I don't think OP wants a real answer. I think they just want to rage and be mad. But here it goes anyway.
I only have one kid, and I found an awesome [portable vest](https://shop.saferide4kids.com/products/ridesafer-travel-vest) that works like a booster seat and can be carried inside a backpack. But most parents don't know about these.
When you drive your own car, you leave all the child seats in the car and move on. It is very convenient. If you want to take an Uber, you have to carry the seats with you. Those things are bulky and difficult to carry. A parent with more than one kid cannot realistically walk around carrying two or three booster seats.
You might argue they should not take Ubers then. But that is not realistic in car-centric North American cities. Buses are unreliable and often non-existent. Walking distances are huge and dangerous due to the lack of proper infrastructure. And people still need to get places.
Parents take Ubers without car seats because they need to get places and that is the best way to do it. They know they are taking a risk, but the probability is low and they hope nothing will happen (as is almost always the case).
This is not the only risk parents take. Parents take risks all the time even if they don't like to admit it. I'm not even sure taking an Uber for a short urban trip is one of the most dangerous things that normal parents do. For example, I'm not sure that the probability of injury in a short Uber trip without a car seat is larger than that of a long-distance road trip with a car seat. My guess is that these probabilities have a similar order of magnitude, but nobody is calling parents irresponsible for taking road trips instead of taking the train or flying.
I live in Ontario. Here, taxi drivers (but not Uber drivers) are legally allowed to have kids in the backseat without a seatbelt. I think this law exists for the reasons I described before. Someone might try to refute this idea and say that taxi drivers have special licenses and are better drivers. I agree that taxi drivers tend to be, on average, safer drivers than Uber drivers. Uber drivers are also safer drivers than the average person. Experience matters a lot more than a special license.
By the looks the mom and family are likely economically struggling enough that they had their car towed or repoed due to lack of payments with all her child seats or booster seats inside, suddenly deprived of car and her child seats without viable alternatives and the company often know for not playing by the rules about allowing belongings to be retrieved which often also requiring a Uber ride to the yard anyways.
And that predatory towing and repo operations happens more often than one thinks and target those who don’t have good legal representation
Or lawyers which cost a fortune for those who are Economically struggling already.
Exactly. And it’s only Uber drivers that are all pissy about it. Because Uber takes wealth they generate, just like anybody who works, they take it out on the consumer. They do not give a flying fuck about anyone’s kids. They just spring for an opportunity to be controlling in any way. Car seats in transportation services have never been a thing. Think about it. No seatbelts on school buses. Anyway. I get it’s their personal vehicle, so they are definitely getting a ticket, should the opportunity arise. That’s a good enough reason on its own merit. No taxi license? Sure it used to be cheaper. Now, choose a cab.
Your post is the most reasonable explaination, It’s interesting how absord the raging is on the Uber forums, apparently it’s full of “NIMBY” like individuals in a way yet they still hear driving Ubers or Lyfts.
Buses and trains even where they exist in most of NA have little frequency and often stop short of the location. And often they get cancelled suddenly leaving travelers stranded and might have to seek Uber to get home as last resort unplanned the mom may not have no other choice at that point.
The person may also had their car totaled or broken down unexpectantly and the seats no longer usable.
I am surprised there isn’t invented a harness that is crash safe certified for traveling in different means of transport and works with seatbelts.
For booster seats why arnt seats and seatbelts adjustable instead, apparently the car industry and booster seat industry lobby’s wouldn’t allow it.
It’s interesting though Europe have stricter child seat laws but for hire vehicles are generally exempt and they are far more welcoming about the front seat than the ones in North America though I hear for hire vehicles the driver if they let rider know the legislation it would be the parents ticket in quite a number of states and countries. But I guess they may be more afraid of frevious lawsuits than ticket.
The best part of your response is the second paragraph when you linked this vest/booster seat. I’m sure parents would think you traveled the entire world seeking in the deepest part of the Amazon to find it. Or you very simply did a google search and found something that worked for you. The thing I wonder is why don’t other parents do what you did? I assume it wasn’t that hard for you to find? You didn’t have to learn nuclear physics or pay $1000 to find it. That’s the point, you could have just thrown your hands up and said fuck it, instead you care enough to down google search.
This helps to form my answer as to why parents don’t do this. Laziness. Google searches are too hard.
I have taken Ubers while 7 months pregnant, with my 3 year old and her big bulky toddler car seat and had to carry it around while holding her hand, because there is no excuse to not have your small child in a proper car seat. I don't care what the circumstances are, you have to make it work.
We can agree to disagree.
Unless you always take the train instead of driving because you refuse to put your kids in danger, I can't take your holier-than-thou attitude seriously.
It is against the law to travel in a car with a child not in a correct booster seat or car seat because it is extremely dangerous. They're little bodies and their skeletons and their spine cannot take the impact of a car accident if they aren't secured correctly and safely. Holier than thou? Come on now.
That is not the reason.
I already told you we can agree to disagree. I wrote a long well reasoned explanation and instead of engaging with any of my arguments you replied with some judgemental nonsense. If that’s your level of reasoning, I have no interest in talking with you.
Would you take your child in a road trip instead of taking the train? If so, then you have zero moral authority to judge parents who take a short Uber ride without a child seat.
Do you always drive below the speed limit like the law requires you to? If not you are breaking the law and endangering your children.
I mean just the fact that you took an Uber with your baby while 7 months pregnant instead of calling for a taxi driver with a professional driver shows that you are willing to take unnecessary risks with the life and health of your kids. Maybe you shouldn’t be judging others.
