Rideshare services for getting kids to summer camps?
Hi, I'm coming to spend a few weeks in Berkeley with my two kids (we live in Rome and are planning to spend the next several summers here). I don't have a current license (long story about the Italian drivers' license situation, etc) so we'll be using Uber or Lyft to get to day camp and some other activities. Do these services generally have car or booster seats or does it take extra time/need special request to get one with seats? My daughter will turn 8 when we're there so technically she needs a booster seat until then, is my understanding. My son is 6 so needs a booster seat, yes? Any insight about using Lyft with kids, and generally cost (equivalent to taxi?) would be most welcome; thank you kindly!
Jul 24, 2017
Parent Replies
You will be traveling with your kids, right? That's important because Uber and Lyft won't accept unaccompanied minors. They also, like taxis, do not provide boosters. Many people do use them without boosters, but that's not safe or legal. You have to provide your own. You can buy a regular backless booster seat for around $20, but then there's the challenge of carrying it around or storing it somewhere while you're at camp or other activities. We bought an inflatable one for travel. It rolls up to about the size of a 1 liter bottle, so you can carry 2 around in a backpack easily. That one is called BubbleBum.
From my experience, Uber tends to be cheaper than taxis and similar to Lyft, but that can vary. You can use just Uber (or Lyft) all the time and know you're getting a pretty good deal, or you could compare the 3 for each ride and choose the cheapest if you're really a deal-seeker.
One more thing to consider about transport companies- if your children need to ride alone (getting dropped off at camp, for example), you can check out Hop Skip Drive. That service is for unaccompanied kids ages 6+, they should have boosters, but it's more expensive than the other options. I haven't used it, but I know it exists.
And yes, your 6 year old needs a booster. Your 7 year old needs a booster until she's 8 AND she's tall enough that the seat belt is positioned correctly over her shoulder. That can vary depending on the car and even the seat within the car. My 9 year old stepson is fine in our minivan without a booster, in my car he can sit behind the driver or passenger but not in the middle, and he needs a booster in his bio mom's car still. I think he's around 52 inches tall now? So if you're going to camp in one car and coming home in another, she may need a booster one way but not necessarily the other.
I'd go to Target when you get here and buy a $20 booster seat for your son. You can then take it with you in the taxi and leave it at the camp for the day. They're not too big. For your daughter, it's a judgment call whether you get a second booster seat or not. Every parent is different on this one. We chucked our daughter's in the dumpster on her 8th birthday. But some families stopped sooner, some used them longer. It has to do with how big the kids are and where the shoulder belt hits them.
I've had to uber/lyft with my preschooler a few times and I've always had to supply the carseat, and even then some drivers seem putoff by needing to install one in their car. Depending on the size of your kids, buying a couple cheap backless booster seats might be the route to go for a 6 and 8 year old.
Use the app Hop Skip Drive.
Lyft won't allow a solo passenger under 17. But https://www.hopskipdrive.com/ is the service you want, for a kid-friendly smartphone taxi.
Instead of Lyft I would use Zum. They are specializing in transporting kids.