# When you travel with a baby and take cab in a city



## 5thAttempt (Apr 22, 2006)

What do you do when you travel with the baby and spend time in a city and do not rent a car - and use a cab for transportation? Do you just hold the baby w/o the car seat on the back seat?
We are planning vacation in europe and are planning to spend a few days in big cities where car rent is unpractical. However I can not imagine taking the car seat for the short cab ride and then haul it around the whole day... I am specifically talking about 7 month old baby.


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## Omsmom (Dec 11, 2006)

We live in Philly and now I usually just take my son in cabs w/o a car seat. I used to carry car seats everywhere when he was younger but now I don't bother. We usually go really short distances, at not very high speeds - thats how I reason to myself. I know its a risk but carrying a car seat everywhere is just not practical. I recently went overseas (Asia) and we traveled everywhere with him in cabs without a car seat. Many cabs there wouldn't even have a seat belt....


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## kalisis (Jan 10, 2005)

We always just held DS in cabs. I know it's not the safest and we were actually in an accident once (very low speeds and no one was injured, but still kind of scary), but we take cabs so rarely.

Sometimes you can request a cab with a car seat in it, in some places, if you're calling ahead. It's always worth a try.


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## twogreencars (Oct 24, 2006)

We have a Sit 'n Stroll carseat/stroller/airplane seat - 5 in one! It's terrific. We used them with DD#1 when we lived in England and would travel to the USA. Check them out! Basically we could put DD in the carseat in England, take her to the airport, put it into stoller mode and get to the terminal, put the seat in the plane and get off in New York and take a taxi with it as a carseat. Then put it into stroller mode and go see the sites!


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

What???? Holding a baby while in a CAB? With a strange driver? Cab drivers aren't always the best drivers. With a baby on your lap, just slamming on the breaks be the end of it, how would you live with yourself then? OMG I am staying away from this thread now, I can't even believe what I'm hearing


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## 5thAttempt (Apr 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *twogreencars* 
We have a Sit 'n Stroll carseat/stroller/airplane seat - 5 in one! It's terrific. We used them with DD#1 when we lived in England and would travel to the USA. Check them out! Basically we could put DD in the carseat in England, take her to the airport, put it into stoller mode and get to the terminal, put the seat in the plane and get off in New York and take a taxi with it as a carseat. Then put it into stroller mode and go see the sites!

I found one like this:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...opnav=&browse=

Is this is what you mean?

I have a concern about such a small weels. Are they OK for the old european cities terrain? Some of them could still have stone pavement... Since you lived in England you probably know what I am talking about. We actually planning to stay in a few citues in england/scotland.


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## SiValleySteph (Feb 26, 2003)

We held our DS in cars while travelling in China. The cabs and even some of the private cars we rode in did not actually have seatbelts in the back, so it wasn't even an option to use the carseat. I'm not sure about cabs in Europe. You may want to try and find out.

We're going again in a couple of months and this is one thing I'm concerned about.


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

How about public transport instead?


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## PumpkinSeeds (Dec 19, 2001)

:


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## 5thAttempt (Apr 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *425lisamarie* 
What???? Holding a baby while in a CAB? With a strange driver? Cab drivers aren't always the best drivers. With a baby on your lap, just slamming on the breaks be the end of it, how would you live with yourself then? OMG I am staying away from this thread now, I can't even believe what I'm hearing









I do not think that you are helpful, but you are very offensive to people who tried to help me. The question was to people who did it and they shared the experience with me. You did not. For example you did not wrote something like that: "Last year I went to Paris. I did not rent a car. Every morning I would take a car seat and we took a cab. Cab ride took me 10 min. Then I took my car seat out of the cab, put my baby in a sling (my baby was 25lb) and used my free hands to carry around the car seat. I was able to walk around the city streets and parks for 6 hours with car seat in my hands. This was especially enjoyable when I tried to climb the hills. Then I went to the museum and then I had a break since they let me to use a coat check to store my car seat. The baby was still in a sling (for 8 hours). Then I took a cab back and I was able to use a car seat that I had in my hands."

Sorry, I am looking for solutions, not for critique. And the people who did respond also do not want to be judged. We all care about the safety of our babies. You could have said the same things in a nicer way, for example: " I would not use a cab but I would use bus/subway if they are available." It is OK to have different opinion and state it, it is not OK to offend people.


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## FreeSpiritMama (Oct 22, 2003)

Personally I don't feel safe with babe in arms in a cab. I would use public transport or call ahead and book a cab with a carseat in it, you can do this in england


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## Teensy (Feb 22, 2002)

Honestly







: I put baby in the sling, wore a seatbelt (around me only), and kept my fingers crossed.

EVERYTHING in life has risks - for my family, the benefits of traveling and seeing sights around the world are not outweighed by the small risk of injury in a carcrash. I realize it is a risk, but one I have found myself willing to take.


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## stanswife (Jul 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *425lisamarie* 
What???? Holding a baby while in a CAB? With a strange driver? Cab drivers aren't always the best drivers. With a baby on your lap, just slamming on the breaks be the end of it, how would you live with yourself then?

