If you must get baby somewhere and don't have a car seat?

[amberskyfire]

It's been a while since this happened, but I'm expecting to have another child and would like to be prepared.

I had a horrible incident a couple of years ago when traveling alone with my 12 month old. We were returning home to Hawaii from Texas and missed our last flight. The airport closed (airports in Hawaii close at 10pm and you can't stay) and kicked me out and I had nowhere to go and nowhere to stay. There were no chairs and no more flights leaving until the next morning.

I didn't know what to do and all the money I had in the world was $200 in my pocket, so I asked the desk clerk what the cheapest hotel on the island was. She gave me the number to a place that was just in my price range for a single night's stay. I called the hotel and they said they would pick me up in their free shuttle.

The "shuttle" turned out to actually be just a guy driving a Scion. I had to get in holding my baby with no car seat and I was so scared, especially considering the guy drove like we were late for something. I didn't know what else to do, so I sat in the back, belted myself in tightly, put my baby on my chest in a wrap and held her tightly (which I know is stupid because it does nothing, but I was scared.)

In that kind of situations, what do you do? Just grit your teeth and hope you come out the other side okay? I didn't know what else to do and I had to get somewhere. Everything was closed. Is there a safer way to hold or wrap baby in this situation? How do you handle emergency car rides?

[swede]

Originally Posted by amberskyfire 

It's been a while since this happened, but I'm expecting to have another child and would like to be prepared.

I had a horrible incident a couple of years ago when traveling alone with my 12 month old. We were returning home to Hawaii from Texas and missed our last flight. The airport closed (airports in Hawaii close at 10pm and you can't stay) and kicked me out and I had nowhere to go and nowhere to stay. There were no chairs and no more flights leaving until the next morning.

I didn't know what to do and all the money I had in the world was $200 in my pocket, so I asked the desk clerk what the cheapest hotel on the island was. She gave me the number to a place that was just in my price range for a single night's stay. I called the hotel and they said they would pick me up in their free shuttle.

The "shuttle" turned out to actually be just a guy driving a Scion. I had to get in holding my baby with no car seat and I was so scared, especially considering the guy drove like we were late for something. I didn't know what else to do, so I sat in the back, belted myself in tightly, put my baby on my chest in a wrap and held her tightly (which I know is stupid because it does nothing, but I was scared.)

In that kind of situations, what do you do? Just grit your teeth and hope you come out the other side okay? I didn't know what else to do and I had to get somewhere. Everything was closed. Is there a safer way to hold or wrap baby in this situation? How do you handle emergency car rides?

I would do exactly as you did.  You are taking a risk, to be sure, but you are also taking a risk to stay outside an airport overnight. 
 

[Juvysen]

I would have done the same, but asked the guy to drive extra carefully because of the baby not being restrained... though I realize that would be so hit or miss as helpful...

[chickabiddy]

I generally advise against renting carseats from car rental agencies, but in that situation, I would have tried to rent a seat for the night.

[amberskyfire]

Oh, that is a good idea! I don't think they have any car rental places at the airport on Maui, but next time, I'll look. Even so, they were probably closed, but I'll file it away if we have to travel again.

[lach]

Sometimes life is about making the less bad choice.  I would have made the same choice you did: it sounds like your other choice would have been to sit outside a closed airport all night.

It sounds like a scary situation, and I'm glad everything worked out.  *hugs*

[leighi123]

I'd sleep outside the airport before I'd transport my child without a carseat.  

[butterflylover]

I would have done the same thing in your shoes. I'd feel safer going without the car seat and getting into a hotel than sleeping outside at a deserted airport at night. The world is a scary place and I think you made the right choice.

[amberskyfire]

There would have been no sleeping outside the airport in any case. There was only concrete and we didn't have anything at all - not even our luggage. I had no diapers, no bathroom, no wipes for the baby - NOTHING. :(

[Tofu the Geek]

For an adult or child, when no seat belt is available, the safest place would be to sit on the floor between the back seat and front seat. Sitting sideways with legs pulled up in front. I am not sure if that would also apply to an infant.

[swede]

Originally Posted by leighi123 

I'd sleep outside the airport before I'd transport my child without a carseat.  

really?  I wonder if you would have been picked up for vagrancy - and transported by police car without a carseat?

