Stroller struggle
I try to be as polite as possible when riding the bus with my baby — I avoid rush hour, I use the tiny 5 dollar umbrella stroller. I stick myself and the baby into the front seat, which makes me take up both seats but with the stroller across in front of me.
I was coming home from a meeting in Midway that for once offered childcare, and went to step onto the 16 at Snelling and University. With my foot in the door, the woman driving the bus told me to get off.
“You must have the baby out of the stroller and the stroller folded before you get on the bus.”
I knew that there was a “hold your baby” rule on the bus, but honestly, I’d never seen or heard of anyone forced to do so. It was raining, it was cold. I asked if I could at least get on before I took out my 5 month old and folded up, so I didn’t have to lay my baby on the wet sidewalk, since she can’t even sit up on her own yet.
“No. Management says you have to have the baby out and stroller folded before you get on.”
I shoved the diaperbag/laptopcase over my back, pulled out the baby wrapped in her blanket, and tried hold her with one arm while folding up the umbrella. The canopy top came swinging off and refused to fold down. Holding it like I was strangling a flamingo, I managed to get it, the baby, the stroller and the bag up the steps. I then held the stroller up with one leg while trying to put money in the changebox and grab a transfer.
The bus has 7 people on board. I set myself in the first seat, shoved the flopping stroller into the corner, holding it next to the wall with one leg. I put the diaperbag between me and the wall, turned my legs slightly out to keep the stroller from toppling, and held the now wide awake and wiggling child restrained on my lap with both arms. I took up exactly as many seats as l had on the ride out, except that now no one could use the flip down seat in front of me without risking getting poked in the eye by my runaway canopy.
The bus never filled more than halfway the entire ride to Nicollet.
Someone was kind enough to unfold my stroller and hold my bag while I got situated once I was off the bus. However, I still swear that when I left I saw that busdriver grinning at me as I struggled to get off.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:11 am
It is the rules. They are fedreral rules I believe. Just because most bus drivers do not enforce them, it does not make it not a rule. There is information on the website, on the buses, and every couple months on the Takeouts. The rule is to protect your child and the passangers on the bus, not to make your life easier.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
@Kassie: rules or not, exceptions can be made. The bus driver in question was just being a c*nt.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
How is holding the child insecurely in one arm while struggling to fold a stroller in the rain and wind “protecting” the child? Why is holding a child on one’s lap safer than leaving him or her secured in a stroller?
May 15th, 2008 at 12:07 am
It’s a ridiculous rule. I don’t think it is federal. It’s something that management came up with without thinking. Metro Transit’s management obviously doesn’t want people with babies younger than 6 months old riding their buses.
The driver was not being a cunt, though (the passenger, it could be argued). It’s pounded into us pretty hard that that is the rule, there are signs all over the bus, and it’s not worth getting fired over. Especially for people who go around calling us names on the internet.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Well, it’s not a federal rule per se, but it did come (at least in part) as a result of the feds noticing that strollers often take up the seating in front ostensibly reserved for limited mobility passengers. The feds give Metro Transit extra money to have that area available.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:07 am
So management comes up with an Orwellian doublespeak reason for it? Aren’t babies limited mobility?
May 15th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I’d say yes, and no.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I drive the 16 and love it! I think in a saftey aspect, the mother and stroller should be allowed to board , if not busy, every thing can be put in a corner or the back of the bus, It takes more time to take baby out of stroller, , and haul baby, stoller ,and everything with it up the steps, The individual that made the rule does not have any children, and the person also owns a car, It would be a commen sense issue in this matter. alittle common sense and some compassion can go a long way! Pacote
May 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
From the MetroTranist web site. There isn’t any mention about removing a child from a stroller BEFORE boarding a bus. This is the direction the website gives:
8. Any special rules I should know about?
If you’re traveling with children, make sure they stay seated for the whole trip. Fold strollers and keep them out of the way. Don’t smoke, eat or listen to music without headphones. Finally, the aisle-facing seats in front are for seniors or riders with special needs. If the bus is full, please give your seat to a senior or a person with disabilities.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Umbrella srollers are one thing, but I see too many of those “luxery” type stollers, you know the ones with baskets on the bottem, full of stuff, cup holders, etc. Some people not only don’t take thier children out, they talso take up the access asle in the front of the bus. Other people boarding, have to “climb” over those things! Please, if you must travel with that much stuff, at least try and go to the rear of the bus, so others don’t risk injuring themselves trying to get past it. In my opinion, taking a small child out of a stroller for the bus ride isn’t any safer than leaving them in it.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:03 am
Under the MTA policy; the stroller must be folded up before go and board onto bus. Most of wheelchair users complained about the stroller blocked middle of priority seatings aisle, a wheelchair user had to wait till the stroller gets off the bus then unloading from the bus and long rolling to the place or transter other bus to get back to their designation..
