Convenience over safety.

[notalwaysright]

Okay, I'm not sure if this should go here, or the off-topic area, but I feel like this is a Sighting. First, the article. Anyway, move as needed.

It basically is a bunch of parents who are mad that they have to take down their strollers to ride the bus. They are also complaining because some bus drivers let them park in the wheelchair area, and some follow the rule and don't allow them to ride if the stroller won't fit under the seat.

Maybe I'm in a bad mood for girl reasons, because literally none of this affects me. I'm not a parent, I don't ride the bus, and I don't use a wheelchair or have anyone close to me who does. Yet I'm super irritated. Because these parents are basically saying that they should be able to take a space reserved for wheelchairs. They are saying that they would rather potentially prevent a handicap person from riding the bus. They are saying that they would rather block the aisle and make the entire bus unsafe.

Sorry parents on this board who use strollers, and are nice, reasonable people. I know you're out there! Yet, when I see a stroller, especially at my work I cringe. I just know that they are going to hog the already small space. I know they're going to run over my toes, or get in my personal space. They get left at the end of aisles, basically abandoned. When I walk on the sidewalk they try to force me off.

Stopping now.

[Aragarthiel]

There was one woman mentioned who had an autistic child who preferred to be in his stroller. I could understand keeping him in one in that situation. However, parents should really try to practice common courtesy here. I don't ride a bus (there isn't one to ride even if I wanted to), but folding a stroller and trying to keep it out of the way isn't very difficult. I've been on some buses where even a folded stroller would cause problems no matter what, but an attempt to keep it out of the way is appreciated.

When my daughter was too small to sit in the seat of a grocery cart, we used to push her in her stroller whenever we went shopping for more than just a few things. With the crazy people around here who don't care where their cart goes or who it runs over, I figured it was safer for her to just stay in the stroller instead of putting her car seat on top of the cart like other parents do. If it was a small load of groceries, though, we'd put the car seat in the cart basket and pack stuff around her, or I'd just put her in her sling. Though, now she's big enough that we can put her in the cart seat and give her a bag of lettuce/something else hard to open and she'll crinkle it as we shop.

[mathnerd]

The one exception, however, is a medical stroller. These days it can be difficult to tell those apart from the gigantic regular strollers. Medical strollers are the legal equivalent of a wheelchair. Of course, in those cases it's the parents' responsibility to politely inform the driver that it's a medical stroller and actually does have the right to take up the wheelchair spaces on the bus.

That said, I do understand why parents who have small kids and rely on public transportation like to use their strollers. If you've got to do all your shopping then walk who knows how far to a bus stop, then wait, all while dragging small kids along, being able to buckle them into a stroller and also have a place to stow your shopping would be a great thing. Still it's important that safety guidelines be followed, and that means folding the thing up and keeping it as out of the way as possible.

[notalwaysright]

Arga, I'm sure you (and all the parents on here) are in the "nice, reasonable" category.

And of course, the medical issue is fair. Anyway, I guess it's just how the whole article started, with the mom saying that she'd just rather leave her kid in the stroller because it's hard to collapse, and then saying that she had to "talk her way" onto the bus. Like the policy is so silly and why not just let her do whatever she wants? So yeah, that's what makes me mad.

[mathnerd]

Okay, now that I've read the entire article...

I don't see either of the parents they highlighted as being particularly SC. The bus authority themselves state that consistency is indeed a problem, so I can be a bit more understanding about the parents' complaints. Taking a bus is never all that convenient to begin with, but if you never know if you're going to be able to board, or if you'll be able to board but have an autistic toddler that goes into meltdown mode, it makes transportation just that much more difficult.

I do understand why parents like their strollers. I also understand the safety concerns of the bus authorities. I think the particular authority being written about in this article is better than most, as at least they're willing to talk about it and maybe come up with a solution. Maybe they can come up with some sort of solution that will make everybody a little happier.

[Seshat]

I'd like stroller manufacturers to have strong points on the strollers, not unlike the ones on some wheelchairs.

Then a bus/train can have a specific location for strollers (which have such strong points) and wheelchairs, which have connections for them. Seatbelt-fabric tiedowns could be suitable, lace the belt through the strong points, click into place and pull it tight.

Of course, this would require a specific designated set of locations for wheelchairs, and for strollers. I'd probably go with 'No fewer than X for wheelchairs, the rest can be used by strollers unless needed by a wheelchair user'.

[Agent Paperclip]

I take the bus everywhere, especially to and from work. Most of the time the people with strollers are nice and will try to scoot the stroller out of the way as you walk past or sit in the back so no one has to get past them to get to a seat.

