbergasted and trying to figure out what is with the seat and what I should do. :scratcheshead:
I am NOT a tech, nor do I think I ever want to be one. But this was ridiculous.
The car is a German Specs, BMW 4 door sedan. Probably mid 90s. I realized that I could see a good 4-5 inches of the lapbelt hanging loose before entering the back of the carseat.
I know she was talking to me and her daughter, but I was just standing there staring, totally flumoxed on what to do or what to say. Yeah, speechless, me.
Finally, I looked at her, told her, I'm so sorry, but your daughter's seat is dangerously LOOSE where I have to say something about it.
I go over, shake it, show her how it would definitely not stop before slamming into the front seat.
There is no way to lock the seatbelt. It's European. She has no locking clip and she's using an American seat that doesn't come with one.
What I did do was unbuckle the seatbelt, pull the lap part as far through to the buckle as possible and get it so that if there was a sudden stop, it hopefully would engage.
I emphasized it several times that this was only a stop gap measure. This was not a safe option. In fact, it would likely be safer if her 3 year old was in the Parkway... but that I didn't think it would work either.
She needed to get a US locking clip (HA! Good luck with that, here, in the middle of the German sticks) or purchase a German Carseat with an internal belt locking device. I gave her the store names where they carry seats --- Hela, Real, TRU (but that's in Koblenz over an hour's drive via autobahn away), and if she can locate any baby shop in Bitburg or Wittlich. Dang, I forgot to tell her Rofu kinderland -- a toy store, but smaller than TRU, with b etter prices and baby stuff.
I also showed her how my seatbelts on my US Passat locked and why hers wouldn't. I think she picked up why I was so worried. I told her she needed to pay attention to the lap belt part and keep that as tight as possible until she gets a better seat option.
I really don't know what else I could have done in that situation. (sigh)
If there's a Safe Kids rep here at Spangdahlem/Bitburg, I certainly haven't seen any evidence during the past 15 months I've been here. I also don't want to overwhelm her language skills. She speaks very good English. However, I know well, that in learning and understanding a language, when you deviate from known topics, it's very very difficult to comprehend. It's safe to say that Carseat safety vocabulary is not part of English 101
We're remote. A good description of where I was at the time is an Air base on a hilltop, surrounded by fields and forests. Gorgeous, but as far from shopping as you can think. There's little tiny villages. But the major nearby city is Trier. That's over 30 miles away.
I have her email address. Heck, I helped her today teaching her how to deal with the combination post boxes. So I know I'm on good terms.
This is the only vehicle they own. She mentioned that the other day for the reason why she couldn't pick up items that her dh had taken the car. So there's no US specs vehicle in the picture.
Is there anything I can email her with that could immediately or quickly help their situation?
thanks.
Here's the situation:
2 weeks ago, I sold my Tiffany parkway to a military spouse on Spangdahlem AB here in Germany, but technically American soil. :dizzy:
It was for her 5 year old daughter who wasn't there. We chit chatted a bit about my lack of any Japanese vocabulary other than Kunichiwah and we parted ways. She is Japanese, has been here about 3 or so months, and is trying to get ready for winter.
Today, we met up again for her to buy some snow boots and a waffle maker. I pulled in next to her car and she got out to talk with me.
Her 3 year old daughter was in a harnessed seat. She started fussing because MOMMY was outside the car where she wanted to be.
So the mom went over, opened the door, and I saw the entire seat move 2-3 FEET!!! :jaw: when the daughter got up.
Okay, here's where I show my total ignorance -- I'm pretty sure it's a scenario, one of those bagged Walmart seats -- floral pattern. But I could be mistaken. Easily mistaken.
So I'm standing there, flabbergasted and trying to figure out what is with the seat and what I should do. :scratcheshead:
I am NOT a tech, nor do I think I ever want to be one. But this was ridiculous.
The car is a German Specs, BMW 4 door sedan. Probably mid 90s. I realized that I could see a good 4-5 inches of the lapbelt hanging loose before entering the back of the carseat.
I know she was talking to me and her daughter, but I was just standing there staring, totally flumoxed on what to do or what to say. Yeah, speechless, me.
Finally, I looked at her, told her, I'm so sorry, but your daughter's seat is dangerously LOOSE where I have to say something about it.
I go over, shake it, show her how it would definitely not stop before slamming into the front seat.
There is no way to lock the seatbelt. It's European. She has no locking clip and she's using an American seat that doesn't come with one.
What I did do was unbuckle the seatbelt, pull the lap part as far through to the buckle as possible and get it so that if there was a sudden stop, it hopefully would engage.
I emphasized it several times that this was only a stop gap measure. This was not a safe option. In fact, it would likely be safer if her 3 year old was in the Parkway... but that I didn't think it would work either.
She needed to get a US locking clip (HA! Good luck with that, here, in the middle of the German sticks) or purchase a German Carseat with an internal belt locking device. I gave her the store names where they carry seats --- Hela, Real, TRU (but that's in Koblenz over an hour's drive via autobahn away), and if she can locate any baby shop in Bitburg or Wittlich. Dang, I forgot to tell her Rofu kinderland -- a toy store, but smaller than TRU, with b etter prices and baby stuff.
I also showed her how my seatbelts on my US Passat locked and why hers wouldn't. I think she picked up why I was so worried. I told her she needed to pay attention to the lap belt part and keep that as tight as possible until she gets a better seat option.
I really don't know what else I could have done in that situation. (sigh)
If there's a Safe Kids rep here at Spangdahlem/Bitburg, I certainly haven't seen any evidence during the past 15 months I've been here. I also don't want to overwhelm her language skills. She speaks very good English. However, I know well, that in learning and understanding a language, when you deviate from known topics, it's very very difficult to comprehend. It's safe to say that Carseat safety vocabulary is not part of English 101
We're remote. A good description of where I was at the time is an Air base on a hilltop, surrounded by fields and forests. Gorgeous, but as far from shopping as you can think. There's little tiny villages. But the major nearby city is Trier. That's over 30 miles away.
I have her email address. Heck, I helped her today teaching her how to deal with the combination post boxes. So I know I'm on good terms.
This is the only vehicle they own. She mentioned that the other day for the reason why she couldn't pick up items that her dh had taken the car. So there's no US specs vehicle in the picture.
Is there anything I can email her with that could immediately or quickly help their situation?
thanks.