No regrets, but would you have done this for your friend?

With how much information there is about child car seat safety freely accessible it’s completely unacceptable she’d endanger her DC in that way.

I wouldn’t allow her unsupervised around my children or even want to continue the friendship honestly.

You did the right thing. I will do the same than you. Once my sil wanted to take my kid without a car seat and I refused. She could not understand why claiming it was a short trip but I stood my ground. The safety of my kids are,my priority and I will not put another kid at risk you never know what could happen even if it is a short trip
Better be safe than being sorry.

You so did the right thing .. mum who says oh ill sit him in the foot well of the car is out of order and prepared to put her child at risk she needs to give her head a shake !!

I wouldn't care if she's got the hump leave her be and stand your ground.

Infuriates me how people love to take risks when there not driving the car.

In the foot area!? She’s crazy af

Shes willing to put her toddler in a footwell for a lift? God no!

Only time you even think about having an infant in your car without a car seat is rushing to a hospital with them.

She could have easily asked in advance and brought the car seat. You're right legally and morally and you'd never have forgiven yourself if you had to break with her baby in the footwell or someone came in the back of you.

She should never have put that on you. And if she doesn't forgive you she's not your friend

She's the one being unreasonable and stupid not caring about her child's safety.

How was her DH expecting her to get home? At tge very least she/he should have left/taken the car seat with her surely?

In the footwear??? Of course you are not being unreasonable. You're being sensible. She's bonkers!

The footwell is inexcusable

Short emergency journeys are covered. Not easily foreseeable didn't bother to plan properly short journeys.
And that still doesn't cover the foot well

You don't need a taxi exemption, short, unexpected journeys are covered.

"she said she'd sit the toddler in the foot area in the front so she wouldn't be seen." What the actual fuck - as if you would agree to that.
When she got dropped off by her husband she must have had some plan for getting home and if that was it then she is a lunatic. Perhaps she assumed you would have the bigger car but if you need a lift and don't have a car seat - you check or book the taxi in advance.

Chances are risking it would be ok 99% of the time but you don't take any risks with your kid. I can't imagine anyone thinking sticking the kid in the foot well is anything other than ludicrous.

Ah I missed that bit.

In that case I’d have said no and would be giving her a wide berth from now on. No post needs that weirdness in their lives

I don't think it's over the top - OP didn't want to take a risk (where the worst case is death of child and prison for manslaughter) and her 'friend' is not seeing that?

That's not a friend. She should have never asked her, all she cared about was her own convenience - not the position she was putting her child or OP in.

Good spot

Contrary cos I gave a solution for use in future? Very odd way of looking at it.

You seemed to have walked into this bar itching for a fight with me - did I inadvertently insult your family name at some point? Have I to ready the glove?

No way would I do this. I know of a labrador that was killed in a car crash where it was sat in the footwell because of the way the air bags deploy. No way I'd be putting a child there.

What normal seat would that have been? They were all occupied.

TBH I’d have just sat her in a normal seat without a car seat for a few miles. NEVER in the foot well though FFS this is mental

Tbh I wouldn't have, and I'd be reconsidering anyone who asked me to.

You did the right thing, don't even think otherwise.

She was completely unreasonable to ask this of you. Its your arse on a plate if anything goes wrong. And her kid who would be injured.

YANBU

You did nothing wrong, and your friend was being massively unreasonable. She was putting her child at risk of serious injury, and you could also get into a lot of trouble if you were caught with an unrestrained child traveling in your car.

My friend and her husband took that "risk" with one of their grandchildren, as it was "just around the corner" and they got into so much trouble. They received a severe reprimand from the police officer who stopped them, and I think her husband ended up with points on his license. They were only trying to help, and she was very upset at how she was spoken to by the police, but that was no excuse. We had to gently explain why it is never an option to let a child ride in a car without the appropriate restraints. They were lucky to get off with a telling off and points, if you ask me, because it could have ended in tragedy!

For a friend, of course I would if I could

how did she think she was getting home? why couldn’t her husband come back for her? she shouldn’t have put you in that position.

Because she's a friend - she's not the op's responsibility but for our friends we try to help them find solutions to things