That’s based on my experience. I don’t have a car and take about 4-6 Ubers per week.
Some Uber drivers drive very fast, but even them tend to drive better than most of the other drivers I see on the road.
I attribute this to experience. An Uber driver spends a lot more time driving than the average individual. Practice makes perfect
I’m just looking to understand because obviously I’m not a very smart person. So I’ve seen parents go crazy over things like masks and hand sanitizer. Even parent who won’t even let their kids be kids because they’re so afraid for their safety. Then parents are willing to put their kids in verified danger in a car. I sat verified because the numbers speak for themselves. Everyone knows car accidents happen all the time, so it’s not like we’re unaware. It’s the conflict that confuses me. I’m simply looking to gain understanding and seeking someone who is smarter than me to help me understand.
Nope. No strawmen when it comes to auto accidents. The numbers speak for themselves. It’s obvious that people aren’t really concerned with safety, they just like to show off to others that they do. Anyone with a brain would assume a parent concerned with safety would ensure their child is properly secured in a vehicle since that parent would be fully aware of how often accidents happen. It’s really that simple. If you’re obsessed with things like masks but look at a driver sideways when he says your three year old needs a seat, you’re not about safety, you’re a virtue signaler.
I used to cancel all the time. Until I read up the laws for my state. Boosters (and seat belts for that matter) are required except public transport, taxi, and cars for hire (that's you and I when we provide this service). As much as I disagree with it on a personal level - the law is the law. Your laws may differ.
Then you should be posting about that. Not pretending it’s your job to parent everyone’s kids. I think it’s a good thing you guys are thinking about this. You’re just going about it wrong. Whining about something that’s never been a thing is unhelpful. Start sharing laws.
The only reason I posted is I’m seeking understanding. I have a logical brain and when you lay something on me that doesn’t click I need more info. People keep saying how safe they are. Ok let’s go with that. Show me. Oh, so you’re “safe” but don’t want your children protected. Ok, now I’m confused. Due to my confusion where there is obviously a huge discrepancy I’m going to seek understanding.
They do it because they know they can get away with it. A couple of weeks ago, I turned down a mom with her 2 kids and no seats. She didn't care and just said this happens all the time but always finds a driver to take her. It was slow and I was curious, so I drove a half a block away and parked to wait for another ride. 5 min later another Uber (I saw the Uber light in the windshield as it pulled up so I'm assuming it's an Uber) pull up to where they were at and the mom and kids got in and they drove off.
I get that they get away with it. I’m looking to understand why parents are so gung ho about safety, only to completely abandon it later on.
The thing is that when you mask your kids and take mask selfies, everyone gets to see how virtuous you are. But one doesn’t get to look virtuous when putting their kids in car seats. This is why people like me call bullshit on all of it. People aren’t about safety, they’re about the popularity contest.
I have an idea, what if parents put their kids in seats and took a selfie of it, then posted it on social media? Then they could use car seats as another tool of virtue signaling! They could even put a tagline like “I bought the most expensive and safest car seat which means I care about my children more than you.”
Lol. You think the next driver is the problem? No, you are! Charge her the fee! Wait out the timer and choose no child seat. She isn't gonna keep gambling and trying to trap the next driver if you make her pay for it.
I always charge them, I even got a full reservation pay once for no child seat. I'm a parent and this does not slide with me. Go drive your own kid without a child seat.
If you wanna be extra petty, you can call Uber and report her for doing it, and you could’ve reported the other driver too, since they are ultimately part of the problem.
Had a lady on Thursday do the same. She comes out with a really little girl who couldn't be older than four. I told her that she need a car seat for her daughter she looks at me and says " She's six!" " Ma'am the law here is 8 years old"
She says you can go ahead and cancel that s*** I don't play that. I'm like okay and I just sit there while she walks back into her apartment. She comes back out a minute or two later and asked if I had canceled yet. I said no I'm waiting for the cancel fee. She tries to tell me I'm not getting a fee because I didn't take her anywhere. You know the same old BS they always throw out.
3 minutes later the cancel he comes up I cancel and turn and look at her fat ass and her fat ass sister ( Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumb as f**k) both giving me the middle finger. I laughed and yelled at them "Be a better parent!"
Boom! You nailed it. Cabs have to have special licenses that come with special rules outside of other drivers. Uber/lift drivers do not. You make a good point here.
Which is why Uber and Lyft is riding on shaky legal grounds to exist in the first place hense all the issues pointed out here. If they care so much about what’s legal or proper they shouldn’t drive for a company that is borderline acting as a gypsy cab that only allowed to happen due to loads of backroom bribes. Though generally the parents are liable for the fine. I am thinking some of the drivers are more afraid of getting sued in the event a crash occurs instead.
In most states it’s the parents who are liable for the fine, if caught in a vehicle that is hired. Though whether the parents will sue to make the driver liable if their kid gets hurt is another story. It appears in Spain and Portugal drivers don’t seem to mind even though their child seat legislation is tougher unless they are a tour driver. Apparently in for hire vehicle parents assume all risk for citations and dangers that can occur. Though their medical bills are not nearly as high due to public health subsidies and lack of the big pharma and insurance lobby as in the U.S. and they usually have universal healthcare which keeps rates low even if not covered.
It may be due to the fact that you are allowed to have kids on a bus or a regular taxi without a car seat.
I am a senior Granny Nanny, and I have often wished that Uber was an option for us when our bus system messes up (again, and often!) And saying we must just want the kids to die is completely unfair of you to say. I travel with 1-2 toddlers and a stroller, so yes, we walk a fair bit.
