Posted by
Perthites
19 yrs ago
Hi i was wondering how parent's secure babies when travelling in taxis. We have a capsual which fitted on top of our pram which you could secure with the taxi seatbelt but my bubs is growning fast and so i'm not sure how to travel safely with her once she has grown out of it. Is holding her in my arms the only option, we are looking at buying a car for this reason but are sooo much more expensive here in S'pore than HK. Thanks in advance
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crj
19 yrs ago
1. Car Seat
Car seat is safest.
2. Baby Bjorn
When not in the car seat, I use the baby bjorn and put the seatbelt between me and baby. but others on this thread have advised this is not safe. I know it is not ideal, but sometimes it is the only choice I have.
3. JoeySafe
When baby is older you can use http://www.joeysafe.com/ but baby must:
- weigh between 20lb. (9kg) to 50lb. (22kg)
- measure 50 inches in height or less
- is capable of sitting upright alone
- is at least one year of age
It will be interesting to see what others say about a baby that is too large for the car seat, and too small for the joeysafe.
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Yep cri a car seat is good and what i would prefer but can't really take a taxi to the supermarket with it as i wouldn't fit in the bottom of the pram once removed from the taxi, unless i'm looking at all the wrong makes. Actually i didn't think you a baby/child could be too big for a car seat. My bubs is 4mths and over 7 kgs so the baby Bjorn is only good for an hour before my back is aching! I saw the joey safe mentioned on this forum before but as you wrote it's for babies which are older there must be something safe and convient to use surely. Tks cri for your post!
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@@
19 yrs ago
Although not ideal can you use the Baby Bjorn for the taxi ride and the stroller for shopping?
I had a carseat which would go onto wheels (sounds like what you have) and was able to use it for quite a long time even though my kids were bigger (9kgs at 4 months). Perhaps you'll get a bit more use out of than you might think.
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@@ my bubs has long legs and they are already sticking over the end also she doesn't like the lying position much any more and so gets frustrsted. Althought we could use the capsual for another month or so i still need to find a solution for my situation.
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
Yes, cost of cars in Singapore is a shocker!!! I would avoid the Baby Bjorn anyway, I know it sounds like scaremongering, but if you were to be in a crash, the impact of your weight would crush the child (am neurotic about car safety because of something that happened to an acquaintance).
If you decide to buy a car, an Isofix forward facing car seat anchors the seat right into the car. If you are buying a car seat for taxis, DO NOT buy an Isofix; they weigh a tonne with a metal frame for attachment to hooks in car) and only suit certain models, therefore a lot of wasted weight if you have to lug it around.
The rear facing car seat is the safest. You should be able to get more than another month out of it, even if her legs have to bend a little in the back. Once she is bigger, you can try the Joeysafe as mentioned above. I just bought two, I had the taxi turn around and go back to the hotel to get my youngest out of it and get his car seat. Basically he was wriggling around and I could not relax. I was also acutely aware of the lack of side impact protection and the fact that the seat belts were not locking very well. It is better than nothing (or a Baby Bjorn) though. Singapore taxis are cleaner and safer in my experience than their HK counterparts, and the drivers are extremely patient when are you are fixing and removing seats.
It dies not get away from the fact that you are stuck with a car seat afterwards. Sometimes they will take it from you at the customer service/information booth at shopping centres etc, while you shop. The only easy alternative is to shell out for a car.
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mrsl, you sound much like me i'm just not comfortable with holding my bubs in cars/taxis. I have a baby bjorn but never really liked it. The capsual i got had a special feature of being able to thread an existing seatbelt through it to secure it to the seat so it has been ideal for the taxi. I ordered it from Australia for this reason. I really appericate the your reply and it seem i have little choice but to but a car seat to use in taxi as spending the money on a car for little use seems a waste. I will check out the info counters at the local shopping centres and see how they would respond to minding a car seat.
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mrsl, you sound much like me i'm just not comfortable with holding my bubs in cars/taxis. I have a baby bjorn but never really liked it. The capsual i got had a special feature of being able to thread an existing seatbelt through it to secure it to the seat so it has been ideal for the taxi. I ordered it from Australia for this reason. I really appericate the your reply and it seem i have little choice but to but a car seat to use in taxi as spending the money on a car for little use seems a waste. I will check out the info counters at the local shopping centres and see how they would respond to minding a car seat.