The one bad apple I ever had was coming off a 12 hr holiday shift, sitting down on a full bus in the unfolded seats of the wheelchair area (no wheelchairs were on board btw) and about 3 stops later a mother tried to get on with a stroller and when the driver said there was no room unless she folded the stroller, the mother got angry and demanded me and the other passengers sitting in the wheelchair area get up so she could park her stroller there and that we should stand because "I got a baby!" and the baby looked 3 or 4 yrs old!

[KuariKaydrith]

The buses in my city have signs that clearly state strollers and foldable carts must be folded and put out of the aisle, even on wheelchair accessible buses. I have only ever once witnessed a parent lose their shit over being told to fold up their stroller by the driver...another passenger told the missus to shut up and follow the rules or walk. Hell, when my son was still really little I made a point of using a child carrier that strapped to me whenever we had to take the bus, having the stroller folded up to carry onto the bus with me. No buses have the means to secure a stroller down the way they can with wheelchairs, and that is really the crux of the matter - there is no safe way to transport a child still in a stroller on a bus. Sure, the stroller wheels can be locked in place, but the straps used for a wheelchair cannot be used to properly secure a stroller. It doesn't matter if there is space or not.

We've got para-transit available for those folks who use a medical stroller or wheelchair, but a medical stroller would be allowed on the accessible buses if needed. They are much sturdier than your normal every-day stroller, even the umbrella style ones - we've used them with my sister when her wheelchair was in for repairs and they didn't have a loaner available (my parents have since gotten their hands on a back-up wheelchair).

[notalwaysright]

I suppose I just have had so many bad experiences with strollers it may have made me more irritated. Mathnerd, I do see your point, and mostly I agree. Especially about the consistency issue. However (I'm sorry ) I still see the first woman as a SC, because she's complaining over a safety issue. She'd rather her child and everyone on the bus be less safe for her convenience. Yes it is enforced badly, true. However, she seems to understand the policy (strollers must be collapsed and fit under the seat) but still actively tries to get drivers to make exceptions, which is a classic SC move. I'll leave it alone now.

[jedimaster91]

Honestly if the wheelchair spaces aren't being used by wheelchairs, I would have no problem parking a stroller there. However, if someone in a wheelchair needed that space, I would happily fold the stroller up and get it out of the way as best I can. They (meaning the person in the wheelchair) take priority.

Then again, one would think when choosing a stroller, transportation should be a factor in deciding which one to get. Most strollers these days are at least collapsible enough to fit in the trunk of a car. And if a parent is relying on public transportation, I would hope they would choose one that can fold up small enough to fit. *looks at website title* Oh, right.

[Terza]

Honestly if the wheelchair spaces aren't being used by wheelchairs, I would have no problem parking a stroller there. However, if someone in a wheelchair needed that space, I would happily fold the stroller up and get it out of the way as best I can. They (meaning the person in the wheelchair) take priority.

Then again, one would think when choosing a stroller, transportation should be a factor in deciding which one to get. Most strollers these days are at least collapsible enough to fit in the trunk of a car. And if a parent is relying on public transportation, I would hope they would choose one that can fold up small enough to fit. *looks at website title* Oh, right.

Around here, the rules are that strollers can use the wheelchair space unless and until a wheelchair requires it. Most people are polite about it, but you do get the few obnoxious ones.

[Aragarthiel]

Then again, one would think when choosing a stroller, transportation should be a factor in deciding which one to get.

It really depends on the individual circumstances. We have a stroller that's pretty large, even when folded, but we don't go anywhere where that would be an issue, there's no local public transportation, and the back of my truck is big enough to fit it easily (it could really fit any stroller easily, so that wasn't a consideration). The other factor that came into play was that it came as a travel system, with a rear-facing car seat. The travel system was cheaper than buying a car seat and stroller separately, so I can see how parents who aren't expecting to lose their vehicle for one reason or another could end up in a sticky situation with the bus system.

[Agent Paperclip]

Around here, the rules are that strollers can use the wheelchair space unless and until a wheelchair requires it. Most people are polite about it, but you do get the few obnoxious ones.

Oh it's the same rule here too however if the bus is full and there are already people standing like the bus I was on then someone with a stroller has to fold it instead of demanding to use the wheelchair area. It's really up to the driver to make the call in a situation like mine and imo he made the right call. The "baby" in the stroller was toddler at least 3 or 4 yrs old and not an infant and was swinging his legs and what not. The kid could of stood but most likely if the mother had just folded her stroller like she was asked then someone would have given her and her "baby" their seat which again, is like an unwritten rule around here.