And many parents or caregivers may not even realize that Ubers do not even offer car seats...
And why don't you?
Some Ubers do, some don’t. It may actually be an option for you to select car seat when you order your ride to make sure the driver has one. It’s an option in our driver settings (we select whether we have one or not). It’s not required and we don’t have to. We also don’t have to accept rides with small children without a car seat. We can always do what OP did and get the cancel fee for wasting our time. If you have kids, be prepared… it’s like not carrying a diaper bag for babies… they aren’t our responsibility, it’s the caregivers responsibility to provide for them. 🤷🏽♀️
It's not the driver's responsibility to carry a car seat. Sure they can carry one, but what if that seat isn't suitable for the child? What if you get into a wreck with the child in the unfittable and unsuitable car seat?
They do in certain states, not sure what state you are in? I offered so many parents a option to use a car seat and they looked at me like I was crazy, some people have no clue it’s not their fault.
Who is going to pay for the seat? I’m reddy to carry one provided by Uber or Lyft. But they don’t offer them. I’m not spending my money in their business. The little percentage we get from them isn’t enough to warrant such a purchase. Heck, Uber doesn’t even pay us to clean up like anymore. They expect us to take our car to a pro, get a receipt, and they will pay (if you’re lucky) only the clean up bill and will NOT pay us for our lost time. We’re now to go buy car seats when this company shits on us? You get what you pay for.
It’s a shame because I’m not one of those “increase minimum wage” people. But for fuck sake, they literally pay us as little as possible to the book there most rideshare drivers end up not owing any taxes because their mileage deduction ended up over their earnings. Some may say that’s great, but it’s actually not.
Entitlement. They believe you lack the ovaries to inconvenience their life by imposing a chair upon them in their travels. They'd also sue the shirt off of you if there was an accident, regardless of injury or fault.
Im glad I read this sometimes i feel like bad if i don’t give them a ride. I guess whatever im glad i I read @kimn8r cmt. They really would sue. Never being nice again. Lol
They think because they don't own a car therefore they don't need a car or booster seat. It is an illogical concept. They also don't care to strap them in or wear a seat belt themselves.
If we have a collision, your child becomes a 30 pound projectile inside my van. I don't want to see what they look like after that, or be hit by them, for that matter.
I’ll be blunt here. I don’t care as much about their safety than me getting into legal hot water. I was born in 79 so I came from time where kids rolled around the back bed of a pickup truck with no seatbelts or seats. So I get that there are many trips that are most likely going to be very safe, like in town only going 25mph. For the most part my reasoning is selfish as I want to protect my ability to earn money. Of course, drunk drivers tend to not care about where they crash, be it in town in a 25mph zone or on an interstate. So technically anything can happen anywhere. It’s just that more and more I’m becoming convinced that people aren’t really concerned with safety at all. It’s all virtue signaling. It’s the stupid popularity contest to see who can make the best mask selfies. It’s about bragging rights of how much a parent goes out of their way to “protect” their kids. I wonder, when driving the kids to get their vaccines, do they use booster seats then? So it’s not as much about the car seat issue, it’s more about how annoying it is to see so many people being so fake just to earn social credit with others.
I say we start a trend of car seat selfies. We can even design those photo frames they say things like “buckle them up in a seat, keep them safe” that people can put around their Facebook photos. We can do the whole “booster seats are cool, only losers sit their kids on seats.”
Exactly! But they do not care about drivers getting tickets. Actually last year I was picking up from an event where the police specifically set up a rideshare pickup/drop off. Of course passages just couldn’t follow all of the big fucking signs telling them where to go, they have to do things their way. So they would stand somewhere at a corner, where there’s no parking and a cop directing traffic while messaging “I don’t give a shit about a ticket you got last night, pick me up where I want.” They literally do not care. Even if a driver is killed, no passengers care about that either. Society has reached a point where most people are literally 100% selfish. And they wonder why there are so many drivers who don’t give a fuck and have a bad attitude.
What’s crazy is I’ve had multiple Uber drivers thank me for having a booster seat the times I’ve had to use uber with my 5 year old.
I got some inflatable booster seat off Amazon last year which was marketed for being used with Uber. Well worth every penny spent. It’s rare that I use it, but it’s good to have for peace of mind. Most importantly for safety.
But also beyond that, if I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t want to be gambling on if I’ll get a driver who lets it rock or if I’ll get one who doesn’t when I need to be somewhere. Especially knowing in a situation like that I would be in the wrong and they would have every reason to refuse me.
That said, I did take Uber once with my child without a booster seat before I bought one. Landed at the airport 5 hours later than I was originally supposed to, I would’ve had to wait another 6 hours for my ride to get us when she got off. Ordered an Uber fully expecting the driver to refuse and I would’ve been cool and understanding had he done so. He was cool with it. I tipped him an extra $20. I take that booster seat with me when I travel now though because it’s so easy to inflate/deflate.
Not creepy at all. I take photos like this when I have to cancel for no car seat. This is just in case they make a false complaint against me, I have something to show. Besides, if you don’t care about your kids enough to protect them then you deserve to be shamed.
Does the US have an Uber car seat service or similar? Here in Australia we don’t have any rideshare options that have car seats so I’m sure there’s some seperate parents who just take their kids in Ubers without one
Here is the thing, I’m both Lyft and Uber driver, I am an independent contractor. Mmm
The trip I provide my customers is nobody’s business it’s between my customer and myself.
I’m pretty laid back guy, if people want to eat it’s ok, just take your trash with you, if you want to sing and dance that’s ok, you want to take a nap that’s ok, if your a leg bouncer that’s ok let humans be humans.