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
Not surprised that you are so careful, Aussie regulations are even stricter than those in the UK. Try the Forum shopping mall (the desk by the play area), they may look after your car seat for you. The real pain though is that you have to go back to where you started to pick up your seat before you leave (although that would be true if you parked a car too).
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This is the debate my husband and I had when buying the pram - i wanted something lightweight and would take the baby in the baby bjorn in the taxi but he was against it, saying that a carseat would be the safest. Int he end, we bought a mothercare travel system with an infant carseat. The stroller itself is solid and good but I HATE the carseat. i can sense the cab driver's inpatience everytime i try to fit it into the cab and the insulation of the infant carrier makes baby's back very very warm. So as a compromise, i take the stroller and baby bjorn if i am on my own. if i am only going to one destination (eg someone's house) or if my husband is around, i take the infant carrier.
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thks wheelymate i'll take a look a the mothercare travel system.
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It's not just Mothercare, brands like Graco have it too. But word of caution : it's not a perm. solution, the baby will grow out of the infant carrier eventually (about 10 months I think).
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crj
19 yrs ago
Check the Trading Post (HK) someone is selling a Universal Baby Car Seat Pram thing... basically you put almost any car seat into this 'frame' and it turns into a pram.
great idea.
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:-))
19 yrs ago
If you do use a BabyBjorn in a taxi, make sure you are NOT threading your seatbelt around your baby's body, just around YOUR body. So the belt needs to go behind the BB straps. I also think it's slightly safer to use a sling where the baby's head is to the side and not directly below yours, otherwise guess what your head is going to hit at speed in a crash situation. I used a Mayawrap sling which can be used for toddlers and takes up less space than a BB when folded in your bag. Also the safest place to sit is apparently behind the driver because if they take action to evade a crash their instincts are to protect themselves.
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It never ceases to amaze me how people put convenience ahead of their children's safety!!! Especially when you consider that most of these people are talking about fragile babies. Have you discounted the years of research by experts that say that you are putting your children's lives at risk? When you have children, you are committing to put their interests ahead of yours.
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wheelymate i will look at something that is more long term get a car seat that can changed from reaward facing to forward facing and will last till she is much older.
cri i live in singapore so the HK trading post isn't much good for me.
:-)) as i mentioned i don't use BB never really like it.
Dora the Explorer, i understand you feelings and i agree with you i wouldn't risk it hence my question on the options we worked hard to get our little girl and i'm not going to lose her with something i can protect/prevent her from but most parents are trying to do there best with the situation they have. Do you have any suggestions for my situation? Was wondering as you feel the same way as me what you'd do?
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Perthites, I would do exactly what you're doing, buy a rear facing seat that can be used as a forward facing one later. My post was not aimed at you, but at those who are taking the easy way out at a risk to their children.
Sure, Wheelymate, we all 'HATE' carrying and straping in the car seat, but we do so in the knowledge that it is the best way to protect our little ones (thank God for your husband). :-)) threading the seatbelt between you and the baby will not protect him/her from the impact of your weight as multiplied by the force of a collision.
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Ok thanks i'm looking into the many carseats avaliable, Dora the Explorer. This is a lot cheaper than buying a car so now bu hubby will have no reason to buy one!!!!
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Hi Dora,
I know the carseat is the best way of protecting my baby, I think everyone probably knows that. But as Perithes mentioned, we are all trying to do our best in the situation we have here. Yes, thank God for my husband for his idea, he is from UK so it is the norm to have carseat, unlike in Singapore where the law doesn't require carseats in taxis. However, he is understanding and knows that it is tough job carting a travel system weighing more than 10kg without the baby in it and doesn't tell me why I bother having a baby. :)
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
Perthites,
There is one other option that I have heard of, but have not seen first hand. I cannot finf it in HK, but you may have more luck in Singapore. It is called the Sit-N-Stroll is made by Triple Play.
http://www.tripleplayproducts.com/
It is basically a forward facing car seat with a pull-up handle that can be used as a buggy. It looks as if it has been designed for getting on/off airplanes etc., so not sure how well it handles on long walks, shopping trips etc. It may be a less than ideal solution, but worth looking into. One note of caution though, there was a safety recall on an earlier version of it, so you probably do not want to buy one second hand.
