Car Seat in Taxi from Boston Logan Airport?

Hi - we'll be flying into Boston's Logan Airport with our 2 year old
daughter and 4 year old son. Our son has a booster seat, which is
rarely a problem in a taxi, but we are concerned about our daughter's
car seat. I've been in a lot of taxi cabs where they are not equipped
with LATCH or they do not have 'locking' seat belts. I've been in a
couple of cabs with my son when he was a baby, and they were older
cabs that had the lap belt in the middle which worked fine, but most
of the taxis have shoulder belts, and sometimes the belts don't lock,
so they cannot properly restrain a car seat.

Trying to determine if a cab in the airport line can be used could
prove to be quite frustrating for everyone involved (the taxi drivers,
the other peopole in line, my kids), since everyone has to wait while
I climb in and out of taxi's. Tired and cranky travelers are not
always very understanding about these types of situations. I am sure
I will eventually find a taxi that would work, but I am having some
anxiety about this.

If I could know more in advance about the type of cars that are used
as taxis in Boston, that will allow me to simplify the process. Does
anyone have any first-hand knowledge about the taxi cabs in Boston?
I've heard most of the newer taxis are Toyota Camrys, which should be
fine, I would assume, providing the vehicile hasn't been modified to
exclude LATCH or providing the seatbelts lock in Camrys.

I am thinking of maybe using a car service to simplify things -
although I am not sure how expensive that would be. And then there's
always the possibility that the car service screws up and sends an ill-
equipped car and we'd have to take a cab anyway.

Anyone taken a cab in Boston recently?

Thanks!
Paula

Pokee wrote:
Hi - we'll be flying into Boston's Logan Airport with our 2 year old
daughter and 4 year old son. Our son has a booster seat, which is
rarely a problem in a taxi, but we are concerned about our daughter's
car seat. I've been in a lot of taxi cabs where they are not equipped
with LATCH or they do not have 'locking' seat belts. I've been in a
couple of cabs with my son when he was a baby, and they were older
cabs that had the lap belt in the middle which worked fine, but most
of the taxis have shoulder belts, and sometimes the belts don't lock,
so they cannot properly restrain a car seat.

As long as you have a locking clip, you'll be just
fine with non-locking shoulder belts.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Nov 16, 11:56 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Pokee wrote:
Hi - we'll be flying into Boston's Logan Airport with our 2 year old
daughter and 4 year old son. Our son has a booster seat, which is
rarely a problem in a taxi, but we are concerned about our daughter's
car seat. I've been in a lot of taxi cabs where they are not equipped
with LATCH or they do not have 'locking' seat belts. I've been in a
couple of cabs with my son when he was a baby, and they were older
cabs that had the lap belt in the middle which worked fine, but most
of the taxis have shoulder belts, and sometimes the belts don't lock,
so they cannot properly restrain a car seat.

As long as you have a locking clip, you'll be just
fine with non-locking shoulder belts.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Yeah, I do have a locking clip, but, for one, I've never used it
before and I have no idea how to. My carseat manual has something in
it about it, but it's not very clear. I could practice with it, I
suppose, before I go, but it's just another step in the already
cumbersome process of installing a carseat in a taxi cab while
everyone is impatient and waiting. It's hard to keep the kids
occupied and safe in a busy taxi line near moving vehicles while this
type of thing is going on, so the faster the carseat goes in, the
better it will be. I am always concerned, too, how reliable those
locking clips are (just another thing to go wrong). I am not trying
to make this more complicated than it is - I just want SIMPLE when I
get there. The simplest thing would really be just to get a car
rental right away, install the car seat once and be done with it. But
then we have to pay 4 extra days for the car and for parking in
downtown Boston. An expensive option, but maybe worth it to avoid the
hassle of the speedy-cab-line-car-seat-installation. There's trade-
offs, for sure, so I have have to think it over more.

Thanks Ericka. If anyone else has info on Boston cabs, please let me
know.

Cheers,
Paula

On Nov 16, 5:10 pm, Pokee wrote:
On Nov 16, 11:56 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:



Pokee wrote:
Hi - we'll be flying into Boston's Logan Airport with our 2 year old
daughter and 4 year old son. Our son has a booster seat, which is
rarely a problem in a taxi, but we are concerned about our daughter's
car seat. I've been in a lot of taxi cabs where they are not equipped
with LATCH or they do not have 'locking' seat belts. I've been in a
couple of cabs with my son when he was a baby, and they were older
cabs that had the lap belt in the middle which worked fine, but most
of the taxis have shoulder belts, and sometimes the belts don't lock,
so they cannot properly restrain a car seat.

As long as you have a locking clip, you'll be just
fine with non-locking shoulder belts.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Yeah, I do have a locking clip, but, for one, I've never used it
before and I have no idea how to. My carseat manual has something in
it about it, but it's not very clear. I could practice with it, I
suppose, before I go, but it's just another step in the already
cumbersome process of installing a carseat in a taxi cab while
everyone is impatient and waiting.

