Yes - I've already probably ranted enough about this in the comments on your Facebook post, but totally and vehemently in agreement with everything you've said on this. Well, except the "SUV strollers" bit.
I know a lot of people are annoyed by the growing size of strollers and don't understand why everyone doesn't just use those little lightweight umbrella strollers. But there are practical reasons for larger and sturdier strollers - it's not just a fashion statement. Umbrella strollers are rickety and unstable and can barely make it across streetcar tracks uneven bits of sidewalk, let alone through snow. They can pitch over frontwards easily, and unless you're quite short, requiring bending over at an angle that makes any bag you may be trying to carry on your shoulder prone to easily slipping down and falling on your child. Yes, they're light, cheap and fold easily, but that's where their good points end. Everything else about them is pure suck.
The larger sorts of strollers, that have big enough wheels to get through snow and across uneven ground without dumping your kid face-first onto the pavement if they hit a bump, and also enough space to carry some groceries or something, are a godsend for those who don't have a car. Especially for single moms, or moms whose spouse or partner works long hours and isn't always available to help, they can be the only way stuff like grocery shopping gets done at all.
And very much agreed on the classism thing - every time I hear people bitching about strollers on the TTC, there's a chorus of "But why don't they just take the car?" As if everyone has a car. Or "Why don't they just take a taxi?" As if everyone can afford taxis (and BTW, it's actually illegal to take a baby small child in a taxi unless it comes equipped with a proper car seat for the kids' age, which none of them do. Or unless you happen to be carrying one with you, because of course everyone carries around a huge, bulky, heavy car seat with them everywhere they go in case they might have to take a taxi). As you say, anyone taking a stroller on the TTC is usually doing it because it's the only option they've got.
I think monster_grrrl's solution is best: they should be treated like any other mobility device, and be allowed to use the spots for wheelchairs, at least assuming there are not any actual wheelchairs in them at the time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-01-23 07:51 pm (UTC)I know a lot of people are annoyed by the growing size of strollers and don't understand why everyone doesn't just use those little lightweight umbrella strollers. But there are practical reasons for larger and sturdier strollers - it's not just a fashion statement. Umbrella strollers are rickety and unstable and can barely make it across streetcar tracks uneven bits of sidewalk, let alone through snow. They can pitch over frontwards easily, and unless you're quite short, requiring bending over at an angle that makes any bag you may be trying to carry on your shoulder prone to easily slipping down and falling on your child. Yes, they're light, cheap and fold easily, but that's where their good points end. Everything else about them is pure suck.
The larger sorts of strollers, that have big enough wheels to get through snow and across uneven ground without dumping your kid face-first onto the pavement if they hit a bump, and also enough space to carry some groceries or something, are a godsend for those who don't have a car. Especially for single moms, or moms whose spouse or partner works long hours and isn't always available to help, they can be the only way stuff like grocery shopping gets done at all.
And very much agreed on the classism thing - every time I hear people bitching about strollers on the TTC, there's a chorus of "But why don't they just take the car?" As if everyone has a car. Or "Why don't they just take a taxi?" As if everyone can afford taxis (and BTW, it's actually illegal to take a baby small child in a taxi unless it comes equipped with a proper car seat for the kids' age, which none of them do. Or unless you happen to be carrying one with you, because of course everyone carries around a huge, bulky, heavy car seat with them everywhere they go in case they might have to take a taxi). As you say, anyone taking a stroller on the TTC is usually doing it because it's the only option they've got.
I think