We'll be in Chicago for 4 days 3 nights and will be staying at the Hilton. It's $32 a day to park at the hotel. So, parking fee will cover cab fares. We're traveling with a 17 months old, so definitely will need a car seat if we rent a car or take a cab. Our plane arrives at 10pm so I'd rather not take the El. We'll probably go to the zoo as well as some other local attractions. If we don't rent the car, but rely on cabs, it's kind of a pain to carry around a car seat with us all day. Any suggestions on what to do?

Car-rental places will provide one if you arrange in advance.

Cabbies will NOT want to bother taking the time to install your car seat properly. If you plan on taking cabs, just so without it. Believe it or not, riding in a car without a car seat is not always fatal for young children. The odds of your being in a dangerous accident on the way to the zoo are about the same as being struck by lightning.

The child seat law does not apply to taxis and other commerical vehicles, so you won't be violating Illinios law to transport your child in a taxi without a car seat. Whether you want one for your own peace of mind is another issue. Car rental agenices may not rent them to you unless you are also renting a car, plus schelpping out to the car rental lots could be a pain with baby and luggage. Have you checked with O'Hare as to whether they rent them? Webiste is http://www.flychicago.com/ohare/home.asp

Ditto from me. I am 51, and there were no seat belts in cars until I was 6, and no belts in the back for several years after that. I ALWAYS buckle my 3 sons, 7,7, & 9, so I believe in seat belts. Car travel is much safter because of them. However, even when they were small, we did not worry about car seats when traveling. There is a certain amount of risk in the world. I try to minimize it, and then get on with living.

I've always had this same concern, and I, personally, am not comfortable with having a child that young in a car without a carseat. I know the odds of anything happening are slim, and I didn't grow up using a carseat (nor seatbelts) either, but all of these safety improvements have been made for a reason. I don't believe in taking chances when it comes to my kids' safety.

That said, I recall seeing a product in a catalog once for a portable carseat. It was made of cloth, was lightweight, and folded easily. It could be strapped quickly and easily into the car, and it had a five-point harness-style strap. I believe the product description said it was invented for use in cabs and similar situations. I'm sure that it's not as safe as a traditional car seat, but it will keep your child safely strapped in, and should provide an adequate level of safety and security for your situation. I'm almost certain that I saw the product in either the Safety 1st or the One Step Ahead catalog. Both have websites. I will check around and see if I have any luck finding it.

Message: Nancymaat--I found that portable car seat I mentioned on safety1st.com. It weighs less than 4 lbs and can hold an infant 25-40 lbs. It's called the Tote 'n Go. Hope it works out for you.

Have a great trip. Let us know how it goes...Chicago is one place I'd love to take my kids in the next year or so!

I have never had a cabbie refuse to wait while I installed the carseat for my children! Nevertheless, I can certainly understand the issue of having to lug that darn thing around while sightseeing. You'll want to have a stroller, though, as I suspect your little one won't be able to walk all day.

Just buckle him/her onto your lap, sitting in the backseat.

I lived in downtown Chicago and had no problem using a car seat in a cab for my son when he was an infant and toddler.

Keep in mind that it would probably be better to hail the cab at a location where your cabdriver can pull over rather than a lane of traffic with traffic beeping behind.

You might also want to call ahead and let a cab company know you'd like to put your car seat in beforehand.

We had an infant car seat that fit into a lightweight metal frame that could fold in half. We'd put the frame into the trunk and then once we reached our destination it was his little "dune buggy" as well as a little catch-all for things like water, etc.

Happy travels!



BTW, there is a nice playground right next to the old Water Tower Pumping Station (I think that's what it is) -- east of Michigan Avenue and south of the Water Tower Mall.

Thanks for all the responses. We just came back from our Chicago trip and it was great. We did not bring the car seat with us. We used taxi to and from the airport and once to and back from dinner. The other times, we used the El. klw25, thanks for looking up the Tote-n-go for me. Unfortunately, it's for 25-40lb babies and my daughter is only 22 lb, so we didn't get it. I will keep it in mind for our next trip when she is older. Thanks.
Nancy