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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Or OTT about my children's safety

49 replies

ooooooeak · 17/10/2010 20:53

DH thinks I'm being totally OTT and BU.

Off on hols this Christmas to Barbados.

We will have a 3 year old and 10 month old. I just can't get my head around not having them in safety seats on board teh flight. I know our youngest will get an infant car chair possibily but it still feels odd.

Even worse is the transfer on a mini bus. No car seats???!! :0 This is a country where drink driving is legal!!

DH thinks families every day go on hols and just put their babies on their laps......I don't think so!
AIBU?

OP posts:

toddlerama · 17/10/2010 20:55

I think you can rent them at car hire places at the other end. Do check though - I would feel the same!

WitchyFlisspaps · 17/10/2010 20:55

Can you not check in the infant car seat as hold luggage so at least you have it on the minibus?

I think you're being OTT re the flight though, I can't see a car seat being of much use should the plane crash.

ChasingSquirrels · 17/10/2010 20:56

for the flight I wouldn't be concerned.
for the transfers I would be looking at taking a seat with me.

RandomMusings · 17/10/2010 20:56

the plane seats is no biggie

ask your travel agent to book car seats for minibus

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 21:00

Not sure how I would feel about the plane but we never let our 2 DS on a coach transfer, have always hired a car and taken car seats with us. I'm pretty sure they didn't count in the luggage allowance but have never taken them anywhere as fancy as Barbados you lucky thing . Car seats did have to be checked in separately though so worth checking with your airline.

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 21:02

Problem with the mini bus is that you can't be sure will have seat belts or car seats will fit. Also if you book car seats will they be up to scratch? I would take your own.

Original poster

ooooooeak · 17/10/2010 21:09

Thanks all (we have a massive discount Caboodle its noramlly a caravan holiday for us!!).

Yes, no problem taking seats but often the coach doesn't have seat belts or only lap ones which wouldn't work to secure the seats.

I know the flight should be fine, but I do wonder why airlines haven't sorted out child safety by now.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 17/10/2010 21:14

I suspect flights haven't done much about car seat type safety as, someone else mentioned, a car seat isn't going to make much difference generally in a plane crash. On long haul flights you could try and get a sky cot, but even then on take off/landing and in turbulance baby has to be on your knee.

We did do coach transfer with DD when she was about 18m old and had no car seat. Felt very uncomfortable but mini bus didn't have car seats so a car seat was no use. Since then we have alway hired our own car wherever we have been and take out our own seats.

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 21:14

How old is your youngest? When bigger DS was a baby we cheated a little and took buggy base and car seat, told airline it was buggy and this meant we could take it right to boarding and it was waiting as we got off the plane at the other end. YANBU and have a lovely time

Original poster

ooooooeak · 17/10/2010 21:21

Having read up a bit (now wish I didn't) babies aren't included in airline deaths as they don't get their own seats :0 and are often killed due to parents lurching forwards. According to what I was reading it was safer for a baby not to be strapped to their parent?? Anyway like I said I'm not reading anymore its panicing me!

Do you think a taxi could be the best bet and take the car seats as luggage?? Would they be included in our weight allowance??
Good idea about the buggy base Caboodle but the main buggy would be really handy on hols. Are you allowed a buggy like a Bugaboo which folds into 2 parts??

OP posts:

ivykaty44 · 17/10/2010 21:26

I would question wheather it was the right place for me to holdiay if there were problemsn liek this to start with over the safety aspect, could you book soemwhere else that has more saftey restrictions. As when you get to your destination ther food and the water will possibly not be as safe as soemwhere else and the rooms in the hotel may well be a small chidl nightmare

BleedyGonzalez · 17/10/2010 21:31

3 yo should be fine in a normal aeroplane seat, unless he's unusually small.

Baby will have an extra seat belt on the plane, which locks into your seat belt. You have to have the baby's back to you for maximum safety.

On the minibus I'd go for laps and put your seatbelt around both of you.

