ME and car seats

[claven123]

Do we need a car seat for ME to and from the airport. We have a 16mo old. I just got off the phone with disney reservations setting up ME and the CM told me no.

I'm not sure of the laws etc..


D

 

[crashbb]

You cannot use a car seat on the DME since it is a bus without seat belts.

 

[deegack]

As PP said, you don't use car seats on ME. Its a coach-type bus so no seat belts. It was a bit disconcerting with DD but I just made sure she stayed seated. We put out car seat (used it for the plane) below the bus.

 

[TDC Nala]

I was on a DME bus last month that had seat belts. I still don't think you need a carseat on a motorcoach, though.

 

[IlovePiglet]

The majority of the DME fleet has been updated to either 2012 or 2013 Van Hools. The new buses have seat belts.
I'm not sure how the drivers are addressing car seats but just thought I'd give y'all an update.

 

[mb187143]

The majority of the DME fleet has been updated to either 2012 or 2013 Van Hools. The new buses have seat belts.
I'm not sure how the drivers are addressing car seats but just thought I'd give y'all an update.

I can tell you how the driver on the brand new DME bus we took to the Orlando airport handled it on June 6 - he stored car seats under the bus. One woman with a very new baby was NOT happy about this policy and got into an extremely vocal smackdown with the driver over it. In the end, she and baby got on the bus, the carseat went under the bus.

 

[IlovePiglet]

Can't say I blame her.

 

[bumbershoot]

Can't say I blame her.

Coach buses generally do NOT have seatbelts. Therefore, she shouldn't have expected to use the carseat on the bus. If you ride on a Greyhound, you don't have seatbelts.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have to wonder what these parents that get upset about no car seats on the DME buses are planning to do once they get to WDW. One has to assume (knowing full well what that can mean!!) that they aren't planning on renting a car since they are using DME. So, they'll be taking the buses while at WDW. And we all know there is no way to secure a car seat on those!!

 

[Hannathy]

I can tell you how the driver on the brand new DME bus we took to the Orlando airport handled it on June 6 - he stored car seats under the bus. One woman with a very new baby was NOT happy about this policy and got into an extremely vocal smackdown with the driver over it. In the end, she and baby got on the bus, the carseat went under the bus.

Good for the bus driver! I'd have given him a tip.

 

[arthuruscg]

I think the pinch distance (from seat to seat) prevents rear facing car seats from even being installed on new DME buses.

 

[maxiesmom]

I wonder if part of the reason they don't allow them is liability issues. If there was an accident, and the child in the car seat was hurt, would the parent then be able to sue Disney if the car seat wasn't properly installed? Or maybe used in the wrong manner?

 

[IlovePiglet]

I wonder if part of the reason they don't allow them is liability issues. If there was an accident, and the child in the car seat was hurt, would the parent then be able to sue Disney if the car seat wasn't properly installed? Or maybe used in the wrong manner?

That's what I think, it's a liability issue, and I did find out that car seats are NOT allowed - I always try to accomodate folks and many years ago one of the buses I drove had seat belts just in the front. I always let people put car seats there. I was lucky, nothing ever happened.

 

[IlovePiglet]

Coach buses generally do NOT have seatbelts. Therefore, she shouldn't have expected to use the carseat on the bus. If you ride on a Greyhound, you don't have seatbelts.

As a parent, I don't blame her and totally understand her concern.

As a professional driver, it is a liability issue. There are two sides to every coin. I try to see both even though I didn't state that.