NYC Taxi

Hi,
NYC is a unique city. growing up in the south i couldn't have ever imagined not owning a car seat for my baby, so of course when we found out we were pregnant we went and bought a beautiful car seat.... which sat in our apartment and was used maybe a total of 3 times until our son out grew it.
it all depends on what you are comfortable with but i began to use the baby bjorn for practical reasons and always told the driver to please be careful. depending on the length of the trip i would sometimes slide the seatbelt between myself and the baby bjorn strapping myself in (since the baby was strapped to me he would be safe and the seatbelt wouldn't touch him) i still think you should have a car seat if you're going anywhere outside of NYC just use your own judgement, a 15 min cab ride to a friends i couldn't imagine lugging the car seat out, an hour trip to Queens... it might be worth it :)

it's totally fine. We did this all the time with our little girl when she was this age. We actually didn't own a car seat since we lived in the city and did not own a car! The only time I would hesitate to do this is riding to the airport or somewhere outside of the city in a taxi where the traffic is heavier. My husband always asks the driver to be more careful when we have our daughter with us (she's 2 now and we still don't have her in a car seat when in taxis).

i had a graco snugride car seat that had a snap and go attachment that made the infant seat basically a stroller. there are several brands and they fit most infant car seats. this saved me many times. it was great when my son fell asleep in the car seat and then i did not have to lug him around. i could just wheel him. it also had a nice size basket under the seat to i could do shopping as well. best of luck.

W., mom to Quinn 22 mo.

I have and had the same problem. I find it very strange that no one has approached the city about requiring taxis to have on-board solutions for children and infants.

So two things for you. What I did with my child. And, what I am thinking about doing to solve this city-wide problem.

What I did: Initially I did use the Bjorn and a seat belt. Just be sure that you strap the seat belt between you and the baby - the baby needs to be on the outside of the tension. Still, it made me very nervous and scared out of my mind. Now we plan ahead for all trips and avoid taxis when I am on my own and don't have help carrying the car seat.

What I'd like to do: I would like to start by approaching my city council member to start a campaign to require some sort of child restraint solution. If anyone has ideas, information or a desire to join the effort. Please contact me at this site. Thanks.

Good luck.

hi M.-

i would check w/ the pediatrician, but it really does not sound safe to put a seatbealt around an 11 week that is strapped to your chest. if the cab stops short, or gets in an accident, the pressure of the weight of your body against the seatbelt w/ a newborn in between, could cause some serious trauma to your baby. its awful to get around in the city w/ a baby, i struggled w/ it myself. they do have car seats that convert to strollers (they have a long handle) and i've heard they aren't great for the strolling part, but it may be the best solution if the carrier is more than you can handle alone. i would absolutely check w/ the pediatrician before trying to strap the baby to you in a cab though. its always better to be safe! good luck!

I doubt it's very safe, though I've seen people do it. Do you have a snap and go? Costs about 50-60 dollars, and folds very easily. Just pop your car seat on it and you've got a stroller and your car seat. It's also got a big basket which makes it great for the city.

I know that getting around the city is a pain with all the baby gear! If you need to take a taxi without a car seat (which is perfectly legal to do in NYC) the best way is to just buckle yourself in and hold him close to you. It is better to take him out of the carrier and NOT put the seatbelt around him, because the seatbelt can actually hurt him if used this way. I don't do it often, but this is what I do when we really need to.

Check out what thecarseatlady.com has to say about taxis. Bucking the two of you in together is one of the worst things you can do. Your weight in a crash could crush the baby.

Hi do you have the snap and go that snaps onto the babyseat. This makes for a stroller as well Buy Buy Baby has it so does Planet Kids. Keep to a car seat fastest for all. J.

I would always bring the car seat along and would be afraid to use the baby bjorn. I would definitely pose this question to your pediatrician.

One thing I have done with my four month old is found a livery car service that is comparable in price to a taxi and ordered the car to pick me up. The drivers will help you with the car seat/stroller and do not get frustrated with you for taking the time to get it secure. I would recommend this until warmer weather arrives and you can use the bjorn to get around the city with your baby.

I used the bjorn with my baby and felt completely safe. I also felt safe with him in it when I rode the subways and the buses. You would never think of bringing a carseat on a bus, yet it is still a moving vehicle. I agree with what the other moms mentioned. Advise the driver to drive carefully, and don't be in a rush.

I know the temptation and my husband and I have arguments about it all the time, but the answer is, No, it is not safe to travel that way. I admit I did it a couple of times with my eldest child, but it is not a good idea. You are much better off bundling the baby up and walking to the subway. There is a special taxi service for families but the name escapes me. It is pretty pricey. Many car services have car seats as well which is how we get to the airport.

If you absolutely need to take a cab without the car seat, I read that you should strap yourself in and hold the baby similar to when on an airplane.

In NYC, you don't have to have a carseat in a taxi. We use our Bjorn whenever we go in a taxi and, so long as we use a seatbelt, we feel safe. We always tell the taxi driver that we are carrying our most precious cargo and we're not in a hurry. Slide the seatbelt between you and the bjorn so you are securely buckled. We always bring a cloth to put over the seatbelt so it doesn't touch the baby (and he can't chew on it). I wrap my arms around the bjorn (not for safety but because it makes me feel good :). Keep in mind NYC is special and this exception does not exist in other cities.

Hi M.-
You should look at the different travel systems. You should try the website www.onestepbeyond.com. The travel system I used was an infant seat that's attached to a stroller. You could put the stroller in the trunk of the taxi, and keep the baby in the infant seat. It is not safe to put the seat belt around you and your baby. If the taxi was to stop short, the impact plus your boby weight being thrown forward can crush the baby. Another option would be the infant seat and the bus.

M.,
I take taxis all the time w my bjorn & it works fine. I don't buckle however, seems safer not to.

Some Brooklyn-based car services provide infant & toddler car seats upon request. One that comes to mind is Eastern - ###-###-####. I know you're based in manhattan, but they may pick-up in the village. It's worth a shot. For what it's worth, my daughter was born in mid-january, and I was out with her on the subway during week 1. Seemed like it was going to be stressful, but it ended up being fine. Just bundle your son up!

Hi! I have a 5 month old and I have been traveling by taxi with my son in his Baby Bjorn and the both of us seat-belted in for months now. It isn't quite the safety of a car seat but it is definitely safe.

Hi M.-

Of course it isn't ideal, but I did take my baby in a cab the other day without her car seat. One piece of advice if you do so- always hail cabs that are in good condition. I recently learned that the newer cabs and ones in good condition are either owned by the driver, which typically means he cares for it better and won't drive as recklessly or he has a good record with his cab company so they give him a nice cab to drive. Everytime I've applied this theory, its worked. At least then you'll hopefully have a safe ride.

Best of Luck!
S.