Some buses have a “Stroller policy” placard boards inside of buses (ads, fare info and etc).
May 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
As a mother myself i totally agree that some drivers snigger at you when they see you struggle with a buggy and instead of comming out to help you they tut and such,I think a exception should have been made and many a time i’ve felt like cracking up at the driver as its only the rule when it suits,one day i was travelling on a bus without my kids and there was a buggy on and the girl was on her mobile telling her friend what bus she was on and what stop she was to get on,and a few stops later the friend who had another buggy tried to get on but did the driver tell the lady to dismantle her buggy?? Yes he did but once the young girl batted her eyes a bit and pleaded that the buggy didn’t dismantle ( which lets face it is rubbish) he let them both on so where’s the laws there?
Jul 22nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
Just saw this Fox 9 story that features one particular stroller struggle: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7024112&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Seems like a big problem is that no one truly understands the rule. In the video they say that you don’t in fact have to break down your stroller if you are carrying extra bags.
Aug 30th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
A few years back I had a lady on my 21 with a baby in a small umbrella stroller. The bus was pretty full so she sat right next to the front door with the stoller pulled in close to the wheel well by her legs.
Two guys got on and were talking with each other as they paid their fare. One guy tripped over the stroller and fell flat on the floor. I had to wait for an ambulance (the guy had prior back injury that this didn’t help with). Everyone had to get off the bus and get on the next one. The lady never said a thing…no apology, nothing. She is lucky the guy didn’t tip the stroller over have her babys head hit the floor.
As far as enforcing the “policy”, I find it best to tell them once and let it go. That way I have done my job and the decision is left to the parent. I have been known to kind of roll my eyes as I inform them of the “policy” when they have the cadillac strollers and umpteen bags with them.
Jun 30th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
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Dec 3rd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
So it is ok to be green and travel on public transportation, unless your a mom with an infant.. HOW rude…you should be applauded for taking the trouble to take a bus to your destination and for juggling at the same time.
Sep 1st, 2011 at 1:23 am
I’m a Metro Transit and I pretty much demand that EVERYONE fold their stroller up, but I do bend a bit and at least let them board the bus first figuring this to be a reasonable compromise. The policy was in fact the genius idea of our drivers themselves ! Management adopted it and after the genius drivers that asked for it found it to be more trouble than it was worth asked for the policy to be rescinded management refused ! I ask for them to be folded pure and simple because once I ask the liability is off of me 100% if they refuse !!! So to all those drivers that don’t ask, not only are you putting your job at risk if something were to happen you’re also endangering very near and dear to you, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT !!!
Sep 2nd, 2011 at 7:34 am
I just can’t sympathize with women who use big SUV strollers. I remember telling my mom who is somewhat handicapped to move to the middle of the bus near the second exit because two women both boarded the bus with big SUV strollers and neither of them folded them.
If you know you will be using the bus, you need to use an umbrella stroller b/c they are easy to fold and you can place it under a seat and as a result, sit anywhere on the bus.
On our bus, alot of women with children aim for the back of the bus (which includes going up a staircase) because they know that those in wheelchairs take priority over them.
Just because you have a stroller doesn’t make you special and entitled to everything. You are still able bodied unlike someone in a wheelchair or a senior citizen.
Those who refuse to fold their strollers don’t deserve to be allowed to board the bus.
May 18th, 2012 at 3:29 am
While I can understand drivers who enforce the rules (as not enforcing them might get them in tróuble) it is the rule that is plain dumb.
I just had an experience this week at Disneyworld. Both kids in one stroller, both asleep. It was a late at night shuttle bus, only four other persons on the bus, yet we had get the kids out to fold the stroller.
Guess what, both kids woke up, we had to hold them (much more insecure than them being strapped in their seat harnesses -> I guess it takes a million dollar lawsuit over an injured child until people start to think this over), the folded stroller slid around in the bus (it is the type that folds pretty tiny for a 2-child-stroller, but then its not on its wheels, so its brake doesn’t hold it back).
Total nonsense and while the poor busdriver got a earful of my wife, it is the rule that is to be blamed. But, hey, at least we followed the rule!!!
Come on, as Mr. McEnroe often said: “You cannot be serious!”