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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not use car seats?

143 replies

BlueFergie · 02/04/2012 13:41

Ok not as bad as it sounds.
We are going on hols in June. This will be third year in the same place. We stay on a campsite with amazing facilities and very close to a village with good bus and train links so we don't hire a car. The only issue is the trip from airport to camp site.
First year we got a coach laid on by travel company there and back. Last year coach there but thanks to a fuck up on the travel company's part had to get a taxi back. Kids were 4 and 2. Obviously no seats with us. Not ideal but what could we do, needed to make the plane. We strapped them in and off we went.
This year. Connecting coach charges have gone up and are charged per person so actually cheaper to get taxi there and back. We have a baby now who will be 9 months.
So what to do? I can't really bring three seats with me in the plane. A small booster for Dd who is 5 is fine but DS who is 3 is still well below recommended weight for a booster, and of course the baby is in the rear facing one which I don't want to put in the hold in case it gets damaged and won't be allowed as hand luggage I imagine?
We could pay extra for coach but is that any safer they won't be in car seats there either. Plus coach on way back just about gets us to airport an hour and half before flight. Airport is horribly disorganised and the first year we were stuck in horribly long queues for check in and security do it was awful and rushed and panicky. Last year we were fine because we got taxi and got there early but other people on coach had same experience as we had in prior year. I just don't fancy doing it again with three kids.
So AIBU to get a taxi with no car seats? Or what should I do?

OP posts:

YouOldSlag · 02/04/2012 13:46

I think that legally you don't have to use a car seat in a taxi but it's kind of a judgement call on the parent's part.. It's a tricky one and I reckon you'll get some good pros and cons in a minute which will help you decide.

Obviously you want the children to be safe, it's just how best to achieve that.

cestlavielife · 02/04/2012 13:46

pre book a taxi with car seats included

in any case if you two adults and three children you might have to pre book a seven seater as most saloon car taxis abroad will only take max four passengers three on rear seat and one front passenger so you going to ahve to pre book a seven seater with car seats included

compare with cost of hiring car with car seas for the week

DinahMoHum · 02/04/2012 13:48

I would call the taxi company and ask them to bring a car seat and a booster seat, but if not, i would just go without car seats for that journey. I wouldnt like it much though

Original poster

BlueFergie · 02/04/2012 13:51

Yes cestlavie I looked into that but the country we are going to has quite a lax approach to this and from what I can tell (dont speak language very well) taxis with car seats are not an option. We will be fine for space as obvs with no car seats the baby will be on my knee, with the other two either side. Taxis there are fairly big anyway. Massive boots and big back seats.

OP posts:

NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 02/04/2012 13:51

I understand that you don't want the hassle of putting carseats in the hold etc but please before you make a decision look at some crash test dummy videos on YouTube. The difference between front and rearfacing could mean life or death for each of your children (yes even the older one, we are using a rearfacing seat up to age 5 after seeing the video evidence on www.rearfacing.co.uk) - not using them for any length of time is at best naive and at worst plain stupid. Please take the time and make the effort to protect your children just in case

NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown · 02/04/2012 13:52

Sorry if that sounded preachy, I just feel really passionately about this issue and have to hold my tongue in RL

GiserableMitt · 02/04/2012 13:53

Can you get Bubblebum boosters there? If so I would carry one proper car seat for the youngest and one or two Bubblebums for the older children.

MerryMarigold · 02/04/2012 13:54

Taxi companies abroad are unlikely to have carseats. Personally I love the freedom from carseats on holiday, it's part of the holiday experience. I would strap baby in with me, and 3 yr old on dh. If you are really keen on seats, you could see how much to hire a car with carseats, just for the day...may be quite cheap and most car hire companies will have carseats though probably less safe to drive on other side of road in places you don't know than to not use a carseat in a cab.

GiserableMitt · 02/04/2012 13:54

FYI www.bubblebum.co/booster-seat/

lilbreeze · 02/04/2012 13:57

Can you strap yourself in, then have the baby in a BabyBjorn over the top of the seatbelt if you see what I mean? I've done that before on holiday. Don't strap the baby in the adult car seatbelt with you, as I think it would get crushed in the event of an accident.

tiredteddy · 02/04/2012 13:57

Yes or those trunki booster pak seats looks good too. We have bubblebum seats and they are a good investment. Handy even when taking extra children to clubs or back home for tea.

lilbreeze · 02/04/2012 13:58

One other thing - I think most airlines will carry car seats in the hold for free so that would be another option?

supernannyisace · 02/04/2012 14:01

If you travelled by coach - as you say there are no car seats anyway. You are lucky to get a seatbelt.

