Rental car seats, rental cars, and taxis - putting our kids at risk?

Pssst... have you ever done it?

The blogs are hopping about renting car seats, and the consensus seems to be: if you have any choice in the matter, never rent a car seat.

Parents report receiving old, dirty, and potentially unsafe car seats when they have rented infant and toddler seats from rental car companies. And we're not just talking about an isolated incident, or one rental company.

I wrote about this the other day, and since then, I've seen more on the topic. Click here, here and here for stories from parents and former rental company workers that will make you want to scream and never let go of your car seat again.

Okay, so we're all agreed that you could be risking your child's safety by renting a car seat from a rental car company (I'm sure some of their seats are safe, but I don't think I'll ever trust one again after reading these stories).

But what about taxis?

I've never taken a taxi with my daughter, but I'm curious about whether taxi companies provide car seats (I assume some must), who installs them, and what condition the seats are in. I tend to think that the situation would be similar to rental cars, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!

What has been your experience?


Cross-posted on BlogHer

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for your posts on this subject, I'm the blogger whose investigation spurred all this discussion. Here's the link: Danger For Rent

    Most taxi companies do not provide car seats (though some limo companies do). In some states, you are not required to use a car seat while in a taxi, but of course it's no safer to lap-sit a child in a taxi than it is in your own car.

    We mostly avoid the issue when we travel by using public transportation. The kids love busses and trains, so they feel like it's a special treat. In cities where you are hopping in and out of taxis a lot (for example, San Francisco has a poor public transportation system & requires car seats in taxis) the Sit 'n' Stroll is a good option. It converts from a stroller to a carseat pretty easily.

    Hope this hleps,
    Debbie

     
  2. Thanks for the info, Debbie! I'll have to have a look at the Sit 'n' Stroll for our next trip!

     
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