City Mommas

[jayali]

I have posted this before but never got an answer from true city mommas. So what do you do when having to cab it with a toddler and no carseat? I only did it once and was a wreck. I see so many mommas doing it but have never had enough nerve to ask how they do it so I would appreciate any feedback from seasoned professionals.

I know most of you say not to do it, but sometimes people have to do it so I was wondering how they do it.

TIA

[tiikeri2]

I'm wondering too, for our upcoming trip to Chicago.

So, how do you do it?

[psophia17]

I've got no experience with this one, but it was a discussion at a baby shower I went to recently...

According to a mom of 3, who researched this when figuring out her daycare situation, it is legal for kids who are not riding in their primary vehicle and who would normally be riding in a booster seat (as opposed to an infant or convertible seat), to be in the back seat buckled up with a lap belt only.

It came up because one of the newer mums there said she liked taking her infant out of his seat when he cried while she was a passenger. I just hope the mom of 3's lecture on the subject was taken to heart.

[HGraceMom]

Apparently it's legal (maybe only in some places) to take an infant out of the carseat while the car is moving in order to feed / nurse the child. Nowhere I have to be is important enough to risk an accident to get there that quickly.

When we've visited my sis in Chicago with DD, I stick to the trains, trolley, hoof it (the excercise never hurts!), or tackle driving in city traffic rather than go carseat-less.

[buddyleebaby]

I think that most big city mamas who have to cart a little one around probably use public transportation such as buses or subways.That is what we usually do.
On the few occasions I have taken a cab w/ dd I have lugged her carseat along with us, but she's still a baby. I think it would be considerably more difficult if she were a toddler.
I personally wouldn't take dd in a cab w/o a carseat. I've ended up with one too many crazy cabbie!

[psophia17]

ITA - I'd rather have pulled over any day, and luckily DH is just as adamant on safety issues like car seats as I am.

[kijip]

I have never heard the feeding thing. In fact I have heard of a woman cited for feeding while driving. I do know that in NYC, car seats in cabs are not required.

In Seattle (not a big city at all) carseats are required in cabs.

[chrissyhowie]

In NYC, there is some kind of loophole so that taxis are exempt from the carseat rule. So it is legal, but yes, it can be a nerve wracking experience.

Public transportation can be more hassle than it is worth to me (lugging the stroller, keeping your kids right by your side, etc.), so we tend to walk everywhere with the kids. But there are times where you just can't get somewhere by bus or subway, and time is limited.

So you just do it. You ride the cab with the kids without them in a carseat. There really isn't any special way to do it. I have friends who ride with their kids in cabs all the time and don't think about it. And I have other friends who will never take their kids in a cab unless they lug the carseat with them. So bottom line it comes down to what your personal comfort level with it is.

Personally, I try to limit it as much as I can. But I've done it (although I can't even remember the last time I did) and don't feel badly about it afterwards. Like you said, sometimes situations arise where you just need to take a taxi.

HTH,

[wagner36]

I've never looked up the statute before, but my understanding is that there is no exemption to the carseat law for cabs in Illinois. Same requirements apply.

I believe that if you fly into one of the airports, they will require a carseat or the cab driver runs the risk of losing his airport tag. Anytime we've taken a cab from the airport the cab organizing guys (no idea what their official title is) call us a minivan (without us requesting one).

The only time we've ever taken a cab without a carseat is after we were rearended and taken away to the hospital in ambulances. We had no other way of getting home, since our carseat was damaged. Everyone was okay, but we were stranded. The hospital was only 2 miles away, but it was snowing pretty hard. So we took the cab then - it was terribly stressful.

I see people getting in and out of cabs with babies all of the time for non-airport trips. I doubt the cab drivers are going to enforce the law unless there are additional penalties, and some parents are probably just okay with the risk.

[C99]

I never take cabs w/ my babies if I am out w/o a carseat. Or I should say that I never have. I can't see that changing soon. If I am desparate, I pray like hell that my husband is home and call him to come get us. Otherwise, I either wait it out or take PT home.

[jayali]

Thanks for your reality check. I guess I was just looking to see if anyone has ever done it. For us, lugging a carseat each time we go into the city is highly impractical. We do walk everywhere we can but we had a situation a couple of weeks ago where we had to do the cab thing. Like I said, I was a wreck, but we managed. ITA that the public transportation thing is very hard with stroller, diaper bag and toddler. Also, we have been staying out of the subways lately (since the London thing) and it seems to me that buses are just as unsafe as a cab.

Thanks again. Next time I will hold my breath and pray and try not to feel guilty doing it.

[lizamann]

You could invest in a Sit'n' Stroll, which is a combination car seat/stroller, if this situation comes up a lot. We have one that I used a ton for strolling to the car rental place, airplane trips, and train rides with car trips on one or both ends. I have used it in cabs several times too.

http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/strollers/standard/4432

It's not a great stroller, but it beats carrying around a Britax. And you have to strap it in every time, but you just have to have the nerve to ask the cabbie to wait a minute.

[jayali]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will get one because we will be making our first airplane trip in November. Do you use it as your carseat when travelling? How easy is it to install on the plane and or in the car.

Thanks again for your advice.

[emilyf]

I think most moms who do this probably aren't going to answer, for fear of being flamed! I have ridden in a cab w/ds w/out a carseat-very short rides, and he was over a year old. I've done it here (Baltimore) and in London and in Mexico. Not ideal, but I have done it. Usually he just sits on my lap, or between me and dh. No real special way to do it.
Emily mom of Charlie born 11/02 and Zoe born 9/05