X-Post: Any Success with Seat Belts/Car Seats in a Taxi?

[Perpetua]

Can someone help out a very overprotective and worry wartish Mommy?

 

We are on the Disney January 20th Eastern sailing with two DDs (4 and 1). We know that we want to go to Sapphire Beach when we go to St. Thomas. We want to go for about 3 hours and then get back to the ship for naps. However, we are really concerned that we will not have taxi's with seat belts for our DD's car seat and booster. We would prefer not to rent a car or use the DCL excursions (as we are interested in going to a different beach and I read that the transportation is an open air taxi on the child-friendly excursion).

 

Any stories of car seat success? We would love to find a car or taxi service to set the transportation up ahead of time...even if it was a bit expensive. All I am finding on line is the open air flat-bed truck option which would not accommodate car seats.

 

I have searched the board but all I am reading is advice to "hold on and pray" and stories of "no seat belts". I guess I am just looking for another option. Any tips? Did your taxi have seat belts?

[gizmo]

Sorry, but I have never seen any on any of the islands.

[Betsy's Mom]

We live on St Thomas and the van type taxis do have seat belts. I believe the rule is that only front seat passengers must have them, but all the vans do have them in the rear seats.Sometimes they are squished down and have never be used, but they are there. Car seats for kids? No, not in cabs. The open safarri type taxis do not have any type of seat restraint.

This is a problem for us also when the grands are visiting as we have belts, but no car seats! Look for a van taxi and you shoud be okay.

Enjoy the Island,

B.

[The Islander]

Hello,

 

The Safari Trucks (the open air, bench seating taxi type) are a popular taxi vehicle but they aren't the only type. There are also vans and cars and they generally have seat belts.

 

Car Seats & the law:

 

Driver and front passenger must be restrained by a safety belt. Any child under the age of five must be in a car seat. In the case of a child aged three through five, seat belts can be used but the child must ride in the back seat of the vehicle. Any child older than five years but under twelve must wear a safety belt.

 

Taxis & Car Seats:

 

I have asked a taxi driver friend in the past and children ride in the backseat with seatbelts, or if you have a car seat you can use it or the child can sit on the parent's lap in the back seat.

 

When I said isn't the sitting on the lap illegal - they just shrugged and said that if the customer doesn't have a car seat that a baby can ride on a parent's lap, but if they have a car seat they can use it.

 

Hope this helps.

 

--Islander

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