Sorry that your poor husband has lost out on his new car. Console him with the fact that we all gave up our fun cars when we had children, family cars are probably not the boy toys that he had in mind!
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thanks mrsl i will look into it and keep in mind what you said about the recall. Ha my hubby just wanted a car as he gets rather impaient when it comes to waiting for taxis and really we wouldn't use the car that much to warrent the price of a so called cheap car her in s'pore. Rather put the money on the mortatage and get home so we can go to the beach everyday!
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Agree with you, Perthites...cars in singapore are just so expensive. my husband will probably never get one unless it's work related in the future. Thankfully, taxis are not too expensive here and when the little one is bigger, he's taking the bus and MRT with me!
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wheelymate you should check out the website mrsl just posted that sit'n stroll is amazing i have just made enquiries about it but it could be the answer.
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i have actually seen someone use it before. and they sell it in singapore but i can't remember where i've seen it...but since the website recommended by mrsl has a babies r us sign, maybe you want to check toys rus out...the forum the shopping mall branch would be a better bet i think...because they have a section with prams and playpens, etc.
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Does anyone have a solution for when taxi's have no seatbelts? In Guangzhou it is very rare to find taxi with a seatbelt.
I also take frequent trips to HK with my baby and simply can not take a car seat around all day when I'm stocking up on things to take back to GZ, nor can I carry her in a baby carrier ALL day so what can I do? I do not have 8 arms to carry all the necessary equipment, nor do I have a troup of helpers to assist me. So yes, I carry my child sometimes on my knee (very often in GZ) and no, I do not want to put my child at risk. It's not about putting convenience above my childs safety either, it's about physical limits and necessity, but what else can I do?
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spicegirl, this is in no way meant to be a sarcastic reply, but can you leave her at home with your helper or do these trips on days when your husband is at home? I go to Shenzen every now and then, but only do so when I can leave the children with my husband, which means that I have to go on a Saturday, which is suboptimal, but what other choice do I have? It also means that you get a whole lot done much more quickly and get home to spend quality time with your child much earlier than you'd otherwise manage.
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crj
19 yrs ago
Wheelymate - know you live in Sing :)
Maybe you can find that product there - the universal car seat carrier - or order form USA and have shipped. I think it is USD 50-70 new.
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Dora, I appreciate the suggestion but not all of us have the luxury of a helper (or the possibility of buying a car). In addition, the majority of my trips to HK are to see a doctor with my daughter.
When in GZ I do take the Metro a lot as I feel this is far safer than the taxi's but still, I have to take lots of taxi's to get to places and there is no way of safely carrying my child in them.... any suggestions?
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
Spicegal, I have no idea what the solution is. I used to call our local car safety officer in London (did I mention that I was neurotic about this?) whenever I had a car/child safety question. He was fantastically helpful (either despite of or because of my neurosis). I will try to root out his number or e-mail address. My guess would be that some type of sling is better than nothing at all (my logic being that the baby is likely to have a better chance under your weight than being flung out the window), but I am not an expert on this, so there are probably other issues on which an expert could advise.
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gosh it's so frustrating that there isn't a bettter solution to this us mums should put our heads together and come up with something we'd make a fortune!
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
That would be the perfect business if you come up with something!!
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Perthites I'm so with you, and sorry for taking over your thread! I usually go with what Mrsl has said and have baby in a carrier as I figure if anything happens at least then I won't let go... but who knows...
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spicegal i feel for you a least my situation isn't as bad as yours i live in an area where things are easy to get to by walking or bus or car and a lot of things i order online but of course you can't get everything online so i do have to go out and i want to start introducing things like gymboree to my daughter. The sit'n stroll looks great but it worries me a little that is so close to the ground... but better than nothing i suppose.
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spicegal, my aunt has been staying in GZ for years and she's got 3 kids and i think she took taxis all the way. will ask her how she got around safely.
yes perthites, at least our situation is not as bad...but this discussion has really stuck with me - took the LO to Tanglin Mall yesterday, a short cab ride away. Of course he cried all the way because he didn't like the carseat warming up his back but I kept reminding myself, it's the safest option!!
