Baby Car Seats in NYC Cabs? (New York, York: to rent, taxis, buses)

[Ellwood]

A friend is planning a trip to NYC with two small children. They will be arriving via air and rather than rent a car they plan on travelling around the city by subway, cabs and buses. The question arose when traveling in cabs with a two year old and seven year old, what is the requirement for car seats? Thanks for any light you can shed on this subject.

[Viralmd]

I've honestly never seen anyone lugging around car seats for taxis. And they'd be NUTS to rent a car to get around NYC, so I think they're doing the right thing.

[bmwguydc]

The State of New York exempts taxi and for-hire vehicles from the child safety seat restraint requirement, yet encourages parents to bring their own safety seats that drivers of such vehicles must allow to be installed. Now, I can concur that this is seen as very impractical in Manhattan to haul a seat around with you all day, especially since toddlers under four cannot use the booster seats. Most drivers are respectful of families and don't tend to drive like lunatics, though there are exeptions, when there are children in the vehicle not in child car seats.

The only time I can say that I have ever seen a car seat in use in a taxi was with a convertible stroller for an infant, where the seat separates from the frame of the stroller.