UPDATE: post #154 I'm at a loss, really, I just cant' believe a parent can have so little regard...

[Love_My_Bubba]

And these are my best friends I'm talking about. My neighbors and good friends have a dd the same age as my DS. To say that they are lax on carseat safety is an understatement but the stunt they pulled today just takes the cake.

I drove them to the airport today for a trip to Disney. I asked if they needed my carseat bag (we use CARES on the plane & check the seat.) They said they weren't taking a car seat so I assumed they were staying on property and just doing the tram thing the whole time. Nope, they're renting a car. I haven't been to Disney so I have no idea about driving times but I have to imagine that it's not a quick trip around the corner from the airport to the hotel.

Wow, just wow. The final and definitive proof that I am right to NEVER let them drive my DS unless I install the car seat and buckle him in. How can any person who cares even remotely for a child think this is ok??????

[~Katie~]

Depending on the car rental company, you can rent carseats to use with the car. Car rental companies also have a policy of not renting cars to people unless they have a proper carseat for their child, but that is more than likely up to the discretion of whoever is working that day I'm sure.

[mamadelbosque]

I'll bet their just renting a carseat. Maybe not the safest thing to do on the planet, but its what a LOT of people do when they travel... and tbh, probably what we'd do if we were flying across the country. I just can't imagine lugging a carseat around with us.

[snoopy5386]

my friends just visited from Seattle and rented a seat, I offered them our back up seat but they felt it was easier to rent instead. Had to go back and get a different seat because the original one they gave them had no buckle! Seat was an evenflo chase that expired in a year, not good shape but they were ok with it. Also came with no instruction manual and they had it installed wrong (need to flip a part of the bottom depending on FFing or RFing).

[mama_y_sol]

I can only imagine as pp have that they are renting a carseat from the car rental company. I sure hope so anyway.

[phrogger]

I know not long ago when I flew to Texas I had to prove that my kids were old enough to not need a carseat when i told them I had 3 kids with me. So I would assume it would be the same thing and the rental car company would provide a rental seat.

[Love_My_Bubba]

Nope, I SO wish you all were right. They have no intention of voluntarily renting a seat. They are prepared to do so should the rental company make them but haven't reserved one and were just "waiting to see what happens." :

What really sucks is that these are good people, really good. Like when my hot water heater flooded our basement and we were broke 3 weeks from the refinance that would lower our mortgage payments by $400/month they let us put it on their Lowe's card and then pay it off.

I would never hesitate to trust them with my son, just not in a car.

[THBVsMommy]

That's horrible. My son is the same age and the thought of him riding without a carseat makes me want to hyperventilate

[gwen's mom]

This is my SIL-a special ed teacher, no less. I really had high hopes for her as a parent until she actually became one. Her kids have car seats but they are never buckled in them. She was actually in an accident in white out conditions a year or so ago with her oldest (about 2 at the time) not buckled. I thought maybe that would make a difference but it didn't.

[Kim Allen]

I know of a CPS worker (which her MIL is also the head of the CPS office) who does not strap her kid in the seat. I see her almost everyday driving through town ( she always is exceeding the speed limit) and does not think twice about it. thats lets you know how cps is around here also. She also would drop him off at daycare (which my mother worked at) at 10:00am and he had not had a diaper change since the night before and was always filthy!!! but thats another story!

[sunnymw]

No surprise here. If it's Disney in FL then I doubt anything will be done/said since IIRC FL has really horrible car seat laws.

My kiddo that age is still RFing. I don't understand the "magic bubble" philosophy of "Oh, I have a seat somewhere IN my car! So my kids are safe!"

I hope they get a ticket.

[fruitfulmomma]

When I was in high school, I babysat for a lady who was doing her residency at the hospital, so yup she is a doctor, and she saw me and another girl walking and pulled over to talk to us. And guess who was standing in the floor of her vehicle? Her baby! And her excuse was that they were only driving a few blocks.

[Ahappymel]

The car rental places have carseats and as a matter of experience, will not let you off their lot with a car-seat aged child in their car without a carseat.

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by Ahappymel

The car rental places have carseats and as a matter of experience, will not let you off their lot with a car-seat aged child in their car without a carseat.

When we've rented, they've just handed us our keys and told us where the car is parked. They'd have no idea if we had seats or not.

[Ahappymel]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

When we've rented, they've just handed us our keys and told us where the car is parked. They'd have no idea if we had seats or not.

Very bad error on their part.

[DevaMajka]

I think people just really think that it will never happen to them. Honestly, that's the ONLY explanation I can come up with. I've seen people who I *know* love their kids and want the best for them in almost every way, who just have no regard for proper car seat use. They just really must think that it could never matter.

I also think that some people, who are using a car seat but not entirely properly, ie, straps aren't tight enough, think that it's just as safe as with the straps tightened. They just don't stop to think enough to realize that it could make a huge difference in a crash. kwim?

Maybe that's it. It's just people that aren't thinking.

[notjustmamie]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW

When we've rented, they've just handed us our keys and told us where the car is parked. They'd have no idea if we had seats or not.

:

Even when DD was standing right there with us. Of course we did have a seat, but we didn't have it with us at the counter (we were renting locally for a long drive that I didn't figure our car was up to). Nobody said a thing about a car seat.

[earthgirl]

Originally Posted by DevaMajka

I think people just really think that it will never happen to them. Honestly, that's the ONLY explanation I can come up with. I've seen people who I *know* love their kids and want the best for them in almost every way, who just have no regard for proper car seat use. They just really must think that it could never matter.

I also think that some people, who are using a car seat but not entirely properly, ie, straps aren't tight enough, think that it's just as safe as with the straps tightened. They just don't stop to think enough to realize that it could make a huge difference in a crash. kwim?

Maybe that's it. It's just people that aren't thinking.

This was my thought. They just really think nothing will happen to them, it's not so much about not caring for their kids. It would be pretty infuriating to witness, though, that's for sure.

[DahliaRW]

Originally Posted by Ahappymel

Very bad error on their part.

Well, we've rented at least 20 times with at least one child at 4 different locations with just about every major car rental company, all the same. Checking seems to be the exception.

[KristaDJ]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

This was my thought. They just really think nothing will happen to them, it's not so much about not caring for their kids. It would be pretty infuriating to witness, though, that's for sure.

I have never IRL seen a baby/child properly restrained in the car unless I put them in myself. I used to babysit and the mother's didn't install their seats right or put the harness on their kids right. I'm talking like they just set the car seat on the seat and buckle the belt through (no tightening) and then put the straps on the shoulders (loosely and twisted) and buckle them (no chest clip and no tightening). I wouldn't let kids in my car without a proper seat that I installed myself and I would adjust their straps to fit, but the mom's never got the hint. I think they are totally unaware of what would happen to their baby in a crash or they really don't believe they'll have an accident.