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Ha wheelmate i am having the same problem with the capsual. Bubs finds it hot and she hates lying down now she just wnats to sit up but i have nothing else to replace it with as yet.
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which is why most of my trips outdoor are confined to great world city as i can walk there and avoid using the carseat!
but because mine is a travel system (pram and carseat), when we do bring out the carseat, i remove it when we sit down for meals, put it on the floor and sit the bubs on the pram instead, which is cooler. you might want to consider shopping for a travel system - i know they will outgrow the carseat eventually but let's cross the bridge when we come to it!!
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oh i have a travel system like you but when i go to the shops it usually to the supermarket ans so bubs needs to stay in the capusal so i can hold the shopping basket! But yes if i'm sitting down then i'll take her out. How old is bub/s?
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Haha, so we actually have the same thing then!
Bubs is 3 months old. Yeah, can't buy very much in the supermarket with a baby, I really struggle with the basket and when he cranks up, even worse! As such, husband and I survive on take-out (eternal gratitude for dial-a-curry) and sandwiches (hard to cook with a 3 months old). So imagine my admiration for this Japanese lady I saw the other day - very stylish, injured wrist, pushing her pram and holding the supermarket basket all at the same time!!
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Perthites,
I just PM you, hope that got through as it's my first time using it!
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wheelymate sent you back a PM
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
spicegal,
I emailed the car safety guy in London that I mentioned earlier to ask him about my own car seat concerns and explained the situation in Guangzhou, asking if he had any ideas. I have PMed you the full text of the e-mail exchange, but the basic answer to your question was the opposite to what I had figured :
'On your final question, in the event of a collision at a speed of around 30mph, the adult would be thrown forward with a force of around 3 tonnes. If the baby/child were in the same seatbelt as the adult, this would be the equivalent of a fully grown elephant sitting on the baby. I would hate to imagine where the baby would end up if completely unrestrained but possibly marginally more likely survive than being crushed..?'
So, PLEASE ignore my thoughts about using a sling or baby carrier, you were doing a much better job yourself by just holding the child on your lap.
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Mrsl, thank you so much for taking the time to look at my concerns further - I really appreciate it. I admit that to me it still "feels" safer to have my baby in a sling or carrier in taxi's in GZ, but do see some logic in that when thrown forward you may drop the baby and they could perhaps be safer in that leg space - who knows..... it's a constant worry and I find that I prefer to take the time on the metro or busses more and more as then I don't have to be subject to the worry of erratic driving. I find HK taxis even scarier these days as the speed they travel at is much faster than traffic moves at in GZ.
Thanks again
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mrsl
19 yrs ago
You're welcome. Someone still needs to come up with a mafgic product though. Agree re. HK taxis, they terrify me, even without the children and I do not consider myself a nervous passenger. I think Singapore has it sussed, the taxis are all in better condition than here (quite a few E class Mercedes), they are cheap, the drivers are careful, patient and polite. Apparently, they can lose their taxi licence after 2 conplaints against them.
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crj
17 yrs ago
Spicegal
We are now in Beijing, with no seatbelts, what did you wind up doing that was safest?
We have a 2 year old and 9 month old and no car yet.
We have a huge problem now we live in Beijing, the TAXIS DO NOT HAVE SEATBELTS! At first, I would wait and wait for a taxi with a seatbelt, but it isn't practical asI can wait over an hour and none show up! So now we use either the sling, baby bjorn or ergo baby carrier as the only alternative to a car seat.
Sometimes I rent a 'black (illegal) taxi' for a few hours, so I can leave the car seat in the car, but still there are no seatbelts, so I only use the rear facing infant capsule seat as that can wedge in behind the driver.
When I have the 'black taxi' with my 9 month old, I bring her in the car seat (and wedge it on the back seat behind the driver), and have my 2 year old in the ergo baby carrier or baby bjorn.
We hope to get our own car soon so we can use car seats more regularly.
But as our toddler grows bigger and bigger, for the days we do not have a car, and the taxis have no seat belts, and he no longer fits into the bjorn or ergo, I am at a loss as to what to do...
Thanks for your tips Spicegal.
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