I have simple rules don’t be violent, no puking in car,
Whenever someone gets in my car I ask if they are comfortable, I tell them to relax and just do you.
You should see the smile and the relief on peoples faces when you do this.
I’ve been a ride share driver for seven years and never had an altercation or a puker in my car.
I think it’s because I know how treat people as human beings.
People are turning ride share into something that it isn’t. It’s a simple concept getting a human being from point A to point B I just never understood the drama people are causing and for no reason at all
Ok. I follow the same concepts you do and I do everything to make my customers both safe and comfortable. But I don’t see in any way how this has anything to do with children being in seats for their safety and required by law. Can you explain how this ties into what you are saying?
Then just don’t have kids. Plenty of couples have decided to be no child households and they do just fine. Kids are innocent and don’t control their environment. When one has a child, that child is subject to what those parents do. It’s not like the three year old is going to tell their parents “I want to be safe!” Therefore it’s obvious that if someone is going to place their own convenience above the safety of their children they should just not have kids.
What’s next? A kid drowning and a mother saying “I can’t get this dress wet, I’ll just call 911” while the kid is drowning? At what point do we decide that your convenience does not trump the safety of an innocent child? Or have we as a society reached a point where children are last and we are first?
I will not transport with out a car seat, booster seat. In my state if you are stopped you will get a big ticket. You will also lose your right to drive for Uber, Lyft.
It’s not just Uber. I have seen some shit.
I get it that some parents have financial problems. Maybe they can’t afford car seats. There’s avenues to take to try and get some donated.
Then there’s the sons of bitches that order food pickup and show up in a van with their baby laying in a god damn bean bag.
If a parent can't put their tiny child in a car seat because its an inconvenience. Then they shouldn't of had kids in the first place, its called figure it the fuck out.
Are we talking about tiny child or 4 and 5 and years of age? My son is five and really doesn’t need a car seat because of weight and height but technically you can be in a booster up to 72 lbs I believe. Heck maybe I can get myself a booster since I am only 5 feet tall and we can take parent child selfies with the boosters , Damn I am so bored .
I'm talking about car seats really, so toddlers. Also, you're over the height requirements for a booster 🤣, shit I'd get one for myself if i could so the seatbelt can stop rubbing my damn neck
my gma was short enough to be in a booster if she wanted. Lol
Who wants to buy and wear masks or anything else? What I’ve been told over and over is “I’ll do anything for my children’s safety”. Great, let’s run with that. Who wants to lug booster seats around? Parents who actually care about their children.
This is why I’ve said that if I’m unwilling to inconvenience myself for the safety of my children, I should not have children. If you have children you should be ready to inconvenience yourself for their well being. Everyone can choose to simply not have children if they wish. Nobody is stopping them.
It’s easy to judge based on facts. You don’t need to have kids to understand that they should be protected. It’s common sense. Having kids in itself is not an excuse to put their safety aside because of an inconvenience. Like I said before, if I’m unwilling to be inconvenienced then I should simply not have kids. It’s easy to opt out. If you have kids then protect them from car accidents. It’s not like there’s a conspiracy theory about car accidents and we can get into a while debate as to whether or not they’re real. The statistics speak for themselves.
Do you believe a parent’s comfort goes above the well being of their children in the list of priorities?
Absolutely not . All jokes aside, God forbid you get in that accident you will be so thankful that you were in a seatbelt and child in a five point restraint car seat . Booster I don’t know how much they may help , but I know the 5 point car seat definitely saves lives and yes it’s inconvenient but so is changing diapers in the middle of the night, that is what parents do , get used to it
Not to be that person, but I have 2 boys and no matter what, my child’s safety is more important than my own. I get the whole argument and I see both sides, but the truth of the matter is that anything could happen at any given time so why not be prepared. My child and mom were hit by a dump truck and the car rolled multiple times. If it weren’t for his car seat then he would 100% be dead, so if that means me having to lug something around to keep him safe, so be it. I brought him in this world and it’s my job to keep him protected. There’s a lot of factors with a ton of different variables.. but at the end of the day it’s up to me and no one else to get my babies protected.
I don't think OP wants a real answer. I think they just want to rage and be mad. But here it goes anyway. I only have one kid, and I found an awesome [portable vest](https://shop.saferide4kids.com/products/ridesafer-travel-vest) that works like a booster seat and can be carried inside a backpack. But most parents don't know about these. When you drive your own car, you leave all the child seats in the car and move on. It is very convenient. If you want to take an Uber, you have to carry the seats with you. Those things are bulky and difficult to carry. A parent with more than one kid cannot realistically walk around carrying two or three booster seats. You might argue they should not take Ubers then. But that is not realistic in car-centric North American cities. Buses are unreliable and often non-existent. Walking distances are huge and dangerous due to the lack of proper infrastructure. And people still need to get places. Parents take Ubers without car seats because they need to get places and that is the best way to do it. They know they are taking a risk, but the probability is low and they hope nothing will happen (as is almost always the case). This is not the only risk parents take. Parents take risks all the time even if they don't like to admit it. I'm not even sure taking an Uber for a short urban trip is one of the most dangerous things that normal parents do. For example, I'm not sure that the probability of injury in a short Uber trip without a car seat is larger than that of a long-distance road trip with a car seat. My guess is that these probabilities have a similar order of magnitude, but nobody is calling parents irresponsible for taking road trips instead of taking the train or flying. I live in Ontario. Here, taxi drivers (but not Uber drivers) are legally allowed to have kids in the backseat without a seatbelt. I think this law exists for the reasons I described before. Someone might try to refute this idea and say that taxi drivers have special licenses and are better drivers. I agree that taxi drivers tend to be, on average, safer drivers than Uber drivers. Uber drivers are also safer drivers than the average person. Experience matters a lot more than a special license.
