car seats - in taxis

[Batch007]

HI we have booked our first cruise out of Long Beach Calif and plan to arrive a couple days early and leave the day after docking. We will have to take a few cabs (LAX to hotel in Anaheim, Hotel to Dock, Dock to hotel by LAX Airport. My kids are 3 & 6. I know my 6 yr old will be fine just strapped in (although she is in a booster at home as our laws in BC, Canada require that to age 9), but I wonder about my 3yr old travelling in cabs. I know it is safer and all that, but I would prefer not to lug around her big carseat if it is NOT required in a tax. I can put her in a booster (she probably weighs about 38 lbs and by Dec may even be 40) - I know the laws in Calif require carseats until age 6, but what about in cabs?? Any help/comments would be appreciated.:)

Thx

[isk8]

California has strict child restraint laws. The law says "Children MUST be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (safety seat or booster seat) IN THE BACK SEAT OF A VEHICLE until they are at least 6 years old or weigh at least 60 pounds. " Taxi cabs are not exempt from this law.

 

LA drivers are horrible, and taxi drivers are no better. I try not to take a cab unless I absolutely have to. You definitely want everyone strapped down when you get into a car here!!

[jkrislc]

I'd suggest buying a light weight booster seat for your three year old; this is what we're doing for our two year old for a January cruise out of Miami. Just be sure to read the label to make sure your child is the right size/weight for the booster seat you choose. We're opting for the one without a back as it will be much easier (small/lighter) to carry around.

 

If you're 6 year old is under 60 pounds, s/he will need a booster as well as the law here in California is 6 years AND 60 pounds.

[All4fun1]

Unfortunately, a child riding in a taxi cab w/out an appropriate restraint is just as dangerous as in any vehicle and as pp's point out, the drivers in S.Cal can be very aggressive, so I wouldn't want to be on the hwy there w/out my ds in a car seat or booster. As a matter of fact, we have traveled there and brought a car seat just for the airplane ride and to and from the hotel on either end of the trip, and despite the inconvenience, I don't regret it for a minute. Even on the plane ride, I was glad ds was strapped into his seat on take off and landing and during some rough turbulence. Here is some more info about car seats and taxi's you might find helpful on this site.

 

I would bring (at least) a backless booster for your 6yr old and a 5pt harness seat for your 3 yr old, which you can bring on the plane with you if it's airline approved.

[nothriver]

Right, a cab is just as safe (unsafe) as any car. Busses are much safer, I have no idea why but statistics clearly proove that passangers on busses are much safer so no car seats are needed on a bus (or allowed for that matter, since most busses have no seatbelts).

 

We are planning an Alaska cruise and I'm pondering this problem. In the end, I'm pretty sure I'll be hauling one of our big Britax seats to Alaska. My daughter will be turning 4 on the trip. She can use the seat on the plane, and on the mutlitudes of taxis, hotel shuttles, and tour vans that we will be on. I'll probably take the carseat on every shore excursion unless I know we'll only be transported on busses. I'm expecially concerned about hauling the carseat along on the one day we'll be tendered but I'll deal with it when we get there. I guess ultimately if my child were killed or even "just" injured because I was too lazy to take the carseat, I know personally I'd never be able to forgive myself.

 

For the younger one, here are some options I'm considering for our next trip:

-regular car seat from home, especially if it can be used on the plane.

-"disposable" carseat - perhaps a $40 Costco Screna or other inexpensive seat. Your child might be too tall, while the Screna goes to 40#, the shoulder straps are low. I don't know if it is a Canadian approved seat or if it is FAA approved. If not, you could leave it in the last cab you ride in.

-High back booster. Cannot be used on the plane, and could be damaged by baggage handling. There is a folding booster by Compass that will fit in an overhead bin, it is still bulky, but lightweight and easy to haul around and of course as a booster, it is super easy to "install" in a cab, just buckle the seatbelt.

-SafeGuard Go, a folding carseat but needs a top tether anchor. Could not be used on the plane, and who knows how easy it would be to locate tether anchors in a cab? Can be installed with either LATCH or seatbelt but has a flexible back so cannot be used at all without a top tether anchor.

 

I realize that not all seats here in the US are available or approved for use in Canada. The message boards at car-seat.org have a section just for Canadians and you could check with them to see if they have any recommendations.

[All4fun1]

Right, a cab is just as safe (unsafe) as any car. Busses are much safer, I have no idea why but statistics clearly proove that passangers on busses are much safer so no car seats are needed on a bus (or allowed for that matter, since most busses have no seatbelts).