I have to say that I'm with lisamarie. Some of the scariest rides I've had were courtesy of cabbies. No way would I travel in a cab with my precious babe unsecured on my lap.


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## shayinme (Jan 2, 2005)

Back in another life when my now 15 yo son was a baby, I lived in Chicago and didn't have a car. So I took public transportation and did occasionally use cabs with no carseat. Frankly the idea of taking public transit and lugging a carseat while being responsible for a baby strikes me as odd







:







: . I guess its one of those situations where I would weigh the risks, frankly car seats are not that light to be lugging around with baby/dipes, etc.

I understand about calling ahead for cab but what happens if you are going to multiple places or going walking? I think about how you may go to multiple locations on one outing and it could get pretty difficult to continously call cabs versus flagging one down. I know in Chicago in almost every neighborhood I lived, it was much more easier to flag a cab then to call one. I also knew other carless folks and I have never seen anyone lugging a carseat around who was soley taking public transit.

Shay


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

I wouldn't take a carseat on public transit, but I'd feel safer on a gigantic bus with the baby in a sling or ergo than I would in a cab with the baby similarly unrestrained.


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## WhaleinGaloshes (Oct 9, 2006)

I have not travelled abroad with my baby, yet. I have held her in cabs in both New York and Chicago (and for what it's worth, this is legal as cabs are exempt from seatbelt/carseat regulations.) I have to agree that while carseats are obviously ideal, the practicality of travel exists and measured risks are part of life.

I have only held her on short, local trips. If I am traveling, say, to or from the airport I insist on a carseat and have had car services (again, stateside) provide them at my request.


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

It depends on the place too. Where I live, one must use a car seat, even in a taxi, but I can imagine it would be very cumbersome.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

ITA that it's a ridiculously unsafe thing to do. I do appreciate the dilemma you have, i.e., how are you going to get about holding onto a carseat for the rest of the day? I think the Sit-n-Stand is likely the ideal solution


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## SiValleySteph (Feb 26, 2003)

*5th attempt*,
What cities will you be visiting? Most major cities in Europe have excellent public transportation, so it's very likely that you will be able to avoid taxis in most cases.

Like I said, in China, we didn't really have an option much of the time. Even when using a family friend's car, it didn't have seatbelts! We had our carseat along, but were only able to use it on the trip to and from the airport.


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## citymama (May 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BelgianSheepDog* 
How about public transport instead?

I second that. Our little ones are too precious.


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## vbactivist (Oct 4, 2006)

everyone of us takes calculated risks with our little ones everyday. Perhaps some of us choose not to take this particular risk. Some of us would. Taking your child in a car period, is a risk. Does anyone choose not to get in a car at ll with their little ones?

OP - we have traveled extensively and, guess what, we have not used car seats in cabs. When we could, we took public transport. Sometimes it was too impractical. Have fun on your trip. I love traveling with babies - very portable


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## citymama (May 30, 2006)

This website has a section on taxis and the various options and risks...
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/


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## twogreencars (Oct 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *5thAttempt* 
I found one like this:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...opnav=&browse=

Is this is what you mean?

I have a concern about such a small weels. Are they OK for the old european cities terrain? Some of them could still have stone pavement... Since you lived in England you probably know what I am talking about. We actually planning to stay in a few citues in england/scotland.

Yes - this is the Sit 'n Stroll. We got it when we lived in England and it should be able to do cities in England and Scotland. It's not "all terrain" but it's fairly capable. I think the fact that it's so versatile outweighs the fact it's not a baby jogger! They have a great resale value, BTW - we sold our 2nd one on EBay recently (we had 2), otherwise I'd offer it to you! The other thing you might consider is using a lap belt like they have in airplanes which basically goes through the adults seat belt - kwim? Not as safe as a car seat, but better than a parent's arms.

GOOD LUCK!


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## amitymama (Nov 17, 2006)

I live in London and don't have a car. There have been a couple times that I've had to take a cab without a carseat. I really didn't like doing it and was a nervous wreck the whole time and made the cabbie take back roads and go slowly, but I try to avoid it whenever possible. That said, is it really that much safer on a bus or a train? Things can happen to those too, they're not exempt from crashes or brakes being slammed! In fact, most bus and train rides throw me around much more than a car ride!


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## mkmama (Jul 9, 2006)

I must be obsessed with this webpage b/c i was thinking about this when i woke up last night. I guess it struck me because my first reaction was "NO WAY!" but it still is....

I am not trying to use the scare tactic, but let me tell you why i would never ever do this unless absolutley necessary (life and death).

I worked as a children's RN with children that were in car accidents. Several stick out in my mind. One 9 month old, I will never forget, the mom did this "just this once" and now her little girl is paraliyed from the neck down. The sweetest, most interactive little baby has no use of her body...because of "just this once".

I do not have a car and live in the city. I would rather walk a mile than get in a cab without a carseat. I would suggest looking into trains and buses, i use them every day. The risk factor is much much much less. Please consider checking out that type of transportation. It is what many people in Europe use that don't have a car, and is quite good (i live on this side of the pond).