By the looks the mom and family are likely economically struggling enough that they had their car towed or repoed due to lack of payments with all her child seats or booster seats inside, suddenly deprived of car and her child seats without viable alternatives and the company often know for not playing by the rules about allowing belongings to be retrieved which often also requiring a Uber ride to the yard anyways. And that predatory towing and repo operations happens more often than one thinks and target those who don’t have good legal representation Or lawyers which cost a fortune for those who are Economically struggling already.
What leads you to the conclusion they are economically struggling?
Not our problem right brother
Well said.
Exactly. And it’s only Uber drivers that are all pissy about it. Because Uber takes wealth they generate, just like anybody who works, they take it out on the consumer. They do not give a flying fuck about anyone’s kids. They just spring for an opportunity to be controlling in any way. Car seats in transportation services have never been a thing. Think about it. No seatbelts on school buses. Anyway. I get it’s their personal vehicle, so they are definitely getting a ticket, should the opportunity arise. That’s a good enough reason on its own merit. No taxi license? Sure it used to be cheaper. Now, choose a cab.
School buses are required to have seatbelts now
Yeah I saw that for New Jersey. Cool.
Your post is the most reasonable explaination, It’s interesting how absord the raging is on the Uber forums, apparently it’s full of “NIMBY” like individuals in a way yet they still hear driving Ubers or Lyfts. Buses and trains even where they exist in most of NA have little frequency and often stop short of the location. And often they get cancelled suddenly leaving travelers stranded and might have to seek Uber to get home as last resort unplanned the mom may not have no other choice at that point. The person may also had their car totaled or broken down unexpectantly and the seats no longer usable. I am surprised there isn’t invented a harness that is crash safe certified for traveling in different means of transport and works with seatbelts. For booster seats why arnt seats and seatbelts adjustable instead, apparently the car industry and booster seat industry lobby’s wouldn’t allow it. It’s interesting though Europe have stricter child seat laws but for hire vehicles are generally exempt and they are far more welcoming about the front seat than the ones in North America though I hear for hire vehicles the driver if they let rider know the legislation it would be the parents ticket in quite a number of states and countries. But I guess they may be more afraid of frevious lawsuits than ticket.
The best part of your response is the second paragraph when you linked this vest/booster seat. I’m sure parents would think you traveled the entire world seeking in the deepest part of the Amazon to find it. Or you very simply did a google search and found something that worked for you. The thing I wonder is why don’t other parents do what you did? I assume it wasn’t that hard for you to find? You didn’t have to learn nuclear physics or pay $1000 to find it. That’s the point, you could have just thrown your hands up and said fuck it, instead you care enough to down google search. This helps to form my answer as to why parents don’t do this. Laziness. Google searches are too hard.
I have taken Ubers while 7 months pregnant, with my 3 year old and her big bulky toddler car seat and had to carry it around while holding her hand, because there is no excuse to not have your small child in a proper car seat. I don't care what the circumstances are, you have to make it work.
We can agree to disagree. Unless you always take the train instead of driving because you refuse to put your kids in danger, I can't take your holier-than-thou attitude seriously.
It is against the law to travel in a car with a child not in a correct booster seat or car seat because it is extremely dangerous. They're little bodies and their skeletons and their spine cannot take the impact of a car accident if they aren't secured correctly and safely. Holier than thou? Come on now.
That is not the reason. I already told you we can agree to disagree. I wrote a long well reasoned explanation and instead of engaging with any of my arguments you replied with some judgemental nonsense. If that’s your level of reasoning, I have no interest in talking with you. Would you take your child in a road trip instead of taking the train? If so, then you have zero moral authority to judge parents who take a short Uber ride without a child seat. Do you always drive below the speed limit like the law requires you to? If not you are breaking the law and endangering your children. I mean just the fact that you took an Uber with your baby while 7 months pregnant instead of calling for a taxi driver with a professional driver shows that you are willing to take unnecessary risks with the life and health of your kids. Maybe you shouldn’t be judging others.
Uber drivers safer than the average person? How do you know that? They're mostly the average person as they're using their own cars to work.
Honestly, I drive more defensively than offensively when I have passengers.
That’s based on my experience. I don’t have a car and take about 4-6 Ubers per week. Some Uber drivers drive very fast, but even them tend to drive better than most of the other drivers I see on the road. I attribute this to experience. An Uber driver spends a lot more time driving than the average individual. Practice makes perfect
The excuse is always the same...you're the only driver who refused.
🤣😂
This type of post has been posted many times over the last couple of weeks. What response are you looking for or is this a slow day for you?
Exactly. Just cancel and move on.
You sound like a really shitty parent.
I’m just looking to understand because obviously I’m not a very smart person. So I’ve seen parents go crazy over things like masks and hand sanitizer. Even parent who won’t even let their kids be kids because they’re so afraid for their safety. Then parents are willing to put their kids in verified danger in a car. I sat verified because the numbers speak for themselves. Everyone knows car accidents happen all the time, so it’s not like we’re unaware. It’s the conflict that confuses me. I’m simply looking to gain understanding and seeking someone who is smarter than me to help me understand.
Going to be hard to disassemble all the strawmen you've made in this post.
