My sister took DS in the back of a taxi sans car seat. How to deal with this?

[minouminou]

She was looking after him (he's 14 months) for 3 hours while DP and I went to look at a house.
She was, supposedly, walking him in his pram to our mum's house (20 mins walk), but, due to rain, got in a cab with him on her knee - journey time about 10 mins.
I know this hasn't been outlawed yet, as it has been in private cars, but I think it should be.
She's 51 (15 years older than me), and saw nothing wrong in this, as , as we all know, it used to be OK (hmmm).
We're moving up north soon (hopefully), and she seems toi think she'll be looking after him on a regular basis, so I told her today (we're back in Oxford now)that we can't allow that to happen again, and she didn't take it too well at all, and threw a big girlie hormonal strop over the phone "oh well I won't have him again....." (which, quite frankly feels like a relief).
Background - 5 kids of her own, has been a childminder and now runs an after-school club.
Silly cow.

I was sooooo close to accepting a lift home from friends the other week. They had a seat for ds2 but not for ds1 aged 4, tried to use cushions etc to booster him up and used a clip on the belt. I was very iffy and nearly said no, should have said no, but it was so late and rainy. 300 metres down the roasd, friend discovered she had no steering, pulled over, big flat tyre. So we got the bus after alll. I'm certain that was some kind of rescue from a deity. I certainly wont be so stupid again. It wanst even an emergency, just 9pm and cold and dark.

The risk from ten minutes in a taxi is negligible - but if you want to eliminate that then of course it's your right. As a matter of interest, how do you feel about taking children on buses (without seat belts or child seats)?

Risk of travelling on a bus much lower than in a car

hence no seatbelts

Ozymandius Re: taxi injuries:

seatbelt factsheet

"Casualty statistics show that 2,650 people were killed or injured in taxis in Great Britain in 2001."

Doesn't state how many are children, but given that kids are more likely to not have seatbelts on in a taxi then I'd say there were at least a few in that 2650.

Hatrick the OP did chill out and apologise. I think that is all sorted out now.

ok, I might be at risk of being awarded 'bad mother of the year' for posting this - but I DO take taxis with ds (9 months) without a car seat - I (naively?) asked a taxi man about this (in the hansom-type cabs) and he said that they recommend having the baby in its buggy, with the brakes on, and strapped in (in much the same way a wheelchair would be). So I don't take him on my knee, but will take him (even in non-emergency situations) in a cab kitted out for wheelchair use.
What do you think? Is this still just as unsafe? TBH taxi man's advice seemed sensible to me at the time..

yes point taken

let's face it don't we all usually want people to nod in huge agreement and mumble etcetera though? It can't just be me

I wonder if the ones up in arms about this have just their pfb - while the other more relaxed and realistic views (imo) are parents of a few kids who know that sometimes we have to take risks in life

I don't have a problem with risks that are worth taking - don't personally see the advantage of taking child unprotected in car when there are other ways of getting around

"Come nod with me"! I love it! Can we have subsections for "come bustle and tut with me" etc?

Ah some of us probably have less to lose on that score tmmj

maybe there is a market for folding car seats that conveniently fit in your hand bag

I think the whole point of car seats is that they DON'T fold

I take mine is taxis when I need to, but make sure they have their own seat belts.

It isn't a risk that I worry about at all.

Havn't read all, but jsut wanted to add tuppence, this am dd has to be at pre-school for 10.20, and ds isnt out of bed yet, it takes half hour to get there and its peeing it down.

iv just ordered a taxi, they don't provide car seats, so i will take ds's car seat (1yo) and dd (3yo) will have to sit with a seat belt, not ideal but otherwise im in for one hell of a morning after one hell of a night and i just couldnt cope with it!

although i think your sis should respect your wishes, you are his parent!

Well I'm sure now she knows your feelings on the subject she wouldn't do it again. Most people would respect the parents' wishes if they now them.

Right - update.
I called her today, and she's still annoyed about DS staying with our chums before he stayed with her, but i talked her down off the roof over the car seat issue.
Can't seem to budge her over the friends v family thing, though, and i can see this turning into a regular battle. I do have my reasons for keeping family at (a very long) arm's length, and I can see now, with us moving nearer, they may think i'm returning to the fold. Which I ain't.
Aaaanywayyyyyy, thanks to all for input, and again, apologies for the quite outrageous loss of my usual demure and dignified demeanour (ahem).

The whole taxi/carseat thing is about the only good reason I can think of for travel system pushchairs (at least up till 1 or thereabouts). Always been very against them but I did wish I had one when carless last year. Very anoying when you have to decline a lift when out and instead have a difficult bus journey in the rain.
Air berlin are the same as Lufthansa re seatbelts by the way. You can pay for your child to have their own seat and use an approved carseat with it though.

Amazing but useful fact number 14356b: All newer black cabs (the curvy shaped ones) have a child seat built in.

It's in the back seat centre armrest: pull it down, unto the velcro at the front and it's fairly obvious what to do. I'm amazed at how many taxi drivers don't bother to mention this.

When booking a taxi by phone it's always worth asking for a black cab with a child seat, unless you have the misfortune to live or be in the sort of pikey area where the taxis are old Ladas. Ashington, I'm looking at you.

Personally I think taxis feel far safer than buses, probably because they aren't continually having to fight with other traffic to get to stops. It doesn't worry me in the least to have The Boy on my knee or in his backpack in an urban taxi ... I'd certainly want him to be in a car seat if it was going to go at any speed (motorways).