Babies seem to often bring out the best and worst in people. The best being the sheer amount of love and care a child can elicit from an adult, and the worst being a self-centered attitude about being a parent. That somehow you deserved to be first in line, take up more space, and can inconvenience others because you happen to have a baby with you.
And strollers seem to epitomize this notion. The fact is that you really don’t need a stroller for the first few months. Anyone who uses carriers/slings etc. will tell you how much simpler it is to use them. And then once they start to get a bit heavier a simple umbrella stroller is often the most used option over the snooty giant “travel system.”
Anyways, travel devices aside, where I get really frustrated with parents’ lack of respect for others is on transit and most of the time it involves a stroller. It has ticked me off for years and I have no intention of holding back on this rant.
Daily I see parents get on the TTC and 90% if them with children under 3 infuriate me with their lack of respect for the general population. It’s like the only people that exist are them and their darling little angel… who is often screaming their face off. Here are the parental sins I see them make:
– kids sit for free! Though you have no stroller (kudos to you for leaving it at home!) you give your child a seat on the rush hour bus that is packed to the brim with tired adults who have worked all day. Why does this tick me off? Well, firstly you’ve paid either $0 or a significantly reduced rate for the child to ride tranist, while I have paid $3. Shouldn’t paying customers get seats first? Secondly, your child can run around a playground for about 7 hours at a stretch so I’m assuming they have the energy to stand or could, as my mother insisted, sit on your lap. I didn’t get a seat until I was about 10! Thirdly, when someone elderly, disabled or otherwise in need of a seat boards, your brat SHOULD MOVE. No questions.
– the double stroller. Oh how I hate you giant stroller, and oh how I hate your owner for thinking this is the kind of device you should take anywhere except to the park for a walk. These beasts are too wide for most sidewalks around the city, for bringing into shops and definitely for transit vehicles. Leave them at home. Better yet, don’t even buy one.
– the double stroller- but different 😉 This is the day (at least once a week) where 2 parents board each with a stroller. And what do they do? Park themselves and their carriages right at the front door of the bus/streetcar, ensuring that they have sat on either side of the aisle so as they can most effectively barricade the entire entry way. This basically means that people are almost vaulting over the damned things just to get on the bus. And what are the general reactions from these oblivious parents. Well it’s on of two options. Parent A gives out paltry weak ‘i’m sorry’s to each person they trip with their stroller and Parent B glares at everyone who give them a dirty look as if it’s not their fault they can’t figure out how to hurdle strollers.
– the empty stroller is my absolute biggest peeve. The parent who not only needs help lifting their stroller onto the bus, but the kid isn’t even in it! This is the person who makes every effort to look overwhelmed by their burden so as some hard working stiff eventually give up their seat. At which point they plop their child on it and proceed to block the aisle with themselves and their stroller. Why do strollers even fold up at all? When is the last time you ever saw anyone use this function?
– the shopping cart. This is the parent who gets on with a stroller so laden with baggage that the warranty on the stroller are voided. And did I mention that it’s got shopping bags hanging off the handles making it twice as wide as normal?
That’s the list of sins you can commit while travelling with a child. Oh, and all you baby carrying and other courteous parents out there~ don’t think I never see you. I do, and you’re awesome. It’s just not terribly interesting to talk about people who have a conscience and think of others 😉
Conflicting Messages 