Can I travel by taxi with a baby in New York City if I don’t have a car seat?

Of the eight million stories there are to tell about our hometown, the answer to that question about cabbing it with children around NYC is one that brings a dozen or so people to our site every day. And why not? While NYC may have one the greatest underground rail systems in the world, if a subway rat can carry a hefty slice of New York pizza down the stairs, what’s stopping one from dragging Junior down onto the third rail, amiright? So above-ground travel is a definite option for many.

Aside from taxis and buses, there is another transportation you can consider if you have a young one in tow and you do not own a car: Uber Car Seat.

Open the Uber app and after selecting the basic UberX service option, tap the “Car Seat” button and for an extra $10 surcharge, your vehicle comes equipped with a car seat. (If you enter the promo code CARSEATNYC10 in the Uber app, your first surcharge is waived.)

Uber Car Seat provides a user with a forward-facing IMMI Go car seat, pre-installed by a driver trained in installing it. According to its website, the seat works for a child who is at least 12 months old, weighs at least 22 pounds and is 31 inches tall. Children who weigh more than 48 pounds or exceed 52 inches are too big for the seat. More details on the seat and use of the seat are available on the Uber Car Seat FAQ page.

Uber offers this service in several major U.S. cities, including Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and a few international cities.

If you try or have tried Uber car Seat, let us know what you think.

UPDATE Oct. 2016: In addition to what we talk about in this article, a newer option for getting around with your child is Uber Family’s car seat service. Click the link for more info.

I was running late to my 10-month-old’s gym class downtown. I was faced with the new parent dilemma — do I take a risk and hop in a New York City taxi cab or go on public transportation and be extremely late to the class.

I decided to take an NYC taxi with the baby in tow — something I have done less than five times with my son during his brief life because I know it is unsafe. I am told that the New York State law requiring infants to be in a car seat while riding in a car does NOT apply to taxi cabs. If that ‘hearsay’ is true, I am not sure why cabs are exempt from that particular law. Anyhow, we arrived at our gym class safely and on time. However, it begs the question: What is the safest way a parent can transport their child in an NYC taxi cab?

To be honest, I rarely see anyone carry around a car seat in NYC. On the other hand, I know it is not safe for babies and toddlers to ride on their parents’ laps in taxis while they barrel down the streets. Someone told me that when in a cab, they put their baby in a Baby Bjorn, and seat belt them both in because it is safer – is it really? I also learned that there is a lightweight (approx. 4 pounds) portable car seat that fits into a bag. It’s not as secure as a regular car seat, but I suppose it is better than nothing.

Sure, taking the public bus or subway is a safer and less expensive way to travel. Please help me and other NYC parents …

What do most people with kids do in NYC when they need to take a taxi with a baby in tow?