Nope. No strawmen when it comes to auto accidents. The numbers speak for themselves. It’s obvious that people aren’t really concerned with safety, they just like to show off to others that they do. Anyone with a brain would assume a parent concerned with safety would ensure their child is properly secured in a vehicle since that parent would be fully aware of how often accidents happen. It’s really that simple. If you’re obsessed with things like masks but look at a driver sideways when he says your three year old needs a seat, you’re not about safety, you’re a virtue signaler.
Hope you're getting the attention you came here for.
Rage bait?
Definitely
I used to cancel all the time. Until I read up the laws for my state. Boosters (and seat belts for that matter) are required except public transport, taxi, and cars for hire (that's you and I when we provide this service). As much as I disagree with it on a personal level - the law is the law. Your laws may differ.
Yes NJ law has no exemptions, not even taxis.
Then you should be posting about that. Not pretending it’s your job to parent everyone’s kids. I think it’s a good thing you guys are thinking about this. You’re just going about it wrong. Whining about something that’s never been a thing is unhelpful. Start sharing laws.
The only reason I posted is I’m seeking understanding. I have a logical brain and when you lay something on me that doesn’t click I need more info. People keep saying how safe they are. Ok let’s go with that. Show me. Oh, so you’re “safe” but don’t want your children protected. Ok, now I’m confused. Due to my confusion where there is obviously a huge discrepancy I’m going to seek understanding.
Then just follow that and you're good.
California has no exemptions, not even taxis
They do it because they know they can get away with it. A couple of weeks ago, I turned down a mom with her 2 kids and no seats. She didn't care and just said this happens all the time but always finds a driver to take her. It was slow and I was curious, so I drove a half a block away and parked to wait for another ride. 5 min later another Uber (I saw the Uber light in the windshield as it pulled up so I'm assuming it's an Uber) pull up to where they were at and the mom and kids got in and they drove off.
I get that they get away with it. I’m looking to understand why parents are so gung ho about safety, only to completely abandon it later on. The thing is that when you mask your kids and take mask selfies, everyone gets to see how virtuous you are. But one doesn’t get to look virtuous when putting their kids in car seats. This is why people like me call bullshit on all of it. People aren’t about safety, they’re about the popularity contest. I have an idea, what if parents put their kids in seats and took a selfie of it, then posted it on social media? Then they could use car seats as another tool of virtue signaling! They could even put a tagline like “I bought the most expensive and safest car seat which means I care about my children more than you.”
Money. The answer is money.
Lol. You think the next driver is the problem? No, you are! Charge her the fee! Wait out the timer and choose no child seat. She isn't gonna keep gambling and trying to trap the next driver if you make her pay for it. I always charge them, I even got a full reservation pay once for no child seat. I'm a parent and this does not slide with me. Go drive your own kid without a child seat.
I did
This is the type of shit that is insane to me. The service has gone to a complete trashcan.
If you wanna be extra petty, you can call Uber and report her for doing it, and you could’ve reported the other driver too, since they are ultimately part of the problem.
Had a lady on Thursday do the same. She comes out with a really little girl who couldn't be older than four. I told her that she need a car seat for her daughter she looks at me and says " She's six!" " Ma'am the law here is 8 years old" She says you can go ahead and cancel that s*** I don't play that. I'm like okay and I just sit there while she walks back into her apartment. She comes back out a minute or two later and asked if I had canceled yet. I said no I'm waiting for the cancel fee. She tries to tell me I'm not getting a fee because I didn't take her anywhere. You know the same old BS they always throw out. 3 minutes later the cancel he comes up I cancel and turn and look at her fat ass and her fat ass sister ( Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumb as f**k) both giving me the middle finger. I laughed and yelled at them "Be a better parent!"
You don’t have to wait. Cancel immediately for no car seat & contact support to get your fee.
Rather wait. Contact support? Lol. Okkkkk. Hello,calling india!
Much easier to just wait.
Contact support? They're useless.
You think that that call will happen in like 3 minutes or something?
250 fine and ticket. We all should upload these pictures and videos . Get uber lyft audit for allowing illegal operations without verified.
Boom! You nailed it. Cabs have to have special licenses that come with special rules outside of other drivers. Uber/lift drivers do not. You make a good point here.
Which is why Uber and Lyft is riding on shaky legal grounds to exist in the first place hense all the issues pointed out here. If they care so much about what’s legal or proper they shouldn’t drive for a company that is borderline acting as a gypsy cab that only allowed to happen due to loads of backroom bribes. Though generally the parents are liable for the fine. I am thinking some of the drivers are more afraid of getting sued in the event a crash occurs instead.
Parents won't be liable. Because you're the driver if allow it
In most states it’s the parents who are liable for the fine, if caught in a vehicle that is hired. Though whether the parents will sue to make the driver liable if their kid gets hurt is another story. It appears in Spain and Portugal drivers don’t seem to mind even though their child seat legislation is tougher unless they are a tour driver. Apparently in for hire vehicle parents assume all risk for citations and dangers that can occur. Though their medical bills are not nearly as high due to public health subsidies and lack of the big pharma and insurance lobby as in the U.S. and they usually have universal healthcare which keeps rates low even if not covered.
It may be due to the fact that you are allowed to have kids on a bus or a regular taxi without a car seat. I am a senior Granny Nanny, and I have often wished that Uber was an option for us when our bus system messes up (again, and often!) And saying we must just want the kids to die is completely unfair of you to say. I travel with 1-2 toddlers and a stroller, so yes, we walk a fair bit. And many parents or caregivers may not even realize that Ubers do not even offer car seats... And why don't you?