 

We are planning an Alaska cruise and I'm pondering this problem. In the end, I'm pretty sure I'll be hauling one of our big Britax seats to Alaska. My daughter will be turning 4 on the trip. She can use the seat on the plane, and on the mutlitudes of taxis, hotel shuttles, and tour vans that we will be on. I'll probably take the carseat on every shore excursion unless I know we'll only be transported on busses. I'm expecially concerned about hauling the carseat along on the one day we'll be tendered but I'll deal with it when we get there. I guess ultimately if my child were killed or even "just" injured because I was too lazy to take the carseat, I know personally I'd never be able to forgive myself.

 

For the younger one, here are some options I'm considering for our next trip:

-regular car seat from home, especially if it can be used on the plane.

-"disposable" carseat - perhaps a $40 Costco Screna or other inexpensive seat. Your child might be too tall, while the Screna goes to 40#, the shoulder straps are low. I don't know if it is a Canadian approved seat or if it is FAA approved. If not, you could leave it in the last cab you ride in.

-High back booster. Cannot be used on the plane, and could be damaged by baggage handling. There is a folding booster by Compass that will fit in an overhead bin, it is still bulky, but lightweight and easy to haul around and of course as a booster, it is super easy to "install" in a cab, just buckle the seatbelt.

-SafeGuard Go, a folding carseat but needs a top tether anchor. Could not be used on the plane, and who knows how easy it would be to locate tether anchors in a cab? Can be installed with either LATCH or seatbelt but has a flexible back so cannot be used at all without a top tether anchor.

 

I realize that not all seats here in the US are available or approved for use in Canada. The message boards at car-seat.org have a section just for Canadians and you could check with them to see if they have any recommendations.

 

Another option is the Ride Safer Travel Vest (http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/). This is a vest the child wears, not a car seat, so very easy to travel with. Requires a top tether if the child is under 6 or is using with a lap-only seatbelt. Small size is 35-50lbs, Lg is 50-80lbs. We bought one for ds for when we travel and he's actually been using it when riding with MIL. I think it will be wonderful for travel because we can just throw it in the tote bag when we're not in the taxi. Unfortunately, I don't think it's approved in Canada. It can only be used in vehicles, not aircraft.

 

The Scenera is sold in Canada, and it is airline approved. My ds outgrew that seat by height just before he turned three. It has fairly low top slots (15").

 

I do not think the SG "Go" is sold in Canada, but I could be wrong about that. It is not airline approved because it requires a tether. It's also very light weight and easy to travel with.

 

For a 3yr old, the Evenflo Chase or Generations/Bolero would be good for travel. both harness to 47 or 48lbs in Canada (they go to 40lbs here in the U.S.) and have 17"ish top harness slots. Both convert to a booster as well, although the Chase doesn't make a very good one because of the closed shoulder belt guides. We own a Bolero and used that for travel several times with the harness and it worked well on airplanes and wasn't terribly heavy to carry around. The Chase is also not a heavy seat.

 

Like a said before, the 6yr old would be better off in a booster seat. A low back would be easy and adequate, a high back booster provides more protection and may be more comfortable to sit in as well. Also, you won't have to worry about whether the vehicle headrests will be tall enough in some vehicles with a HBB. The Compass B510 or 530 make excellent travel boosters with a High back.

 

hth!

[nothriver]

Another option is the Ride Safer Travel Vest (http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/). This is a vest the child wears, not a car seat, so very easy to travel with. Requires a top tether if the child is under 6 or is using with a lap-only seatbelt. Small size is 35-50lbs, Lg is 50-80lbs. We bought one for ds for when we travel and he's actually been using it when riding with MIL. I think it will be wonderful for travel because we can just throw it in the tote bag when we're not in the taxi. Unfortunately, I don't think it's approved in Canada. It can only be used in vehicles, not aircraft.

 

hth!

