riding in taxis

Hi ladies, I'm posting this here in the hopes that some of you have "been there, done that". I will be travelling to DC with my 10-week olds in October. We are planning on bringing a stroller (either snap-n-go or duo glider) and 2 car seats to snap in. We are not planning on renting a car, nor do we know anyone in the area with young children who could pick us up who might have car seat bases/an appropriate vehicle. I need to make it from the airport to a residential area that would be best accessed via taxi.

So here is my question - how do you take cabs when you have infants? I heard someone say that in NYC they have seen people just hold them. I have also heard that with just the seats (not the bases) you can at least strap those in with a regular seat belt (not as safe as having the base but safer than holding them, I assume).

I don't know what people do, and once they are older (1-year plus) we will probably be taking them lots of places (we love to travel!) where we don't have any car seats at all but will need to get in a car from time to time. How the heck are you supposed to do this?

TIA

 

You aren't required to have a carseat in a taxi or on a bus.

That being said, since you are taking the infant seats anyways, for sure you can use the seatbelt. It's just as safe, it's how they used to do it before infant bases were created. Just tighten them in like you'd tighten the seatbelt on the base and you are good to go

You'll get the hang of travelling soon, it may take a time or two for you to find your groove but then you'll be a travelling whiz again!

 

Evidently they are not required in taxis. I've never taken L&L in a taxi but my cousin lives in NYC and he & his wife take their two kids in taxis all the time, just on their lap. Doesn't seem all that safe to those of us who are accustomed to always buckling our kids in, but they think nothing of it. ardon:

 

In DC there are trains from the airport to places in the metro area. You may be able to just take a train. You would need a mini van taxi for the infant carriers (and all your luggage + 2 adults). Don't forget to tell them that when you are trying to get one. When the kids are older, you can rent car seats when you rent a car. You can also check your car seats when you fly so you'll have them at your destination...hopefully.

 

I've actually taken taxis here in Berlin with my two. The cab drivers have been extremely nice and helpful (one actually took a picture of us with the kids). I second the idea with a mini van cab, though. With stroller, luggage and two car seats, there won't be enough space in a regular car. You could also call Bluevan in advance and see if they could bring you to your destination. They service the entire DC metro area and have small buses with lots of space. Have fun - DC is beautiful this time of year!

 

Not much experience with Taxi's, but yes, that is doable!

 

I live in NYC and don't have a car. Taking taxis is easy, as long as you have an adult for each kid. We have the graco sungrides and I sit in the back seat with the two babies and get them settled, while my husband breaks down the double SNG and he sits up front. I haven't been brave enough to try to do it alone yet, but it would be doable if I had a friend to meet me on the other end to unload everything.

I've also used car services that have infant carseats, while you pay a little extra, it's nice to not have to bring the carseats if we're going somewhere local and then we just use our SBS stroller.

A car service might be a good option if you don't think you're going to need the carseats for anything other than the trip from the airport.

 

Which airport will you be flying into? Reagan has a train, and you can take that to many of the suburbs. We flew into Reagan and the cab driver waited while my husband installed the car seat. While car seats are not required, they are recommended. At both Reagan and Dulles there are taxi lines, the guy at the front will help you get a cab and they will help you load everything. You can even request a larger car like a mini-van and he will have you wait until one comes up. I say bring the bases along with you and take the extra few minutes it takes to install them. You will not hold up the line or cause any issues by doing it.