I adore babies! But not those car-sized strollers on buses
Recently, I was forced to face a horrible truth about myself. When taking public transportation, I am a baby stroller snob.
A friend insinuated that I might even be prejudiced against young children who have to ride city buses with their parents.
I wouldn’t go that far, but I must admit that I get a little perturbed whenever I step onto a Chicago Transit Authority bus and see a stroller taking up a row of seats designated for disabled passengers.
You don’t have to tell me. I know this makes me seem like a grump, especially for bringing it up during the holiday season. I’m the first to admit it’s somewhat mean, even petty. But I’m sure that I’m not the only regular CTA rider who agonizes over those nearly Cadillac-sized carriages that take up an entire row of seats.
On occasion, bus drivers have been forced to pass up people waiting at the bus stop in wheelchairs because strollers already are parked in the handicapped seating areas on both sides of the aisle.
My frustration has nothing to do with the lovely babies, but something about that just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s more than just inconsiderate. It’s probably illegal.
The debate over strollers on public transportation certainly isn’t new. But I decided to do some deep soul-searching recently after witnessing a flap between a passenger and a mom who had taken up five seats on a slightly crowded CTA bus headed downtown from the North Side.
For the record, this happened before it got really cold and before the snow fell.
To fit the stroller, the mom had to fold up three seats for the disabled, then she sat in an adjacent seat and pulled the stroller close to her, blocking a fifth seat.
A middle-aged woman got on the bus, and not seeing any available seats up front, politely asked the mother to fold the stroller so she could sit down. The mother insisted that she had the right to park the stroller because “babies can’t stand up.”
Eventually, the mom got up from her seat and stood the rest of the way.
Other passengers chimed in. One woman said, “Babies are people too.” Another responded, “But they aren’t paying passengers.”
Clearly, the argument was getting silly. I chose to stay out of it, but I had an opinion. I was firmly on the side of the middle-aged woman.
Being a middle-aged woman myself, I knew exactly where she was coming from. She seemed perfectly able to stand during the 20-minute ride downtown on an express bus. But that particular day, for whatever reason, she didn’t want to. And she shouldn’t have to.
I asked a few friends, including young people with children, to weigh in. Surprisingly only a few of them thought the middleaged woman was being completely unreasonable.
My editor — the mother of three small children — tried to make me see it from the mother’s point of view, though. She takes the bus every day, she told me, with two children in a double stroller and the third clinging to her chest. In addition, she has to haul the three bags they need for school.
She reminded me that there are some moms out there who don’t have a choice when it comes to getting the kids to day care and themselves to work. They can’t afford a $200 parking space downtown. Some don’t even have access to a car.
“Would it really be better for me to use a van, contributing to the congestion in our city? Or even worse, would it be better if I just gave up on city life, moved to the burbs and drove around in a big minivan?” she asked, imploring me not to be so judgmental.
Technically, these mothers have every right to bring a stroller on board, as long as they follow the rules laid out by the CTA.
They can’t park them in the aisle or block the entrance and exit doors. And for goodness’ sake, they should never try to haul that big equipment on board during rush hour.
While seniors and riders with disabilities have first dibs on the priority seating area, moms are perfectly welcome to lift the row of seats up and park a stroller there when those seats are not in use.
Problems seem to arise when parents ignore that they have some requirements too, mainly being considerate of other riders.
Specifically, they are supposed to get up, fold the stroller and place it on a rack if the bus gets crowded or if an elderly or disabled passenger enters the bus. That includes people on crutches, wearing a surgical boot or using any kind of mobility device.
My editor is quick to acknowledge the parents’ responsibility.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the people (usually older women) who jump up each morning when I’m getting on and pull the seat up so we can get on. I always thank them,” she said. “And if a bus is super-crowded, we have waited for the next one, even if it makes me late.”
Folding a stroller doesn’t seem like a lot to ask, but some moms seem to think that’s discriminatory.
These aren’t the lightweight canvas strollers that you can fold up easily and stick in a closet. I’m talking about oversize threewheeled jogging strollers that the average person would have difficulty figuring out how to collapse.
Fellow bus riders would be perfectly willing to give a mom a hand, but some of these women have no interest in clearing a seat for anyone else. When it comes to taking public transportation, their convenience is all that matters.
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely adore babies. Sometimes, when I happen to end up sitting next to one in a stroller, I will lean over and smile. Sometimes, I’ll even engage in the game of peekaboo.
But the key word here is “sitting.” If it’s the end of the day and I’m standing and the baby is taking up five seats, I’m not going to be in a playful mood.
My editor invited me to take the bus to work with her one morning, just to experience what it’s like from the other side. I am going to pass, but maybe the next time I see a double stroller on a packed bus, I’ll try not to be so annoyed. Mary Schmich has today off.