 

Cheryl -thank you! The Ride Safer Vest looks like a great option for my 4 yr old for our Alaska trip next year. I really can't thank you enough for posting about this. I've either not heard of this item or not paid attention because my child was too small. Hopefully, my daughter gains 4 pounds in the next year to be able to use the vest. It looks like a great product to have for travel, in case of an emergency transportation issue, carpooling, for a school field trip, etc. My 3 yr old already has 3 Britax seats, a Radian, and we really need one more car safety gadget, right?:D

[All4fun1]

Cheryl -thank you! The Ride Safer Vest looks like a great option for my 4 yr old for our Alaska trip next year. I really can't thank you enough for posting about this. I've either not heard of this item or not paid attention because my child was too small. Hopefully, my daughter gains 4 pounds in the next year to be able to use the vest. It looks like a great product to have for travel, in case of an emergency transportation issue, carpooling, for a school field trip, etc. My 3 yr old already has 3 Britax seats, a Radian, and we really need one more car safety gadget, right?:D

 

Yes, we safety nuts can never have enough "toys":D . Glad I can help feed your obsession. LOL

 

FYI...I bought mine from elitecarseats and it has a DOM of 2005. I contacted SafeTrafficSystem and they emailed me back and told me that the vest does not have an expiration date! so that was a bit of a relief, although if it did expire in say 6yrs like many car seats, he would probably outgrow it first anyway. But for those with younger kids, that is nice to know you can continue to use it for as long as you have a child that fits it (as long as it's never been used during an accident of course). They also told me that the crotch strap is optional (something the instruction sheet doesn't address as far as I could tell). I find it a bit awkward to use so that was nice to hear. It is just there to help "train" younger kids not to slouch. Just thought you might like to know that. :)

[Batch007]

Thanks for all the good input on the seats and safety systems. Unfortunately I cannot locate a dealer for the "seatless" system that was mentioned. No worries. My little one is pretty much 40lbs now so by Dec she should have gained the weight and I do have two backless boosters I use for our older daughter (one per car). I will travel with both of those for our trip - if I cannot use them on the plane, I can certainly fit them in the overhead compartment so wont have to check them and wait for the "oversize luggage". plus them won't take up too much room on the ship!

 

Happy travelling!

[jkrislc]

No worries. My little one is pretty much 40lbs now so by Dec she should have gained the weight and I do have two backless boosters I use for our older daughter (one per car).

 

I've been looking at backless boosters and have seen some that go down to 35 pounds. While I'm sure you don't want to buy another one, this may be an option if your daughter doesn't gain the necessary weight by then.

[All4fun1]

Thanks for all the good input on the seats and safety systems. Unfortunately I cannot locate a dealer for the "seatless" system that was mentioned. No worries. My little one is pretty much 40lbs now so by Dec she should have gained the weight and I do have two backless boosters I use for our older daughter (one per car). I will travel with both of those for our trip - if I cannot use them on the plane, I can certainly fit them in the overhead compartment so wont have to check them and wait for the "oversize luggage". plus them won't take up too much room on the ship!

 

Happy travelling!

I ordered mine from elitecarseats.com. There are very few retailers that carry this item in brick & mortar stores, unfortunately. Probably because it’s such a niche item. Like a pp said a lot of boosters do start at 30lbs, although I admit that I cringe when I see children that small in a booster seat (it's better than nothing, but it's still not as safe as it could be).

 

 

 

[Lady_Jag]

I was considering a safety vest or travel car seat for my daughter, who will be 3 when we cruise. Does anyone know what the chances are of me finding a cab in St. Thomas and St. Martin with anchors for the top tether?

[xcell]

anyone have any hassel with thetaxis for taking the extra time to install the car seat...i mean we will install thme but other than an extra tiop for any incovenience...any taxi drivers refuse???

[Batch007]

well I am bringing mine - the booster is not an issue as it just gets placed in (takes 5 seconds). I have a universal belt for the bigger car seat - it has three clips, one for the back (under window) and one for each side - doesn't need the seat belt as long as the car is post 1999 and has the metal latches. I figure I can put the car seat in the taxi in the time it takes the cab driver to put the luggage in the trunk (less than a minute)...if he has a problem with that then he obviously doesn't have kids.:confused:

 

Just tell him to start the meter if he has to, he will be fine then

[All4fun1]

I agree with Batch...

 

This is from thecarseatlady site

 

Won't the driver start to drive away before I can secure the car seat in the taxi?

 

A helpful tip to avoid this situation: Do not close the taxi door until you have finished installing the car seat and have buckled your own safety belt. Closing the door is your signal to the cab driver that you are ready to go.

 

Many parents find it helpful to ask the driver to start the meter immediately and also to hand him a dollar right away (just factor this into the tip at the end) – this might show him that you respect his time and pacify him as you take the minute to install the baby's car seat.

[gkrnjlr]

Still talking about car seats but now in Cozumel.....

