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niceday
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« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2011, 12:35:20 PM » |
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Ah, sorry for the double post. Forgot to add -- car seats take a long time to get children out of and block passage. In most crashes, the people who die are the people who cannot get out quickly before smoke/fire overtakes the plane.
Someone needs to run an analysis of the cost of the extra time it will take a potentially-injured parent to get their kid out of the car seat. If I were betting money on this, I'd guess that a properly-designed harness will be safer than a car-seat overall.
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thenewyorker
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« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2011, 12:38:45 PM » |
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I used to wear littlenewyorker in a Beco and, as I posted above, this was a life saver when going through airports. But I thought it was odd that they would not let me wear him during take off and landing. I had to take him out of the carrier and hold him on my lap. It seemed a lot safer to have him strapped to me.
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When You Snark You Can Really Love
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niceday
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« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2011, 12:45:31 PM » |
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I used to wear littlenewyorker in a Beco and, as I posted above, this was a life saver when going through airports. But I thought it was odd that they would not let me wear him during take off and landing. I had to take him out of the carrier and hold him on my lap. It seemed a lot safer to have him strapped to me.
Of course it is, compared to just holding him. This is just stupid liability-calculation. They don't want to let you do it because they don't want to imply that it is safe and be held responsible. Better injured children than lawsuits! Airlines vary on how they enforce harness rules but I would put on the Baby B'air harness the moment the stewardess sat down for take-off/landing. One theoretical problem with lap children in crashes is that your body gets thrown forward on top of the infant. But the other, more likely possibility --and the only known cases of children actually getting hurt-- are kids flying *out* of their parents' arms by the force of the landing/turbulence. Here, a harness is a much better option than just holding. Again, a car-seat is likely more safe in the parent-thrown-on-top-of-kid scenario but not if the critical issue is getting out quickly, as it often is. Anyway, both are pretty rare but I know of no cases of the former while plenty of the latter --passengers who get out quickly survive while those who can't don't. There are, of course, also cases of kids (and adults) hurt by turbulence due to not being buckled in. |
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palla
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« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2011, 02:07:15 PM » |
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We always bought tickets for my kids, even when they were under 2. I have a good friend who is a flight attendant and she told me too many horror stories. Not of children dying, but of injuries during turbulence and such. I paid for an extra ticket and felt safer during each flight. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. I am a freak about things like that.
ETA: I am also one of those moms who used a car seat in the shuttle from airport to hotel. It was a pain to haul it, but I felt much better about the trip.
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« Last Edit: June 25, 2011, 02:08:29 PM by palla »
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egghead2
New member
Posts: 2
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« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2011, 05:34:17 PM » |
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I have a toddler so I had this very same question when traveling. From what I gather, it is illegal in the U.S. and Canada for an infant to ride in a car without a car seat. I've looked at various DMV websites and there is usually language stating that children don't need to be in a car seat if they are riding on public transportation (buses, subway etc . . .), but the language is vague when it comes to a taxi. Bring the carseat. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal to schlep it around at an airport. You can also get one of those wheeled travel carseats that double as a stroller.
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mystictechgal
Happy in my "full, rich adulthood", and as a
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 9,940
One step at a time
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« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2011, 12:42:52 AM » |
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There is no question in my mind that air travel is, overall, safer than ground travel. And, for what it is worth, I absolutely love to fly--always have, since I took my first flight, as a solo, when I was six. But, while the slings might well help keep a young one safer that holding them, alone (I can easily see that), the fact is that they might, as has been posted, ask you to remove them in an emergency. (I, too, would promptly ignore that.) As to getting your child out, I'd think that even if a bit of time might be lost extricating them from their seat, it might still be easier to do if your arm was not broken from bracing them, and I'd think it might be easier to hold them as you slide without a broken arm, as well.
Everyone should choose what they are most comfortable with. And, I hope I do not need to say this, but I will anyway: no one should (although, inevitably they will) feel guilty about choosing one way vs. another. Life, itself, is a risk. In some ways, you have already minimized the risk by choosing to fly vs. drive. Every choice we make comes with risks. I posted only so that others might know what they will be told to do in a worst case scenario. That couple had not previously considered it. I think it is fair to give prior warning, and the airlines, while offering the option for lap-seat, do not. Apparently, as posted, some do not warn about not being allowed to use the slings at take-off and landing. I think that's just bizarre. But, that's why discussions like this are valuable. The information, gained via experience, accumulates so that someone else can make whatever decisions they will be most comfortable living with if the worst ever happens. Might as well face it; it sucks, but, that's the only reason to discuss it at all.
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If a pouting pluot ploughman planted pluots in a plot, and the plot were ploughed on Pluto, would his pluot ploy play out?
"Is all the same, only different" -- Dr. H. L. |
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palla
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« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2011, 07:45:42 AM » |
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Everyone should choose what they are most comfortable with. And, I hope I do not need to say this, but I will anyway: no one should (although, inevitably they will) feel guilty about choosing one way vs. another. Exactly! I agree 100%. Well said. |
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traductio
Unassuming
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« Reply #22 on: June 29, 2011, 09:04:08 PM » |
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Everyone should choose what they are most comfortable with. And, I hope I do not need to say this, but I will anyway: no one should (although, inevitably they will) feel guilty about choosing one way vs. another. Exactly! I agree 100%. Well said. This is one of the things I've been working to learn as a parent, because you're exactly right. The lesson that I must inevitably compromise is one that I will never learn completely, although I think I learn it a little bit more each day, if that makes any sense. |
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Prends tes ailes, sers-toi d'elles, et tire-moi de ce bordel.
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lab_gal
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Totally shell-shocked
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« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2011, 09:55:32 AM » |
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Ugh, mystictechgal, I've flown 14 flights with my 1 year old on my lap. I certainly considered the risks before doing it and felt comfortable with the decision. Your story made me feel pretty sick...
Niceday, you're right about the stats though. If we wanted to be safe, we'd have a better chance of just driving less
OP, you could get a snap n go for the used car seat and it would be incredibly useful in the airport. I started flying with Little Lab by having him in a sling or ergo, but eventually realized that bringing a stroller was totally worth the extra effort. Keep in mind that all of this stuff (car seat, stroller) can be gate checked instead of checked as luggage.
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