Being told I'm putting my children in danger when I'm trying to do the opposite?

[katese11]

OK, this is my first OP in AIBU, so please be gentle. And sorry it's so long

Basically, I'm a London girl, not good with country stuff but am planning to meet some friends in a rural area over half term. For tedious reasons, I won't have a car so plan was to meet them in a pub or something near a train station on the mainline.

Tonight I had a brainwave and decided to see if we could take a taxi somewhere, which would give us more options. Not essential, just an idea. I have 2 dc - one 4yo, one 17mo

So, I called a taxi firm and asked if they had car seats cause we were coming by train and really can't carry their car seats with me. I was prepared for them to say no and that would be fine - revert to Plan A and meet near a station.

They said no, it's not a legal requirement, which I knew and understood. I said "OK, no worries" and prepared to hang up and revert to Plan A. Not an issue.

But then taxi guy said "Can I give you some advice?" I said "Okaaaaayyy...", not realising I was about to get a barrage of abuse.

He told me that any taxi firm that supplied car seats would have got them "from a car boot sale" and there would be no guarantees they hadn't been in an accident. I said OK, I was aware that could happen but I just wouldn't put the 17mo in on the back seat, sliding about with no seat.

He started shouting at me, saying "You wouldn't do that, you would have her on your lap".

I got a little annoyed and said I didn't think that was great advice..can I hang up now please? (damn me for being so British and not just hanging up sooner!) I said in a crash, I was likely to crush her if she was on my lap so I didn't want to do that. Sorry, bye etc...

(Bear in mind this rural area is notorious for animals wandering onto the road, so an emergency stop is a v real possibility)

He just kept shouting about how I was putting my kids' lives at risk by even considering using someone else's carseat and how I didn't care about their safety. I politely said I'd hope any good taxi firm that supplied car seats would supply safe ones and thanks but bye.

Then I said I probably wouldn't be booking a cab with him, at which pointed he said "Well, I don't want customers like you anyway" and hung up.

AIBU to be completely perplexed and a bit freaked by this? I am still shaking now, he was so horrible to me. I know IABU for not hanging up sooner....

(Sorry again for the length)

Yanbu at all, he sounds scary, I would not use that taxi company. A simple no we don't would have sufficed

I always wonder a bit at people who run a business and make a point of being rude to customers/potential customers. I think a simple "Sorry, we don't have any car seats" would suffice. What a strange and unpleasant man.

Keep a personal note of the name of his cab firm, just so that you remember never to call them again.

What an arse he sounds. With that attitude I'm surprised he does any business at all.

I know several taxi drivers for several different firms. Many supply car seats, and pride themselves that these are new, not bashed about and perfectly fit for purpose. I used to use them occasionally when my children were babies.

What a loon.

And have a practice session of hanging up the phone in such people!!!

Thanks again everyone - I was shaken after I got off the phone I genuinely thought I might have been unreasonable! Some good ideas for alternative plans too, thanks.