Carseat-free in Berlin

May 25th, 2009 | by Kayt Sukel 1 comment

I think one of the biggest banes of a traveling mother’s existence is the carseat. It’s big, bulky and uncomfortable to carry. I usually get a weird Ike-Turner-esque bruise on my arm when I try to use the strap to carry it over one shoulder. When going to an unknown spot, you never even know if you’ll even be able to use it.

In all of my trips to the Middle East, forget about it — if you travel by taxi, you ain’t using the carseat. It just becomes yet another thing you’ll have to carry. As if there wasn’t enough already!

Chet is now old enough to be out of a traditional infant seat and into a booster seat. But in some ways, it’s even worse than the regular seat. It has no straps, it’s still awkward to carry and the flight attendants usually give you the stink eye when you bring it on the plane. You still don’t know if you’ll get lucky enough to find a taxi where you can use it. And it’s not even substantial enough to use as a hotel doorstop.

But worst of all, if you don’t bring it with you — even with all the discomforts and unknowns — you’ll be made to feel horribly, terribly and utterly guilty. And often by your own conscience at that. I think it’s fair to say that, outside my own car, I hate the carseat. I despise it with every ounce of my being. I dream of a place to go where I don’t have to bring the stupid thing and can still feel secure about my son’s safety in an automobile.

And you’d never guess, but I found that lovely carseat-free Mecca: Berlin, Germany.

I’ve noticed that sometimes you can go somewhere and find something unexpected that makes a trip that much better. And for me, Berlin will always be a totally family-friendly destination because of one little thing: its taxicabs. See, the taxis in Berlin are regulated. Most of them are newer model Mercedes sedans. They are the Mercedes with the built-in, pull-out booster seats for kids in the backseat. And they are awesome. They made it so I never had to think as I traveled around the city, “I wonder if I need to bring the carseat.” It was a freedom that almost made me drunk with giddiness.

I’m going to return to Berlin. As much for these fantastic built-in booster taxi seats as for the sites and attractions.

Sometimes, traveling with kids, it’s really the little things that can mean the most.

Photo courtesy of extranoise