Why risk it "just this once"? i've seen too many loving mothers and fathers that did that and now face life consequences. It is likely you would be fine, but is it worth the risk? Never.

You can absolutley enjoy your trip and feel safe at the same time, just dig a little deeper into other options.


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## sarahmck (Feb 11, 2005)

I've ridden in a cab once with my baby without a car seat. We were going to Paris on the train and we took a cab to the train station (we originally planned to take public transit to the train station but circumstances intervened).

We've traveled extensively with our baby and that was the only time that we've had to ride in a car without a seatbelt. If you're going only to cities in the UK, I suspect that you will be able to find public transit options or try to call ahead for a cab with a car seat. All taxis will have seat belts, that's for sure.

As a PP said, though, all bets are off in less developed countries. Prior to having DD, DH and I went on a long trip through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. We definitely wouldn't have been able to get away without riding in small motorized vehicles there without making a huge impact on the quality of our trip. We've discussed it and have decided that we would be willing to make a trip like that again with our child(ren) (once they're old enough to appreciate it), despite the less safe transport options. Like some PPs have said, everything in life is a risk, and you need to weigh those risks against the benefits. Children get so much out of travel (well, maybe not at 8 months) and if you don't let them go places without seat belts, you seriously restrict their options for learning about the world.

Have a wonderful trip.


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## CableGirl (Oct 18, 2006)

*twogreencars* What a great concept.

DH and I have been worrying about this for a little while now. Most of my family live in NYC and we will be going there in a month or so. MY ILs live in Seattle and we'll be going there in July. We're also heading out to Germany in December of this year. Right now DD is only 2.5 mo and I have a Graco infant car seat with the snap n go frame so I have a wheel base with which I could transport the car seat, but that won't work for much longer. The Sit n Stroll may be just the right solution

Quote:


Originally Posted by *twogreencars* 
We have a Sit 'n Stroll carseat/stroller/airplane seat - 5 in one! It's terrific. We used them with DD#1 when we lived in England and would travel to the USA. Check them out! Basically we could put DD in the carseat in England, take her to the airport, put it into stoller mode and get to the terminal, put the seat in the plane and get off in New York and take a taxi with it as a carseat. Then put it into stroller mode and go see the sites!


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## LaughingHyena (May 4, 2004)

I didn't know you could request a car seat when booking a cab, that's good to know.

For such a young baby I would use an infant seat and travel system. Personaly I like to have somwhere to put baby down if I'm out for the day so I usually take a sling and a puschair.


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## citymama (May 30, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CableGirl* 
*twogreencars* What a great concept.

DH and I have been worrying about this for a little while now. Most of my family live in NYC and we will be going there in a month or so. MY ILs live in Seattle and we'll be going there in July. We're also heading out to Germany in December of this year. Right now DD is only 2.5 mo and I have a Graco infant car seat with the snap n go frame so I have a wheel base with which I could transport the car seat, but that won't work for much longer. The Sit n Stroll may be just the right solution

Hey, there, CableGirl. We live in NYC and let me tell you, it is often easier and quicker to take public transit than a car or cab! The only time I've taken cabs with dd is at night from a friend's place. If you do bring the Graco seat or other seat and take a cab, tell the driver to start the meter while you install it. Also, be aware that some drivers are very reluctant and even rude about the whole process. I've actually gotten out of a cab because the driver started cursing about putting in the seat. I'm not saying this to stress you out, but just to reinforce that public transit is the least stressful way and to be prepared. On the other hand, I have gotten a few drivers who were quite careful and responded well when I asked them to drive a little slower.

There is also a car service that has carseats, but you have to be sure to check the installation yourself before driving off. Let me know if want the details.


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## newmothermary (Jan 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PumpkinSeeds* 







:


Quote:


Originally Posted by *citymama* 
We live in NYC and let me tell you, it is often easier and quicker to take public transit than a car or cab! The only time I've taken cabs with dd is at night from a friend's place. If you do bring the Graco seat or other seat and take a cab, tell the driver to start the meter while you install it. Also, be aware that some drivers are very reluctant and even rude about the whole process. I've actually gotten out of a cab because the driver started cursing about putting in the seat.

My personal favorite is _even_ when you DO have your carseat, you get into a cab and a lot (I'm not saying always) of the times, the seatbelt is missing/broken. Oy! And you know what high mountains you'd have to climb to get a cab in this town.

We are also from NYC baby!

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...devonsiggy.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../marydevon.jpg


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## taradt (Jun 10, 2003)

We have just used public transit. I would consider bringing the car seat (or renting one) for the cab ride from irport to hotel. I try to keep our hotels close to where we want to go.
If we are doing a day trip I would bring the car seat for the cab ride then store it at a train station/bus station (in the lockers).

good luck

tara


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## Manda316 (Jun 2, 2006)

Where I live in Armenia you dont have a choice unless you want to pay a bunch of money for a correct car seat, Anywho their are no seat belts in the cars or taxis here anyways. People here are risky they let there kids ride in the front seat atleast we sit in the backseat.


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