[Drummer's Wife]

Sleeping on the concrete outside of an airport with an infant seems more risky than a ride in a vehicle w/o a car seat.  Especially in many major cities. 

[DahliaRW]

ITA that I would have done the same thing in that situation.  Sometimes there is no "safe" solution and you have to take calculated risks.  Some cab companies will provide car seats on request (who knows what shape they'd be in, but better than nothing maybe?).  So if you ever find yourself in that situation again, my rec woudl be to request one.  And worse case you are no worse off then you were in the prior situation.

[bobandjess99]

Well.  In that particular situation, I probably would have done what you did.  But, I would like to point out that I wouldn't have been in that situation, because I would have followed the recommendations, and my child would have been *IN* a carseat on the plane, therefore i would have had the carseat WITH ME.  While some airlines do permit you to bring "lap babies" on for free, it is not safe, and not a choice i would make. The AAP does not support it, and even the FAA calls it dangerous, but doesn't eliminate it so as to not lose the money from families who would then just not fly if they had to pay for seats for babies.  So the parameters of your example don't apply to me, really.  In a true "ZOMG ZOMBIE ATTACK!" scenario, where I was literally fleeing from a natural disaster, wildfire, etc, then yes, I might make the decision to transport kids without proper safety restraints, or in a situation where i ended up somehow without a proper seat and simply Could. Not. Get. One.  Luckily it's a moot point, since you are safe and sound :)  

[amberskyfire]

I understand where you are coming from, but in some situations, it's just not possible. We are too poor to fly and family purchased tickets for us to come visit. Tickets are over $1000 each, so it would have cost us that much extra just for the plane ticket for my daughter. Add to that there wasn't any possible way I could have carried her and her car seat and all of our luggage all by myself. Plus, when I looked up safety stats, almost no one survives plane crashes. They are extremely rare and when they do happen, there are almost never survivors (they are pretty horrific) so the likelihood of the car seat saving her would be low. Still, I agree, they are safer if you can in any way get one or afford one.

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by amberskyfire 

Add to that there wasn't any possible way I could have carried her and her car seat and all of our luggage all by myself. 

I just wanted to add that I recently flew by myself with my three kids, on four flights, and took two car seats.  It's totally doable!  

[amberskyfire]

How did you do it?! I'll probably be flying back with her some time soon and I'll need the car seat then, but I haven't figured out how to work it. How did you get the car seats onto the plane and wrangle the kids as well? All I remember is running through the airport with a baby on the front and a huge backpack on my back and it nearly killed me.

[kindchen]

I have flown by myself with two kids on one (very long) flight with two car seats. Never, EVER, again will I do that. It was a total nightmare. I feel like mothers on this board gloss over how ridiculously difficult it is to lug car seats through an airport while trying to keep young kids close. I was a basketcase, and I am normally a very calm, I-can-do-anything kind of person. It might be "doable" as in "technically possible" but I do NOT recommend it. I would rather stay home (and I really like to travel!).

Originally Posted by an_aurora 

I just wanted to add that I recently flew by myself with my three kids, on four flights, and took two car seats.  It's totally doable!  

[lach]

Originally Posted by kindchen 

I have flown by myself with two kids on one (very long) flight with two car seats. Never, EVER, again will I do that. It was a total nightmare. I feel like mothers on this board gloss over how ridiculously difficult it is to lug car seats through an airport while trying to keep young kids close. I was a basketcase, and I am normally a very calm, I-can-do-anything kind of person. It might be "doable" as in "technically possible" but I do NOT recommend it. I would rather stay home (and I really like to travel!).

LOL, yeah.  I flew by myself with 2 kids and 1 carseat and they were easily 2 of the worst days of my life.  NEVER again... at least until my kids get much older.
 

[Ekatherina]

well...in Lebanon riding a car with the baby on your lap with no car seat is a normal matter. ....i used to sit with ds as well as dd on the front seat, have them on my lap and nurse them as well. (one of them not both of course ). In Lebanon many things are normal like riding with the baby on the motorcycle....etc....It's a crazy country with crazy people....