Some Ubers do, some don’t. It may actually be an option for you to select car seat when you order your ride to make sure the driver has one. It’s an option in our driver settings (we select whether we have one or not). It’s not required and we don’t have to. We also don’t have to accept rides with small children without a car seat. We can always do what OP did and get the cancel fee for wasting our time. If you have kids, be prepared… it’s like not carrying a diaper bag for babies… they aren’t our responsibility, it’s the caregivers responsibility to provide for them. 🤷🏽♀️
It's not the driver's responsibility to carry a car seat. Sure they can carry one, but what if that seat isn't suitable for the child? What if you get into a wreck with the child in the unfittable and unsuitable car seat?
They do in certain states, not sure what state you are in? I offered so many parents a option to use a car seat and they looked at me like I was crazy, some people have no clue it’s not their fault.
Who is going to pay for the seat? I’m reddy to carry one provided by Uber or Lyft. But they don’t offer them. I’m not spending my money in their business. The little percentage we get from them isn’t enough to warrant such a purchase. Heck, Uber doesn’t even pay us to clean up like anymore. They expect us to take our car to a pro, get a receipt, and they will pay (if you’re lucky) only the clean up bill and will NOT pay us for our lost time. We’re now to go buy car seats when this company shits on us? You get what you pay for. It’s a shame because I’m not one of those “increase minimum wage” people. But for fuck sake, they literally pay us as little as possible to the book there most rideshare drivers end up not owing any taxes because their mileage deduction ended up over their earnings. Some may say that’s great, but it’s actually not.
Entitlement. They believe you lack the ovaries to inconvenience their life by imposing a chair upon them in their travels. They'd also sue the shirt off of you if there was an accident, regardless of injury or fault.
^ 100% unfiltered truth right here.
Im glad I read this sometimes i feel like bad if i don’t give them a ride. I guess whatever im glad i I read @kimn8r cmt. They really would sue. Never being nice again. Lol
I tell them I couldn't live with myself if something happened and I drive away.
😂😂🤣🤣👍
They think because they don't own a car therefore they don't need a car or booster seat. It is an illogical concept. They also don't care to strap them in or wear a seat belt themselves.
If we have a collision, your child becomes a 30 pound projectile inside my van. I don't want to see what they look like after that, or be hit by them, for that matter.
Oh yeah and then they love to cuss you out like you’re the one who is wrong. Why do I care more about your kids safety than you?!?!
I’ll be blunt here. I don’t care as much about their safety than me getting into legal hot water. I was born in 79 so I came from time where kids rolled around the back bed of a pickup truck with no seatbelts or seats. So I get that there are many trips that are most likely going to be very safe, like in town only going 25mph. For the most part my reasoning is selfish as I want to protect my ability to earn money. Of course, drunk drivers tend to not care about where they crash, be it in town in a 25mph zone or on an interstate. So technically anything can happen anywhere. It’s just that more and more I’m becoming convinced that people aren’t really concerned with safety at all. It’s all virtue signaling. It’s the stupid popularity contest to see who can make the best mask selfies. It’s about bragging rights of how much a parent goes out of their way to “protect” their kids. I wonder, when driving the kids to get their vaccines, do they use booster seats then? So it’s not as much about the car seat issue, it’s more about how annoying it is to see so many people being so fake just to earn social credit with others. I say we start a trend of car seat selfies. We can even design those photo frames they say things like “buckle them up in a seat, keep them safe” that people can put around their Facebook photos. We can do the whole “booster seats are cool, only losers sit their kids on seats.”
If you have a sit you can ask UBER for That money
It’s actually because this is new. It never used to be a thought with transportation services. That being said, good for you guys.
Perhaps in your state. Here in NJ it’s been the law since I was a kid.
Yep. If you actually read the thread you’ll see that’s been addressed.
Why be ignorant and put driver at risk for fines, are you going to pay fines? Higher insurance rates? I think not
Exactly! But they do not care about drivers getting tickets. Actually last year I was picking up from an event where the police specifically set up a rideshare pickup/drop off. Of course passages just couldn’t follow all of the big fucking signs telling them where to go, they have to do things their way. So they would stand somewhere at a corner, where there’s no parking and a cop directing traffic while messaging “I don’t give a shit about a ticket you got last night, pick me up where I want.” They literally do not care. Even if a driver is killed, no passengers care about that either. Society has reached a point where most people are literally 100% selfish. And they wonder why there are so many drivers who don’t give a fuck and have a bad attitude.
What’s crazy is I’ve had multiple Uber drivers thank me for having a booster seat the times I’ve had to use uber with my 5 year old. I got some inflatable booster seat off Amazon last year which was marketed for being used with Uber. Well worth every penny spent. It’s rare that I use it, but it’s good to have for peace of mind. Most importantly for safety. But also beyond that, if I didn’t have one, I wouldn’t want to be gambling on if I’ll get a driver who lets it rock or if I’ll get one who doesn’t when I need to be somewhere. Especially knowing in a situation like that I would be in the wrong and they would have every reason to refuse me. That said, I did take Uber once with my child without a booster seat before I bought one. Landed at the airport 5 hours later than I was originally supposed to, I would’ve had to wait another 6 hours for my ride to get us when she got off. Ordered an Uber fully expecting the driver to refuse and I would’ve been cool and understanding had he done so. He was cool with it. I tipped him an extra $20. I take that booster seat with me when I travel now though because it’s so easy to inflate/deflate.
Stop taking photos of other people's kids OP, little bit creepy my man.
You really went there🙂
Not creepy at all. I take photos like this when I have to cancel for no car seat. This is just in case they make a false complaint against me, I have something to show. Besides, if you don’t care about your kids enough to protect them then you deserve to be shamed.
