For city folk and people who have traveled with their LOs, how fid you handle taxis/cabs? We are going to Europe and Chicago this summer. Ideally, we don't want to bring a car seat. Will taxis take you with baby without a car seat? If you don't, do you just carry baby and hope for the best? If you brought one, did you bring the base? Strap the car seat in? I just imagine no can driver wants to deal with a baby with or without a car seat.
For Chicago I will probably just bring it. The more I think about the more worried I am.
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You definitely don't need the base, you can just strap the car seat in. I know in Boston and NYC, so probably similar in Chicago, you are not required by law to have a carseat, but I would be uncomfortable with that until LO was a toddler at least (like, the age that we all probably stopped riding in a carseat, even if now they still require it). And even then, I think that would be in a pinch, not the plan.
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@Foodnerd81: I *heard* that the law has changed/is changing (?) in NYC and babies are required to ride in car seats in cabs now. Have not seen any proof though...
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We brought the carseat (no base) with us to Europe. We bought the matching bag and checked it (for free) so it wasnt a big deal. I think I'd be too uncomfortable taking a baby in a car without a car seat.
Some taxi companies in London have car seats you could book but I would be worried about whether or not they are expired, have been in accidents, etc.
Eta: are you bringing a stroller? I think C was more comfy sleeping in her carseat in the stroller than the stroller alone.
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I have no advice, but YAY Chicago!
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We went to NY when LO was 11 months and we brought a car seat. I just feel way more comfortable with LO in a car seat. Nobody seemed to mind, DH would just quickly strap it in. He practiced at home first so he would have it down.
The only night we didn't use the car seat was when DH had LO by himself because I was MOH in my sister's wedding so we spent the day getting ready and DH had to get LO to the wedding after nap. He had to drag her, the diaper bag, and stroller so he couldn't take the car seat too. I didn't love it but I also didn't have much of a choice.
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@regberadaisy: I don't think the law has changed. You don't have to bring your car seat to ride in a taxi in NYC.
When we take taxis or livery cabs we always bring our car seat. When we call for a car we just make sure it's not an older one without the LATCH system. It's pretty easy to install the car seat and takes a couple of minutes if you can practice ahead of time.
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We always bring a car seat. It just pops into the stroller (with a car seat adaptor) so it's easy to take it with us when we go on vacation. We live in the city, and take cabs all the time - definitely don't bring the base, just look at the instruction manual (or youtube videos) for how to strap the car seat in without a base. Cab drivers have generally been pretty patient - I tell them please start the meter, I just need to buckle the car seat.
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I just got back from London and I stayed at my friends house who is married to a taxi driver.
He says he can't let his cab idle while people strap in a car seat. He prefers people leave their baby in the stroller with the break on or hold the baby.I let him drive me once and he made me leave baby in the stroller. First and last time I took a cab in London.
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@wheres_c: I don't think I understand. How can you put baby in the stroller in a cab?
I think car seat is a MUST, especially for Chicago. Just decided we'll rent our own car. Can't deal with a cab.
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@shopaholic: there is a large space in the can in London for a stroller (or wheelchair). The cabs there are a lot bigger than in the US.
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@wheres_c: That's crazy! lol!
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@artbee: what I don't get is do you carry the carseat around after? What if I take a cab and then walk. How do you handle the carseat then? Or did you have the bucket kind? I'm going I NYC in October so trying to figure it all out as well!
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@Wheres_c: That's crazy! I can't believe that's a universal thing for London cab drivers. As long as they are pulled over and not in the way of traffic, there's surely no reason they can't just start the meter and wait for you to buckle your car seat. We're going to London with LO in August - I guess I'll see firsthand whether we are given any trouble!
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@MamaJ: Not to answer for Artbee, but in NYC we use the bucket seat, and have an adapter on our stroller (City Mini) so the seat pops on when we're out of the cab. Or you could use a car seat stroller frame. I honestly don't know what to do once you're out of the bucket seat though!
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@Beehive: ok thanks. LO will be 9 months when we go and I have no idea what sort of car seat he will be in. If he is still in the bucket then that would totally work because it does clip into our stroller.
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We've taken cabs a number of times in England and here in Australia and never bring a car seat with us. We don't have a capsule so there's nothing to snap in and out, and it's not required by law, so most cabs don't have car seats available. I don't like it but sometimes it's a necessity.
When we do take a cab, I always pop LO in the Ergo (front carry) and then strap the seatbelt over us both. I position my arms to make sure the seatbelt isn't anywhere her neck and then I feel slightly better knowing that at least she is somewhat secure in the car. It works and to me, is a good enough solution to not worry about dragging a car seat with us when we travel.
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Car Seat Lady (a pediatrician) has good info on this issue... For infant seats, convertibles, and boosters.
In NYC, we took cabs with infant seats without the base all the time. Just strapped it in with seat belt, as per manual. Used a stroller frame or stroller with adapter that was easy to pop into the trunk quickly.
We also have a Sit n Stroll. My girls stayed in infant seats til 10-11 months though!
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@regberadaisy: @Foodnerd81: I keep getting conflicting info on the law in NYC. the livery cab driver I had today said the cops can fine you like $500. I need to find something definitive.
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@shopaholic: where are you going and how old is LO? You're brave! We want to take a family vacay to China but won't till she's at least walkin fairly well and/or out of diapers.
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@regberadaisy: We're going to Europe (1 week in Venice, 1 week on a cruise) when she will be almost 4 months. Then we have a family wedding in Chicago when she will be almost 6 months. Both are family trips, so we just really have to forge ahead brave or not!
I've determined that for Chicago, we'll definitely need a car seat - going to rent a car ourselves now. I would like to go to NYC again someday, so it's good to know what their cab rules are too. But sounds like such a hassle - the subway might be better for a city like that! -
@MamaJ: we only took cabs to and from our apt that we rented, to a anniversary party so we could just stick the carseat in a corner, and to the city for my sister's wedding and we didn't bring a car seat to that. If it were me and dh I would have brought it and stuck it downstairs with the rest of my crap, but it was too much for dh to carry by himself. The rest of the time we rented a car because we went to visit a few people, or we walked and took the subway.
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