I do think that some taxi firms can provide a car seat. We flew to Spain a few years backand youngest DSS liked to use a booster seat at home. He was actually tall enough not to use one - so I requested one when booking the taxi. There was one proviided, but he decided he didn't want to use it after all.

A few years prior, in ~Spain again, I was with my parents and they hired a car with a car seat as DS was only 2 then. It seemed okay - obviously you cannot tell if the seat provided is 100% meeting with all safety requirements, but it is probably safer than a child on your lap.

TBH though - if it were me with three children to think aobut i would just have baby on lap and the youngest two either with a booster (take lightweight one) or just on the seat.?

But my DS is now 14 so we kind of bypassed the time when carseats where mandatory. he was already tall enough not to bother with boosters..

Your call though!

GiserableMitt · 02/04/2012 14:02

Personally I love the freedom from carseats on holiday, it's part of the holiday experience. I would strap baby in with me, and 3 yr old on dh.

Tell me you're not serious...

Taken from www.direct.gov.uk/ "A seat belt won't work properly in a crash if it?s put around two people, as they would be crushed together, resulting in serious injuries"

bejeezus · 02/04/2012 14:03

Taxis in Uk dont have child seat IME

I know people who live in London that use taxis alot and they dont bother with car seats

I think for 1/2 journeys whilst on holiday YANBU to not use car seats

Original poster

BlueFergie · 02/04/2012 14:04

Just quick reply re hold.i am not worried about hassle or expense of putting car seat in hold I am worried about potential damage. FIL was a baggage handler and I know how things get tossed around. I have had two buggies damaged this way which I can live with but a car seat no. Especially sine it could very easily be damage you won't see until it is too late.

OP posts:

GiserableMitt · 02/04/2012 14:05

Why, are holidays exempted from accidents then?

GiserableMitt · 02/04/2012 14:06

OP can you get hold of some moving boxes? I used to put DS's seat into one and it went into the hold. Later, I just used to get it wrapped in the airport.

Luckily I've never had a seat damaged (they're designed to be tough...)

porcamiseria · 02/04/2012 14:11

so...

coach with no car seats is OK
taxi with no car seats is NOT OK?

I feel your pain OP, as time and time again we book a taxi for airport transfers and they rock up, seat free!

I get the concern but sounds to me like you are just going to have to wing it

Clytaemnestra · 02/04/2012 14:13

"Personally I love the freedom from carseats on holiday, it's part of the holiday experience"

Well, if you have a car crash and you're not all strapped in properly it will certainly be an experience you'll remember forever. If you're travelling at 30 miles an hour when you crash into something, that is the speed your body will continue squash your baby into the seat belt before you come to a stop.

You'll certainly remember that. Baby probably won't.

OP - Is the train an option?

bejeezus · 02/04/2012 14:13

No GM- just weighing up risk/ likelihood of risk- 1/2 journeys on holiday-less likely to experience injury from not using car seat, than if you were not using a car seat every day

of course...if something happened, you would never forgive yourself.blah blah blah...........

Dinosaurdrip · 02/04/2012 14:14

We took our rear facing car seat with us on plane we wrapped it in bubble wrap (loads of the stuff) and stuck fragile stickers all over it. It arrived in perfect condition and we just kep hold of the bubble wrap for re packing it on the way back. However this was essential as we were going to be using the car a lot but it I was in your situation I probably wouldn't have bothered taken it.

Original poster

BlueFergie · 02/04/2012 14:20

cupoftea I think you are answering the wrong question. I didnt ask about rear facing or front facing seats for my older ones. I appreciate your concern and that you feel passionate about it. I kept my older ones in rear facing seats until they were over a year but at that stage I had to move them. They were so bored by the restricted view that they screamed and fussed so much I judged this to be far more dangerous as a distraction to my driving than the small risk of moving them to front facing ones. I don't be moving them back either they would go bloody ape. My 6 month old is already bored senseless when awake although he at least has DD beside him to talk to him.

OP posts:

littleducks · 02/04/2012 14:22

Honestly (though i expect to be flamed)i would probably do without seats for that one journey. If you were going to use a car several tines ob holiday it would be sufferent.I have caught taxis without carseats for short, important journeys (which is totally legal) on a handful of occasions.

When I'm driving they are in expensive, highly safety rated seats and I do take it very seriously but sometimes there are occasions when that isn't practical/possible, it would be much better if cars were made with in built car seats as standard. As long as you are within the law in that country I think it's ok.

Original poster

BlueFergie · 02/04/2012 14:24

No Clytaemnestra train not an option. It doesnt run from airport so would need to get a taxi to it, and one on the other end as although a manageable walk not with luggage for 5 for 2 weeks!

OP posts:

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