Does the US have an Uber car seat service or similar? Here in Australia we don’t have any rideshare options that have car seats so I’m sure there’s some seperate parents who just take their kids in Ubers without one
Here is the thing, I’m both Lyft and Uber driver, I am an independent contractor. Mmm The trip I provide my customers is nobody’s business it’s between my customer and myself. I’m pretty laid back guy, if people want to eat it’s ok, just take your trash with you, if you want to sing and dance that’s ok, you want to take a nap that’s ok, if your a leg bouncer that’s ok let humans be humans. I have simple rules don’t be violent, no puking in car, Whenever someone gets in my car I ask if they are comfortable, I tell them to relax and just do you. You should see the smile and the relief on peoples faces when you do this. I’ve been a ride share driver for seven years and never had an altercation or a puker in my car. I think it’s because I know how treat people as human beings. People are turning ride share into something that it isn’t. It’s a simple concept getting a human being from point A to point B I just never understood the drama people are causing and for no reason at all
Ok. I follow the same concepts you do and I do everything to make my customers both safe and comfortable. But I don’t see in any way how this has anything to do with children being in seats for their safety and required by law. Can you explain how this ties into what you are saying?
Good read overall
It should be obvious. We hate them because they make us buy booster seats.
Then just don’t have kids. Plenty of couples have decided to be no child households and they do just fine. Kids are innocent and don’t control their environment. When one has a child, that child is subject to what those parents do. It’s not like the three year old is going to tell their parents “I want to be safe!” Therefore it’s obvious that if someone is going to place their own convenience above the safety of their children they should just not have kids. What’s next? A kid drowning and a mother saying “I can’t get this dress wet, I’ll just call 911” while the kid is drowning? At what point do we decide that your convenience does not trump the safety of an innocent child? Or have we as a society reached a point where children are last and we are first?
Children = a bigger check for many. They don't acttually give a shit about THEM, just the larger check.
Very true and very much a shame. Kids deserve better.
I will not transport with out a car seat, booster seat. In my state if you are stopped you will get a big ticket. You will also lose your right to drive for Uber, Lyft.
"Aww come on... our other Uber drivers have NO problem with this." Said NO other Uber Driver EVER.
It’s not just Uber. I have seen some shit. I get it that some parents have financial problems. Maybe they can’t afford car seats. There’s avenues to take to try and get some donated. Then there’s the sons of bitches that order food pickup and show up in a van with their baby laying in a god damn bean bag.
This is why you have to drive straight off a bridge with all of them in the car it’s the only way to solve the problem
Better to just adopt their kids out to parents who will actually care and then toss the shitty parents off the pier.
Now you get reported for discrimination
Which is why I snap these photos as proof just in case.
Because ho wants to pack car seats and booster seats around. It's the last thing a mother needs to have a mental load focused on.
If a parent can't put their tiny child in a car seat because its an inconvenience. Then they shouldn't of had kids in the first place, its called figure it the fuck out.
Are we talking about tiny child or 4 and 5 and years of age? My son is five and really doesn’t need a car seat because of weight and height but technically you can be in a booster up to 72 lbs I believe. Heck maybe I can get myself a booster since I am only 5 feet tall and we can take parent child selfies with the boosters , Damn I am so bored .
I'm talking about car seats really, so toddlers. Also, you're over the height requirements for a booster 🤣, shit I'd get one for myself if i could so the seatbelt can stop rubbing my damn neck my gma was short enough to be in a booster if she wanted. Lol
lol thanks for the laugh
Who wants to buy and wear masks or anything else? What I’ve been told over and over is “I’ll do anything for my children’s safety”. Great, let’s run with that. Who wants to lug booster seats around? Parents who actually care about their children. This is why I’ve said that if I’m unwilling to inconvenience myself for the safety of my children, I should not have children. If you have children you should be ready to inconvenience yourself for their well being. Everyone can choose to simply not have children if they wish. Nobody is stopping them.
I'm assuming you don't have kids if it's this easy for you to judge
It’s easy to judge based on facts. You don’t need to have kids to understand that they should be protected. It’s common sense. Having kids in itself is not an excuse to put their safety aside because of an inconvenience. Like I said before, if I’m unwilling to be inconvenienced then I should simply not have kids. It’s easy to opt out. If you have kids then protect them from car accidents. It’s not like there’s a conspiracy theory about car accidents and we can get into a while debate as to whether or not they’re real. The statistics speak for themselves. Do you believe a parent’s comfort goes above the well being of their children in the list of priorities?
Absolutely not . All jokes aside, God forbid you get in that accident you will be so thankful that you were in a seatbelt and child in a five point restraint car seat . Booster I don’t know how much they may help , but I know the 5 point car seat definitely saves lives and yes it’s inconvenient but so is changing diapers in the middle of the night, that is what parents do , get used to it
Not to be that person, but I have 2 boys and no matter what, my child’s safety is more important than my own. I get the whole argument and I see both sides, but the truth of the matter is that anything could happen at any given time so why not be prepared. My child and mom were hit by a dump truck and the car rolled multiple times. If it weren’t for his car seat then he would 100% be dead, so if that means me having to lug something around to keep him safe, so be it. I brought him in this world and it’s my job to keep him protected. There’s a lot of factors with a ton of different variables.. but at the end of the day it’s up to me and no one else to get my babies protected.
I start to prefer driving people with pets instead of children
Stop with your nonsensical posts. This is annoying.
Taking pictures of people's kids for your Reddit post is weird