To think it's weird to allow babies in arms in cabs

She was lashing out at people criticising her by telling them it is a perfectly legal thing to do.

Lashing out? Do you write for the Daily Mail? Stating the law isn't lashing out.

That it continues to be legal is bizarre.

Looking back we always brought our carriers in cabs, or at least (in black cabs) strapped the babies in their buggy and secured said buggy so it couldn't really move.

I think we did as well - and with older toddlers as had them close together - have a bump seat if possible not always and use lap belts only -which we checked was the safest thing to do.

We got a travel system with one baby carry that could best secured in with seat belts - however we rarely used baby seat part - the pushchair part was used to destruction - because you can not have baby in them long so days out often wouldn't take and it was a huge thing to lug round in not set up as travel seat.

We did try and avoid taxis with babies and toddlers but we don't drive and sometimes they are best.

However they weren't wrong it is legal for very practical reasons.

Taxi drivers don’t have to wear belts to allow them quick exit if they get attacked from behind by a passenger.

Totally legal but not something I would chose to do. I used to get the black cabs with DTs in the buggy.

Yanbu. It's incredibly weird, I've never understood why it isn't changed.
See also, taxi drivers never used to have to wear seat belts. Not sure if that's even changed now.

Its legal for practicality reasons rather than because its safe.

1. It’s legal
2. It’s entirely impractical to think non-drivers can carry a car seat everywhere they go in case they need a taxi without notice
3. It’s unreasonable to think non-drivers can all afford car seats etc that they will almost never use
4. Most cab rides are at a much slower speed that the average car journey due to the nature of city driving etc
5. Cab drivers are professionals who drive for a living, know the area well and won’t be risking being under the influence or speeding - they’re far less likely to crash on a journey than a non-professional driver.
6. Safety-wise, I’d imagine being held by Hask is pretty much as secure as your average car seat.
7. This wasn’t raised as a genuine issue of safety - it was just an excuse to kick a woman for living her life. Demonstrated by the criticism of Chloe as the woman/mother even though she’s not the only parent there and she’s not the one even holding the baby.

If you don’t have a car, you may still need to take your baby places. Sure it’s not ideal but where would you be able to store a car seat if you don’t have a travel system? Do you have to carry the thing with you the entire time? It’s just not practical sometimes.

Although it's legal I personally would feel very anxious doing this, in case someone crashed into my taxi.

Each to their own risk though.

It's legal because not everyone has a car and so not everyone has a car seat. Is it dangerous? Personally I think black cabs are pretty safe.
Strapping a baby in a buggy and putting the brake on is no safer imo - you'd be holding onto the buggy to make sure it didn't tip, which doesn't strike me as hugely different to just holding the baby.

I think it is legal, but I would never. My brother is a paramedic and he had to take a year off after being first response to a high speed accident where someone had been holding an infant.

He's never gone into graphic detail, but the infant was killed and became a projectile also injuring the mother. Just the mental image of what he probably saw that day turns my blood to ice.

Black cabs are built like tanks, and (in central London at least) are usually stuck in traffic. The potential for a damaging crash must be tiny.

Different if you’re getting A minicab up the motorway.

I took my baby in a cab in a sling once, arranging the sling to support his head and being aware that my seatbelt mustn’t go across him, as my body would crush his against the seatbelt. It was the safest and best option for him at the time, though I didn’t make a habit of it.

I assume not every parent needing the occasional taxi either has or can afford a car seat. It's not the safest but the alternative of not allowing parents to travel when needed isn't great either.

It‘s legal. As is giving a lift to a parent with a babe in arms. Sometimes it will be the best available option, although yes, in the event of a collision there’s be a much greater chance of injury or death.