National Child Passenger Safety Week 9/12-9/18...

Xero

Xero

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Mar 20, 2008
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Thank you Trina.

You know, on this note, I was at the park next to our zoo on Sunday for Eli's birthday party and there were tons of people and kids there. We parked along side the tables and someone else parked close behind us, so I of course happened to look at their car while walking around. The car was incredibly old and beat up and I would be amazed if it passed inspection, but hey we've all had our beaters, right? I've had my share of crappy cars lol. This one was by far worse than any bf or I have owned, but it is what it is I suppose. ANYWAY, I glanced inside while walking by and I had to do a double take. There was a convertable (I... guess) size car seat in the back, but I had never seen one like it before. I am beyond certain that you can't buy a car seat like this anymore. It had to be at least 20 years old, and it was so disgusting, like it had never been cleaned in its entire existance. It looked like it probably had colors on it once, but it was so worn and faded practically the whole thing was kind of gray. It had this weird plastic bar that attached to the top and swung up and down kind of like on a roller coaster lol. It was really big and bulky and square.

It just irritates me that people can't spend $35 on a wal-mart car seat for their kids. It looked like they found this thing in a trash can.

I would like to know, how old is TOO old to use a car seat? lol

How unsafe is a car seat that old? I wonder.

Oh, AND - my boyfriend's aunt has an 18 year old daughter who had a baby last year and she moved to another state. Recently she brought the baby up here. He just turned one year old, he weighs like 20-25lbs and is just barely shorter than Eli (Eli is a little boy, and he is a big boy lol). She brought him up in an INFANT CARRIER!!!!! I was ready to punch somebody. And his shoulder straps were still in the BOTTOM position!!!! And his head and feet extended past the edges by far. Are you mad? Cause I was mad. I literally gave them Eli's spare car seat because I couldn't stand to see it. I had three of them anyway and that was the one I didn't use. It was nothing special, but way better than what he had at least.

I get tired of seeing stuff like this. -sigh-
 
Trina

Trina

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Jun 10, 2007
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Most car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture. A car seat like the one you described would be taken away (confiscated?) if it were to go in for an inspection. Old car seats don't meet current safety standards. The integrity of the seat shell, harness straps, buckles, etc. is questionable. Old car seats aren't LATCH compatible and don't have tether straps.

GOOD for you for helping your BF's Aunt by giving her an appropriate car seat. I have done the same thing several times. I just can't stomach seeing unsafe situations like that. Obviously the baby is way too big for an infant carrier. We saw situations like that often during car seat inspections. People are surprised to learn their child has outgrown the seat or should be rear facing longer, etc. They're not intentionally being unsafe, just not aware and haven't read the instructions.
 
Xero

Xero

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I kind of figured that, makes sense.

Thank you, I can't stomach situations like that either. :/ I just think his mother was too young and on top of that, too immature, to be a parent. There is more to the story. Its kind of sad. All I can do is try to help, like with the car seat, and hope for the best.
 
fallon

fallon

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I have a girlfriend who still uses a seat like the one you discribed :-( It was a hand-me-down 7 yrs ago. She used it for all 3 of her kids and is still using it for her youngest. I hate that!!
 
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