# riding in taxis with baby



## gigismom (Nov 26, 2001)

hi everyone... i am planning a trip into nyc with my mom and 3 kids. We will need to take a taxi at least 2x. for those of you who use public transportation....do you use a car seat.. if not, how do you rationalize not using a car seat. no judgement intended at all, i've seen many people riding in taxis with little kids without car seats and realize that this is done all the time. i usually just walk around the city but my mom won't be able to walk great distances. i will have baby (18 months) in a wrap and i will also have my 4 year old and my 9 year old. (will i ever get a cab to stop with such a crew in the first place?







) thanks for your input

jen


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I don't know how I rationalize it, but I do it







My ds and I went to London when he was 9 mos old, took taxis and buses as well as the Tube and the train, and I simply was not going to visit places like The British Museum carrying my Britax! I lost 7 lbs in 11 days just carrying my chunka-munka kid!

That said, we preferred the Tube and used it whenever possible, for both price and safety reasons. The only cab rides we took were when my mom got really ill and needed to lie down ASAP and when I was returning to the airport, solo, with all my luggage. Oh, and going from Reading to London with dh at the start of the trip.

In NYC, you might find that the subway will serve all your needs. Or you might not.


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## henny penny (Mar 26, 2008)

I've been pondering the same thing about our upcoming trip to Washington DC. A couple cab rides will be needed and no opportunity for a car seat (I can't carry ds, diaper bag, and car seat for more than 20 feet before a rest!) People ride the bus all the time with small children and no car seat. The only thing I can think of is to tip the driver upfront and ask for a slow, safe ride. Certainly not a perfect solution......


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

I am also wondering the same thing.

We are planning a city trip this summer. We will go by train and there is just no way we can lug a seat around the city.


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## shayinme (Jan 2, 2005)

Well my eldest who is now 17, was raised in Chicago the early years of his life which is similiar to NYC as far as public transit. I never used a car seat when taking taxis in part times were different then but also there was no practical way to haul a car seat around.

There were times we would start out the day on the bus or train, and evening came and if we needed a cab because the temp dropped, it was late, etc...you just got in a cab.

Like Henny Penny, I have asked cab drivers to take it easy but really in day to day city living, there was simply no way to haul a car seat, bags and child around. I think its different if you know you are only going from point a to be in a cab maybe you can plan ahead but that was rarely my experience in city living.


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## earthgirl (Feb 6, 2006)

Well, I'm without a car and I just don't use taxis. I hate the way taxi drivers drive and it's just not worth the risk, IMO. There's no way to use a carseat on trains and buses so I have no choice in that situation. If you are concerned, could you look in advance to see if there are driving services that actually have carseats in their cars? Or you may even be able to find taxi companies that do this. I mean, I know people just do the lap thing, but it's just not something I'm personally comfortable with.


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## NicaG (Jun 16, 2006)

You will probably get a lot of opinions on this if you post in the New York/NJ/PA board as well.

I think you can structure your days so that you don't need to use a cab. You're never that far from a subway stop or bus stop. I don't feel comfortable taking the kids in cabs without car seats. If your mom can't walk, is it an option for her to take a cab by herself, or with your oldest child, and meet you at your destination?

We're getting one of these http://www.elitecarseats.com/Safe-Tr...ravel-Vest.pro
for an upcoming trip abroad.


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## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

For an 18 month old I would be ok with a no carseat cab ride on city streets only - no highways. I think the chances of a deadly accident in that situation are very slim and that would be my biggest concern. I am grappling with the same thing myself - we are taking a cruise in the fall and 3.5 DD will have to ride in a cab with no seatbelts, let alone a carseat if we'd like to do any excursions.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

I wouldn't be ok with an 18 month old and a 4 yo unrestrained in a cab. I'd get a RSTV (linked to above) for the 4 yo and depending on what the 18 month old weighs, one for the baby as well or I'd carry a lightweight Scenera. Can you take the bus? That would make things SO much easier.