In the event you might find yourself taking a taxi, or installing a
carseat in someone else's pre-2003 (2002 calendar year) vehicle, I
strongly encourage practicing with the locking clip. It's not that
bad, actually. The whole process of installing a carseat in a vehicle
-- if you have 1 adult to watch the kids -- is likely less time than
it will take to load the luggage.

It's hard to keep the kids
occupied and safe in a busy taxi line near moving vehicles while this
type of thing is going on, so the faster the carseat goes in, the
better it will be. I am always concerned, too, how reliable those
locking clips are (just another thing to go wrong). I am not trying
to make this more complicated than it is - I just want SIMPLE when I
get there. The simplest thing would really be just to get a car
rental right away, install the car seat once and be done with it. But
then we have to pay 4 extra days for the car and for parking in
downtown Boston. An expensive option, but maybe worth it to avoid the
hassle of the speedy-cab-line-car-seat-installation. There's trade-
offs, for sure, so I have have to think it over more.

When you ask for a cab at the ordering stand, say you have a car seat
and you'll need a moment to install it. The 'caller' will let the
driver know. My best guess is that the cab will pull up and out of
line, then you (or some other adult) will install the seat.

Again, if you have a lot of luggage, you can (with practice) get the
seat installed in the time it would take to load the luggage. If you
don't have a lot of luggage, why not just take the T?

And if you're staying in downtown near the Wharf, I'd take the Logan
Water Shuttle instead of both of the above options. It's just amazing,
and my girls love it.

Thanks Ericka. If anyone else has info on Boston cabs, please let me
know.

Last time I rode in a cab from Logan it was a late 90's Ford Crown
Vic.

Have you already looked at the massport.com site?

Caledonia

Pokee wrote:
On Nov 16, 11:56 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Pokee wrote:
Hi - we'll be flying into Boston's Logan Airport with our 2 year old
daughter and 4 year old son. Our son has a booster seat, which is
rarely a problem in a taxi, but we are concerned about our daughter's
car seat. I've been in a lot of taxi cabs where they are not equipped
with LATCH or they do not have 'locking' seat belts. I've been in a
couple of cabs with my son when he was a baby, and they were older
cabs that had the lap belt in the middle which worked fine, but most
of the taxis have shoulder belts, and sometimes the belts don't lock,
so they cannot properly restrain a car seat.
As long as you have a locking clip, you'll be just
fine with non-locking shoulder belts.

Yeah, I do have a locking clip, but, for one, I've never used it
before and I have no idea how to.

Google "car seat" "locking clip" and you'll find a bunch
of sites explaining (with pictures) how to do it.

My carseat manual has something in
it about it, but it's not very clear. I could practice with it, I
suppose, before I go, but it's just another step in the already
cumbersome process of installing a carseat in a taxi cab while
everyone is impatient and waiting. It's hard to keep the kids
occupied and safe in a busy taxi line near moving vehicles while this
type of thing is going on, so the faster the carseat goes in, the
better it will be.

Honestly, you're between a rock and a hard place. You
can hold things up while you keep trying multiple taxis, or you
can take a few extra minutes to deal with a locking clip if need
be. With a little practice you can get pretty speedy.

I am always concerned, too, how reliable those
locking clips are (just another thing to go wrong).

They are just fine when used properly (which is not
all that hard to do--the main thing is simply to install them
within an inch of the latchplate).

I am not trying
to make this more complicated than it is - I just want SIMPLE when I
get there. The simplest thing would really be just to get a car
rental right away, install the car seat once and be done with it. But
then we have to pay 4 extra days for the car and for parking in
downtown Boston. An expensive option, but maybe worth it to avoid the
hassle of the speedy-cab-line-car-seat-installation. There's trade-
offs, for sure, so I have have to think it over more.

A car rental is about the only thing, and even then you
may not have any guarantee that you won't need a locking clip
(but at least you'll only have to do the install once).

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Pokee" wrote in message
...
I am not trying
to make this more complicated than it is - I just want SIMPLE when I
get there. The simplest thing would really be just to get a car
rental right away, install the car seat once and be done with it. But
then we have to pay 4 extra days for the car and for parking in
downtown Boston. An expensive option, but maybe worth it to avoid the
hassle of the speedy-cab-line-car-seat-installation. There's trade-
offs, for sure, so I have have to think it over more.

If you really want simple, hire a car service. You get off the plane, look
for the sign with your name on it. They will take and install the carseats
while you watch the children. They will load the luggage while you buckle
the kids in. Just tell the service you have kids with carseats when you
order the car.

Cathy Kearns wrote:
If you really want simple, hire a car service.

One in Boston that I particularly recommend is Top Cab (617 266 4800).

Pologirl