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sabotabbyAsshole of the Week: Elsa La Rosa. La Rosa is the shitspittle who complained about strollers on the TTC, a complaint they apparently took seriously enough that all local media is yammering today about whether strollers should be banned or limited on transit or parents charged extra for bringing them on.
I suppose this fine upstanding citizen is incapable of picturing the pitiful sight of a mother and her young children, waiting for an hour in the windswept, -20°C wastelands of Scarborough for the next bus to arrive because, well, there were already two strollers aboard the last one so tough luck, lady. La Rosa might be incapable of empathy, but I'm not. I don't care much for SUV strollers either, but the only thing more irritating than having a stroller appear on public transit is being the unfortunate sod in the position to have to bring a stroller on public transit. Generally speaking, if you're hauling one of those fuckers on a bus, you have zero other options.
There is, of course, a strong element of sexism at work—it is still primarily women who are responsible for childcare, and thus it's women that La Rosa would apparently like to see restricted from the public spaces that they pay taxes to maintain. There's an even stronger element of classism. Rich moms don't take the TTC. Any fee or restriction would disproportionately affect working class and impoverished parents and children.
Also, La Rosa is just a selfish douche. She also wants to lower the age for a senior’s Metropass, presumably because she's 61 and you need to be 65 to get the discount.
Lest you think that the Asshole of the Week designation is awarded lightly, our winner was up against some very strong competition. But La Rosa wins it on sheer pettiness.
I should also mention that it's only Tuesday.
(Oh, and that the solution is actually wider buses and streetcars, and more vehicles in service at any given time. But there isn't the political will.)
I suppose this fine upstanding citizen is incapable of picturing the pitiful sight of a mother and her young children, waiting for an hour in the windswept, -20°C wastelands of Scarborough for the next bus to arrive because, well, there were already two strollers aboard the last one so tough luck, lady. La Rosa might be incapable of empathy, but I'm not. I don't care much for SUV strollers either, but the only thing more irritating than having a stroller appear on public transit is being the unfortunate sod in the position to have to bring a stroller on public transit. Generally speaking, if you're hauling one of those fuckers on a bus, you have zero other options.
There is, of course, a strong element of sexism at work—it is still primarily women who are responsible for childcare, and thus it's women that La Rosa would apparently like to see restricted from the public spaces that they pay taxes to maintain. There's an even stronger element of classism. Rich moms don't take the TTC. Any fee or restriction would disproportionately affect working class and impoverished parents and children.
Also, La Rosa is just a selfish douche. She also wants to lower the age for a senior’s Metropass, presumably because she's 61 and you need to be 65 to get the discount.
Lest you think that the Asshole of the Week designation is awarded lightly, our winner was up against some very strong competition. But La Rosa wins it on sheer pettiness.
I should also mention that it's only Tuesday.
(Oh, and that the solution is actually wider buses and streetcars, and more vehicles in service at any given time. But there isn't the political will.)
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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
no subject
Date: 2013-01-23 07:59 pm (UTC)(Standard disclaimer: Danforth yoga bunnies and their children also have the right to be in public spaces.)