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## NicaG (Jun 16, 2006)

There are also a lot of helpful suggestions and real-world (but still safe) advice here:
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/taxis/using_taxis.html


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## NicaG (Jun 16, 2006)

Sorry to keep posting, but it occurs to me that if you're going to attempt to get everyone properly restrained (or even just seatbelted) you will need two cabs, or you will need to hail one of the few suv/minivan cabs in the city. A standard cab only has 4 seating positions with seat belts (not including driver).


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## choli (Jun 20, 2002)

I used cabs with my kids when they were babies, and I never sweated the carseat thing. In my universe, a baby unrestrained in a cab in the city once or twice a month has a WAY lower likelihood of being injured in an accident than a baby in the suburbs or rural area beting driven in a car every day, carseat or not.


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## gigismom (Nov 26, 2001)

thanks for all the replies!! i definitely will be looking into the subway as an option. we are getting to the city by nj transit. i have never used the subway without dh so will have to figure it out but this is probably the safest and cheapest option. we will arrive in penn station then go to rockafeller center (for mom, the tourist) then to the American Girl store for my girls (which is right around the corner from rockafeller center) and then to metrominis (for me to drool over the wraps!) we will need to get transportation from penn station to rockafeller center, then to metrominis and then back to penn station. if we have to get a cab we will definitely need a van/suv cab. just getting a cab to stop for such a crew could be tricky. anyway thanks again for your thoughts

jen


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## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NicaG* 
There are also a lot of helpful suggestions and real-world (but still safe) advice here:
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/taxis/using_taxis.html









2 tips in there to remember are to call ahead to request a van instead of a sedan & leave the doors open while installing the carseats (too often drivers enter the flow of traffic before anyone is buckled.

Bluntly stated, there simply is NO adequate rationale for not keeping one's child safe from the *leading cause of death* -- death being merely the tip of the iceberg: other injuries include _paralysis, amputation, brain damage_, etc.


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## waiting2bemommy (Dec 2, 2007)

yeah, just take the train. getting a family size cab in midtown Manhattan.....it's a much better bet to buy a day pass, like $7, for yourself and your mom. at 3.5 i think your dd can still just go under the turnstile, and you'll get there a lot quicker.

That being said, if you do take a cab, traffic down there is never going to go fast enough for you to worry about a car accident, lol.

in all seriousness, the subway is perfectly safe, if you bring a good stroller like a maclaren with you, you always have that option, and for your mom who can't walk too far, there are lots of subway stops with elevators as long as you're staying in the city.


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

For those who need cabs in big cities while traveling with a baby, why not take a car seat/stroller combo? There are options, I have seen them. When my guy was little I had something that basically took his Marathon and made it into a stroller.


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## Eclipsepearl (May 20, 2007)

Legally in NYC, 7 year olds can go in laps. Yikes, huh?

We took our 1 year old to New York for a wedding in 2000. We did NOT have a seat and took quite a few cabs. While I was uncomfortable, I was "talked out" of going on the subway by my dh and his family. I urged drivers to slow down and strapped him in the center. He was fine. Found out later (see carseat lady link above) 26,000 weren't so lucky.

Soon I was pregnant with my second. Instead of 10,000 baby outfits, I asked my family to "pool" and this was the baby gift;

http://www.lillygold.com/sns.html

Expensive, yes, but practical for cabs and airplanes, yes too. With our lifestyle, we got our use out of it. I can't whole heartedly recommend it unless you'll really use it, simply because of the price and the low shoulder straps (it's probably outgrown before 40lbs thanks to the shoulder slots).

A saferider vest is a good option for older children.


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## gigismom (Nov 26, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoC* 
Take the subway from Penn to Rockafeller! It's ten minutes! Take the F or the D from 34th Street to 47th - 50th Street and then walk about two minutes!

