To think it's weird to allow babies in arms in cabs

[anonacfr]

Typical celeb clickbait article this morning online.
Chloe Madeley apparently got abuse for posting a picture of her, her partner and their young baby in a black cab.
They're both wearing a seatbelt but he's holding the baby- no baby carrier or restraints.
She was lashing out at people criticising her by telling them it is a perfectly legal thing to do.

Isn't that mega dangerous though? Looking back we always brought our carriers in cabs, or at least (in black cabs) strapped the babies in their buggy and secured said buggy so it couldn't really move.
In these days of health and safety I am just surprised.

Am I a hindsight PFB?

We went into hospital in an ambulance when our child was 4 months old. When discharged we had no car seat the nurses said to just go in a taxi with him but not to use a car seat around him. It was 5.30am in the morning.

I wouldn't do it routinely but it is legal to use a taxi with no car seats.

Its not ideal but there isn't really a viable, reasonable alternative, and there simply aren't huge numbers of infants being killed by this. Like many things in parenting it's making a calculated risk based on several factors. Probably safer to be honest than children in shitty car seats in tin cans with nervous or generally bad drivers carting them around.

Licensed taxi drivers have to undergo further training and testing to become licensed, so they are objectively much safer drivers than the average motorist. Also, taxis tend to be large and well-built so unlikely to be seriously damaged in an accident. Yes there's still some risk present but there's always risk no matter what you do.

If you saw the insta post then you know full well it’s legal . I’m not a fan of the faux naivety. Your wording alone in your op shows this was a bitchy thread. From saying she was lashing out, when she was not, through to “apparently “ got abuse when she clearly did and calling it typical celeb click bait . At least own it. We would all have more respect.

And there is nothing scary about a baby being held in a black cab which is built like a tank, crawling along a London st,for most people. Particularly not a baby being held securely by their 6 foot 4 , 19 stone rugby playing father, on what is likely a short ride.

Christ the teacups at the carnival are more risky.

Now the thing which I could really "lash out" about is cyclists who put their little children in those shitty bike trailers and tow them on public roads. Beneath a motorist's line of sight with only a tiny little flag to show that they're actually there.

Is it just me thinking that if you are involved in any sort of emergency stop when a plane is travelling, there isn't really much in it whether they are facing forwards or backwards?

If the laws changed so you can't hold a baby in the back of a taxi, how do you think people who don't drive will get home from the hospital after giving birth? Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone else who can pick them up.

It’s not ideal but sometimes it’s the only option. Same with the bus - no one has a seatbelt! I’d be getting annoyed if I was Chloe Madeley - she’d clearly done her research and knew what she was doing, people need to just leave it.

Not seen any Insta, just a vague link through my Twitter feed.
Thanks for pointing out my bitchiness.

I will refrain from ever commenting on random news stories ever again.

I beg to differ on London cabs crawling along, it very much depends where and what you use them.

They're not shitty, they've got roll bars and full harnesses in them so if you do tip over the kids are super protected. And if you're close enough to a cyclist that you can't see they are towing something then you need more driving lessons.

@Sugarfree23 But babies aren't supposed to spend more than 2hrs in a carseat. Newborns 20mins I think is the guidance.

So how does that work for a day out?

Already said in my previous message, I used the car seat in taxis then would put her in the sling when walking around and push the car seat clipped onto the pram

It's legal to have too many people in car and some without seatbelts if there's no other option

Not a problem to me.

Once they were beyond the infant carrier stage we got the trunki back pack things for ours when we knew we would be using cabs, holidays etc. Not the best car seats obviously but under the circumstances they felt like a decent practical option.

Definitely think it's different in an emergency/urgent situation that can't be helped

I had to take my toddler to A&E on my lap in a taxi before as I didn't have her car seat at my house

@bussteward MrNook
A baby that small can go in one of those travel system car seats with handles so no idea why you wouldn't do that!

I don’t own one.

Ok but this thread isn't about you? The instagrammer this is about does have a travel system which a car seat attaches to so I don't know why you wouldn't use it if you had one or just put the car seat under the pram

Are people making as much fuss about babies in arms on a bus?

in so pig sick of women judging other women and trying to dress it up as something else

as women we should all be calling this shit out.

Life is hard enough without strangers judging your parenting choices with faux,,oh isn’t that is dangerous, if it was dangerous it would be illegal and the child’s parents would make different choices.

I had to do this across country once (I was fleeing domestic violence) on motorways and everything. Terrifying. Necessary though, and I'm glad it was legal or the cabby wouldn't have got me and my children to safety

I thought this was weird too OP, but that’s because I was so used to using the baby car seat we had that attached to our pram travel system and straps easily into cars. I used to find it really convenient as it meant not waking baby to get out the car, but I guess if you don’t have one then you don’t.

Thats exactly my thoughts, there are many people who can say they've been in a plane crash (most who have are dead) so I don't even see the point in carting a carseat on a plane.

I'm a mum of five, and have often used taxis with a babe in my arms or a young toddler/ child in a seat without car seats.

Yes, and those silly seats at the back. Far more dangerous than going in a black cab and should absolutely be banned. Either use a cargo bike or wait until they are old enough to use a tagalong extension thing.

However, I'd take issue with taxi drivers being decent, well trained drivers. I don't think that's always the case at all. London black cab drivers are, of course. But you don't use seat belts in buses or trains and they are potentially moving considerably faster, especially the train.

Smoking is dangerous and not illegal.
So's excessive consumption of alcohol.

I've done this numerous times. Also take my childrenon London buses, sometimes San in their buggy and sometimes on my lap.