Mil took DS without car seat

[Cybermondayyay]

Can I ask how would you feel if your MIL took out your 7 month old son out without a car seat?

OH argue she’s peer pressured into thing’s by FIL and always has been. Doesn’t want to bring it up to her as she’s very sensitive and will upset her!

@SillySausage81 you are right people do get stuck in the past, that's what we did and our kids were fine...

My memory has it that in the mid 80s kids had to use seat belts in the back of they were fitted. It was definitely law for kids before adults.
At one point there was an argument kids were safer in the front with seat belt than in the.back

I used to work in a taxi base on the phone, and was absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of people who would call up asking if we would take toddlers and babies without a seat- to which I would reply that it was up to them.... But that it wasn't safe really.....all they seemed concerned about was the law!

Becclescake · Today 15:05
I used to work in a taxi base on the phone, and was absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of people who would call up asking if we would take toddlers and babies without a seat- to which I would reply that it was up to them.... But that it wasn't safe really.....all they seemed concerned about was the law!”

I’m really interested to know who would be held accountable, we’re there an accident?

I couldn’t do it myself, if I were a driver. Would have to carry a seat in the boot and insist.

@Becclescake Legally taxis don't need car seats. This is due to the practicalities of seats, big bulky bits of kit, It's not always practical to carry seats with people.

The last time we were in a taxi it was to get to an airport. I didn't need carseat at the other end, wouldn't want to risk a seat getting damaged on a flight.

@MrsSkylerWhite taxis need to be able to put people's luggage in the boot, car seats for babies and toddlers are big and bulky they'd take up a huge amount of boot space.
What do you mean by be held accountable? If you mean a child being hurt then it would be the same as any other accident the person who caused it gets the blame.
I guess the moral is be careful and keep your distance near taxis as they may be un restrained children on board.

It's never happened to me yet, but I often think what on earth would I do if I was out somewhere with my child and needed a taxi home, but didn't have a car seat with me. Idk, say you've gone somewhere that's impossible to get home from on foot or public transport and the lift you'd planned to get home falls through... or your bus is cancelled, or you need to get a taxi to the hospital but don't have a car seat on you because you weren't expecting to need one... or you don't own one because you don't own a car... That's precisely why the law does allow children to ride without a seat in taxis in unforeseen circumstances, otherwise people could end up completely stranded.

I've taken car seats on loads of flights and they've never been damaged. Or use a boostapak if your child is old enough.

A taxi to the airport is neither unplanned nor unavoidable, and probably not very short journey either.

That's really reckless.

@BloodAndFire

no, I meant if a child were hurt as a direct result of not being in a car seat, would the parents or driver be held accountable.
Or are taxi’s exempt from the car seat laws?

@BloodAndFire Well my car seat cost upwards of £350 so I wouldn’t be taking it on any planes 😂

@MrsSkylerWhite Taxis are exempt from car seat laws but it was only put in place for emergency situations.

Then get a cheaper one for travel. Rather than risking your child's life. Why are you doing a weird laughing emoji about that? It's not funny.

Either your child is old enough for a cheap booster seat or Boostapak which they could take on the plane with them as hand luggage, or they are far, far too young to be travelling without a car seat.

It's not funny, it's horrendous.

I don't know the law. I do know that I wouldn't take my kids (when they still were in car seats) on a planned journey without using a car seat. I don't really care whose fault it would be if my child died or was paralysed, I'd rather just avoid it happening!

No way would I allow them to look after my child alone ever again! It is illegal and totally unsafe, baby is 7 months old ffs, what were they thinking!

@BloodAndFire I never said or even suggested I would take my child in a taxi without a car seat, because I wouldn’t. Just that I wouldn’t take it on planes because of the cost.

My car seat is so expensive because it’s ERF. I won’t allow her to forward face in my car or anyone else’s until she’s at least 7 so I certainly wouldn’t be allowing her to travel without a seat at all.

I would always make other arrangements.

Apologies, I mixed you up with this poster, who I now see was Dinoteeth

The last time we were in a taxi it was to get to an airport. I didn't need carseat at the other end, wouldn't want to risk a seat getting damaged on a flight.

Sorry for the confusion. I don't know how old your child is now but I strongly recommend the Boostapak when she is old enough - it doubles up as a car seat and a backpack and the kids can take it on the plane as hand luggage with all their stuff in it. And then you can use it in taxi or hire car at the other end.

The point is its not always practical to carry car seats hence taxis are exempt. Some people may well walk / bus to shops but get a taxi home with the weekly shopping.

And some people are a whole lot more trusting of baggage handlers than I am!

The chance to being involved in an accident on a one off journey is probably quite remote. It's not the same risk as taking kids in the car multiple time per day over a long period of time.

@BloodAndFire No worries. Thank you, I’ll take a look at the Boostapak and keep it in mind.

@Dinoteeth Taxis are not exempt due to it sometimes not being convenient to take a car seat with you. They’re exempt for emergency situations.

She would never be taking my child out again without my supervision

@YellowTreeHouse where have you actually read that Taxis are exempt because of emergencies?

It's the sheer practicalities of car seats in taxis and the nature of journeys taxis are used on.
Many people will walk or bus to supermarket and Taxi home with shopping.
Or use taxis as part of a longer journey to train & bus stations, between stations, to airports.
The odds of a one-off journey going wrong is really quite low.

"The odds of one journey going wrong are quite low" wtf.

It is not ok to take your child in a prebooked taxi to an airport (so probably including motorway travel) without a car seat. Why is your main concern the exact legality rather than your child's survival?

@Dinoteeth And some people are a whole lot more trusting of baggage handlers than I am!

you think your child is safer using no car seat at all rather than using one which has been handled by baggage handlers?

In what possible world could that make sense?

Actually that taxi wasn't booked it was train to nearest station then taxi to airport and just the first taxi in the que.

It would have been a real PITA to lug two car seats for a 10min journey and as I say what the heck do you do with them at the airport.

So where is your evidence that the exception was put in for emergencies?

You can check car seats in at the airport at outsize baggage, for free. I've done it loads of times. We travelled independently round India with the kids when they were all under 5 years old - no way was I going on Indian highways without a car seat (you can't get them in India at all).

I didn't say anything about an exception for emergencies. My priority was never about the letter of the law (no laws at all in India for example) but about keeping my children safe.

Tell your dh that he tells his mother that next time she uses the car seat or there won’t be anymore car trips. If he won’t say it then talk to your MIL and then send her a note with the instructions written down for car seat use. The safety of your child goes before any upset your PIL might feel.