Google maps has a "By Public Transport" feature now. You can look up your trips and see what it suggests.

thanks for the suggestions... this is definitely the direction i am leaning. i am a planner though and will look up the google maps feature before i go

jen


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## nedira77 (May 2, 2009)

I have been in NYC cabs many times, including sometimes w/my DD, who was always in a carseat. Ask them to go slow?! Sorry, but some are giving you unrealistic and dangerous advice. There are so many drivers weaving in and out quickly to make lights, out of towners who don't know their way around, bicyclists, and wide-eyed tourists/pedestrians to avoid, that request is not something that is realistic. Also, them driving carefully hardly protects you from OTHER bad drivers who may be all around you.

Can't remember the exact MPH, but I have read it's physically impossible to restrain your child by just holding them after something like 10 MPH. In a car taxi, they will slam into the divider or you could get a crush injury (ie, your body folds over and crushes them). Babies have died this way in cars as well as on planes. In an SUV or van type taxi, they'll hit the seat in front of you or fly through the vehicle and slam into the front window.

You can use subways or buses, or you Mother can take a cab by herself or w/the older children, who can at least be in seatbelts. You can use hopstop.com to help you plan your routes, and note that not all subway stops have elevators, so pack as lightly as possible.

Also, if you ahve a graco snugride car seat or soemthing similar for your baby, you can just get a snap n go type stroller (a simple frame with a huge basket). They are $60. The carseat snaps in and so it's a stroller and car seat all in one, so you are not lugging anything extra at all, since you'd need a stroller anyway. (And the big basket is great for storing NYC loot!) Be sure to bring the car seat clip with you and know how to use it, and as someone else said, just tell the driver you'll need a few minutes to belt them in. They've seen it all before a million times, and probably have kids of their own and know it takes a few mins to install. Keep one door open until you are totally done and everyone is buckled in. I saw these kinds of strollers all over NYC. They also sell some kind of carseat/stroller combo on skymall.com (it looks like a carseat w/wheels that pop out and an extendable handle).

Yes, I'm sure there are lots of people in big cities who take their babies in cabs without restraining them, but unlike some other family decisions that people make that are "right for their family" the consequences could be SO dire for this one, I personally don't think it's smart to ever risk it. A bit of a rant, but the thing I don't get is that anyone who says this is fine to do occasionally in a NYC cab would probably be flipping out if they found out their mother in law took their baby on a trip to the mall without a car seat because "it was a short trip and I drove slowly" or it was impractical!

Yes, the chances are you WON'T get in an accident, but what if you do? Kids were unrestrained in cars all the time when we were kids, but now we know better! Please find another way to make it work (sounds like you are already doing that), and have an awesome time in NYC! Hope some of these ideas are helpful.

nedira


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## Shiloh (Apr 15, 2005)

I have the sit and stroll - great for airplanes and it really does fit perfectly down the isle...going from restrained in the airplane seat mine is FAA approved. to pushing the wheels out and wheeling down without checking your stroller or car seat when travelling - heaven and they do chuck your stuff if you stow it.

I also have two of something like these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tote-N-Go-Travel...3A1%7C294%3A50

I am not sure how much safer they are but I'd rather use them on an occasional taxi ride than nothing.

this one has pictures showing it in use
http://cgi.ebay.com/Safety-1st-Toddl...3A1%7C294%3A50

they fit in a diaper bag and are really easy to use in and out of a cab - usually I just put it on before getting in - they look like little turtles but hey...its about safety









here's the product desc
The Tote 'n Go DX car seat Weights just 4 lbs....

The Tote 'n Go provides a safe alternative that meets or exceeds the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Designed for toddlers weighing between 25 and 40 lbs., it's equipped with a five-point harness restraint that features an adjustable crotch strap. Weighing just 4 lbs., the seat is compact and portable, making it the perfect solution for vacations, carpools, preschool field trips, taxis, and even as a second car seat.


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## gigismom (Nov 26, 2001)

just wanted to thank you all for the informative and thoughtful replies.... we went to the city yesterday and took the subway! it was soooo much fun! i used the suggestion above to use hotspot.com and printed out the details before we left. it was so easy and such an adventure for all. we are exhausted but we were all safe and had a great time. thanks!

jen


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