Oh how I miss this
One of the beautiful things about NYC is the constant availability of pretty affordable taxi cabs to take you anywhere you want to go. The first few years I was here it was awesome just because no one ever has to be designated driver. Then I loved it because the husband and I could wander as far in the city as we wanted and if we were exhausted and lost and hungry we could hail a cab and hop in and be home in 25 minutes or less.
When Brady was tiny we could still pretty much jump in and out of cabs as we liked. His infant seat was easy to strap in and we had a neat little foldable stroller frame that it popped into.
But now cabs are no more. We have to lug around his behemoth 19lb convertable Britax carseat. It’s easy enough to install in the car, but what the heck do you do with it once you get where you’re going? You certainly can’t carry it. If we’re visiting friends it might be ok, but anything else is pretty much out of the question. On Saturday we’re going to dinner in SOHO with the in-laws for my husband’s birthday. We really wanted to go early and walk around first, but it just can’t happen.
Now, I know plenty of people who hail a cab, pop the stroller in the trunk, and get in the back with baby on their laps. I’ve seen it done with babies as little as 2 weeks. Cabs are exempt from carseat laws so it’s perfectly legal. I’m not judging anyone and believe me, I envy their freedom, but I just can’t in good conscience do it. My mother was The Seatbelt Enforcer when I was growing up. The first question she asked me upon coming home from a trip with someone else, even a relative, was “did you wear your seatbelt?” Not, “did you have a good time,” or “were there boys there?”, no she had to inquire about my car safety above all else. Once I started driving she would ask if everyone in my car had been buckled in.
So it just wouldn’t occur to me to cab it sans carseat. I guess we’ll just have to rely on subways, busses, and the kindness of the in-laws to get us around.
Mom's-Eye View 