 

Where we are wanting to go is 8 blocks from the pier. I know it's hard to find a taxi that will have seat belts, which means no car seat. We're going to have our 9 month old with us. My husband said that for a mere 8 blocks that she could sit on our lap. The drive is along the waterfront which means a slower drive, supposedly.

 

Has anyone ever gone in a taxi without a car seat for even a short distance? It's too far to walk in the heat. Besides the taxi - are there any other options? I was told that there's no bus right there.

[All4fun1]

Still talking about car seats but now in Cozumel.....

 

Where we are wanting to go is 8 blocks from the pier. I know it's hard to find a taxi that will have seat belts, which means no car seat. We're going to have our 9 month old with us. My husband said that for a mere 8 blocks that she could sit on our lap. The drive is along the waterfront which means a slower drive, supposedly.

 

Has anyone ever gone in a taxi without a car seat for even a short distance? It's too far to walk in the heat. Besides the taxi - are there any other options? I was told that there's no bus right there.

 

I may be in the minority but 8 blocks is such a short distance, I would bring a comfy pair of walking shoes, put my child in a stroller, and walk it. I guess I've read and seen too much about child passenger safety. Even at slow speeds, in a "minor" accident, an unrestrained child could be severely injured. I wouldn't want to risk it personally. jmho

[gkrnjlr]

You know....that was our original thought. We live in Charleston, SC where it's hot AND humid.....it's probably very similar to our weather here. When I emailed back and forth with someone from Los Cincos - they are the ones that said that walking the 8 blocks would probably be too much due to the heat.

 

I don't know.....I'm torn.

 

What about a horse drawn carriage?

[Tripinbrums]

THE DRIVING IN L.A SCARES ME WORSE THAN ANY ISLAND! I would take the booster seat that is like $14 at WalMart. All taxis in L.A should all have seat belt or I would not use them. The problem comes when you get to the islands or resort towns. The taxis there are old. and a lot of them do not have seat belts! If we are cruising Mexico ( except for Cozumel, it is small and we taxi to a small beach 1 mile away) We do the ship excursions.

[Tripinbrums]

We have done this in Cozumel. It is not what I prefer. We have been to Cozumel many times and we just always go to chankanaab beach. It is for families and where they do the dolphin excursion. You don't have to do that. It is seperate from the other activities. It is maybe 2 miles from the Carnival dock. I had the booster with me, but the taxi had no belts. I held on for dear life! It may only be 2 or 3 miles but its along a weird road, and I don't think there is a pathway to walk. You can google earth chankanaab and see where it is.

[Tripinbrums]

I was considering a safety vest or travel car seat for my daughter, who will be 3 when we cruise. Does anyone know what the chances are of me finding a cab in St. Thomas and St. Martin with anchors for the top tether?

In St. Martin we used this guy with a Sienna van. It was pretty new. He was totally helpful. Most people on the island seemed to know him. We asked to go to a certain beach,and he aid that beach was rocky. Where he took uas beautiful! He even came back later and helped us load our beach stuff. When you get off the ship walk to the street, and there is a lady who calls taxis,ask her if she knows Percy. Our day at Orient Beach was like $50 for a family of 5.

[rnff2]

Just bought a backless booster at Walmart that starts out at 30lbs. Cost was around $17.00. My ds is 35lbs and not yet 3 1/2. Going to bungee cord it to the stroller at the airport and then gate check both. We need it in LA to and from the airport. Not sure if we will need to use it in the MR ports, trying to walk or use water taxi's.

[xcell]

whats the name brand for the backless booster? i thought they were all 40lbs and heavier.

[rnff2]

whats the name brand for the backless booster? i thought they were all 40lbs and heavier.

 

Cosco Ambassador Backless booster

30-100 lbs

34-57 inches

 

Walmart. It was 14.97 plus tax (found my reciept in my purse today).

[Jajone]

We have done this in Cozumel. It is not what I prefer. We have been to Cozumel many times and we just always go to chankanaab beach. It is for families and where they do the dolphin excursion. You don't have to do that. It is seperate from the other activities. It is maybe 2 miles from the Carnival dock. I had the booster with me, but the taxi had no belts. I held on for dear life! It may only be 2 or 3 miles but its along a weird road, and I don't think there is a pathway to walk. You can google earth chankanaab and see where it is.

What about the taxi vans? We have 6 of us and heard there are vans that fit all of us. Do you think they would have seat belts?