Stopped a 1994 seat from being used!

[niccig]

My neighbour always puts things out for sale. Today she had some baby gear that was free. I noticed an infant seat, so I headed over to check it out. It's an evenflo joy ride from 1994!! The sign said free, I didn't see her to explain that it was so ANCIENT that no child could be in it, so I just took it. I'm planing to destroy it, cut straps, put in garbage bag etc. Next time I see her, I feel that I should tell her to NOT put out carseats, but she's an older woman with the never throw anything out mentality, and I don't think she'll understand. I don't know where she got this, maybe from when her grandkids were little, but she always seems to have a lot of baby things out on her lawn. I may just keep an eye out for any other seats. Anyway, this seat is headed for the trash.

Any suggestions on how to damage the plastic so it is beyond use? Not chainsaws, but I do have a huge bolt cuter that should be able to make it unusable.

Nicci

Sorry I just had to giggle at the last part. I was just thinking the same thing last night. I need to find my old (borrowed) infant seat (that I used for 3 months) so I can destroy it. I'm trying to figure out the best way to destroy the plastic too.

I think you're supposed to cut the seat in half (a circular or jigsaw/saber saw would do the trick). However, if you destroy the pad, cut the straps (and in this case you could probably break the handle off with little effort), I'm not sure anyone would even endeavor to take it. You could just do that with the other stuff then stick it in a garbage bag so no one could see what it is.

[catfeet]

What I've done in the past is to cut the harness, throw the pad away in a seperate bag or day, then write, in permenant marker, "Unsafe, do not use" all over the seat, ie, on the inside, outside, handle etc. Anyone who can get past that is going above & beyond to use something that others will pick up on immediately and give them cr*p for. Also, where I throw away, the recycling center/town dump is pretty good about making sure seats are buried deep in the dumpster so folks can't junk them out.

HTH,
Ann

[niccig]

I cut it up today. I used the tree lopers we have and cut the handle off the seat. I was also able to cut the sides and back of it. I wasn't able to cut the seat into pieces, but I was able to make long/deep cuts into the plastic. I also wrote "do not use, unsafe" all over it with a sharpie.

DH wasn't too impressed as the lopers are probably blunt from the plastic, but I need to get them sharpened anyways.

HTH someone trying to destroy a seat.

Nicci

[luvsviola]

My mom did something similar--she bought us an infant seat the expired in 2001 at a garage sale thinking she was being nice when I had already bought a brand new SnugRide. Ummm...no thanks mom. Then she wanted us to keep it and use it around the house as a seat. That would be great except...

1) Someone might actually use it without knowing it is not to be used
2) It was recalled becuase the handle breaks off...real safe!

It got the straps cut, the pad cut, and put in the garbage.

Great job!