Original poster

ooooooeak · 17/10/2010 21:31

Its very geared up for families and babies

If your interested:
www.virginholidays.co.uk/brochures/caribbean/holidays/caribbean/barbados/almond_beach_village/.
Its just getting there!

OP posts:

MILissues · 17/10/2010 21:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 21:36

ooooooeak (I had to count the os there) we took Bugaboo base and Maxicosi car seat and it counted as buggy. Another trick is to ask at the check in desk if there are any empty seats on the plane - you may be able to be seated next to an empty seat which is useful even if child is too small to use or they may sell it to you. We have found it to be cheaper to pay for the extra seat at check in rather than via travel agents, has been useful for the stuffed full changing bag.

proudnscary · 17/10/2010 21:37

What Bleedy said, and exactly what I did with dc1 when we went to Jamaica (he was 13 months).

BranchingOut · 17/10/2010 21:40

I have been through all the same dilemmas, so know exactly what you are going through.

My advice is:

check with the airline that there definitely will be a lap belt for your 10 month old. If not then there is the Baby B'Air infant flight vest.
See if you can take a car seat on the flight for your three year old, whom I presume will be sitting in their own seat.
If you can't do the above, get the 'cares harness', available from jojo maman. It is a bit pricey but the next best alternative to a car seat.
forget the minibus - it may not even have seat belts. Book a taxi or get a hire car as a transfer.
check both your seats in (if not using on the flight). Buy a sunshine kids car seat bag (£10) from Amazon in order to wrap each seat. This has a handy shoulder strap so you can also carry it like a giant handbag!

At all stages ASK NOW what the safety arrangements are - if you are not happy, then at least you have a chance to arrange an alternative.

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 21:49

I would not sit in a mini-bus and put baby/child on lap with my seat belt around us, in an accident would you not just crush the child? Interestingly, the guys who wrote Superfreakonomics have done some statistical analysis on this and seems that once child is a child and not a toddler etc seatbelts alone, without car seat, differ little in preventing a fatal accident when compared to car seat but it matters a lot when considering non-fatal accidents. I just wouldn't take a risk though. Car hire and my own car seats.

fastedwina · 17/10/2010 21:54

we often take our own car seats forthe taxi or car hire at the other end. Many taxis outside Europe, Uk, US for example don't have working seatbelts so don't expect that this will be the case. Have risked the odd bus ride/ taxi ride withought seats, sometimes it's hard to get everything exactly to your liking and you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Hope you have a lovely,safe holiday!

BranchingOut · 17/10/2010 21:55

Just to clarify, my suggestions 1 - 3 above relate to safety on the flight, not the road.

readywithwellies · 17/10/2010 21:59

OK, mixed feelings so I shall type what is in my head.

Do none of you ever travel on public transport in the UK?

How come it is OK for children to travel on our buses here without seat belts but you are all fussing over this?

Have you Mnetters who drive your own cars abroad had training to ensure you are safer than local drivers?

That said, before you all flame me, I refused to let ds (age 3 at the time) in a limo (not my choice!!) because it didn't have belts or car seats when he was invited to a birthday party, so I can see where you are coming from.

RandomMusings · 17/10/2010 22:01

RWWn the OP stated that drink driving is legal in Barbados, so a greater risk of accidents

Original poster

ooooooeak · 17/10/2010 22:02

Fab posts thanks so much.
So really what I need to know is do their taxi's have 3 points seat belts. Its so hard isn't it!? Even if they do they might not eb long enough!

DH has just thrown into the mix that a coach without seat belts is probablly safter than a taxi without seat belts??!!

Maybe we should just go to Blackpool!?

OP posts:

Caboodle · 17/10/2010 22:04

I try and avoid using the bus but for other reasons - ie huge probs with buggy etc - but have used train so fair point. I don't drive abroad, DH does, he is far better than me at it . Some risks I can reduce (even if it's only a little), some I can't.

Eglu · 17/10/2010 22:15

I think you are being a bit ott. Do you never go on a bus in Britain. They don't have seatbelts.

Unless the transfer is very long I would not be that worried about car seats.

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