Stroller + Escalator = Accident

[Anonymous]

We're expecting #1. DH has never held a baby and I'm doing a "baby boot camp" with him wherever we go.
As we walk through the mall, grocery, park, whatever I point at all the parents with young babies and children and get to judge their parenting as much as I can showing him what I think is safe, nice, bad, ugly, not nice, rude and so on.
We've been doing a lot of reading together so he'll get a chance to learn about other POVs and make up his own mind.
One thing that really bothers me in this area is the amount of parents with strollers going up/down escalators.
Today, as we were walking towards an escalator a lady with an infant on a stroller sped up to go in front of us and I said (louder than I should - shame on me) "Babe, this is a NO NO. You NEVER EVER EVER go down/up a escalator with a stroller. NEVER! It's very dangerous!"
The lady looked back and said "No it's not!" with a mad face.
I blushed, apologized for being loud and whispered at DH's ear "You can hurt your baby, yourself and everybody behind you. Please, never do this"

As the lady tried to get going once the escalator reached the flat part the stroller got caught. No need to say that she freaked, we tried running up but there was A LOT of people behind us and we all got crumbled against each other. It was just a few seconds but bad enough for some people to fall. Someone came to help her and thanks heaven the baby was not hurt.
She left as fast as she could while people cursed and complained.

Is it just me or this is fairly common in this area? Do you do this? Am I wrong to think that it's a dangerous practice?
Thanks for the reality check.

[Anonymous]

Should have said = DUMBASS

[Anonymous]

What did the stroller get caught on at the top of the escalator?

I always take the baby out of the stroller but ride up the escalator with the stroller. Then you can just lift the stroller up over any obstacles. Sometimes the elevator is out of order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're expecting #1. DH has never held a baby and I'm doing a "baby boot camp" with him wherever we go.
As we walk through the mall, grocery, park, whatever I point at all the parents with young babies and children and get to judge their parenting as much as I can showing him what I think is safe, nice, bad, ugly, not nice, rude and so on.
We've been doing a lot of reading together so he'll get a chance to learn about other POVs and make up his own mind.
One thing that really bothers me in this area is the amount of parents with strollers going up/down escalators.
Today, as we were walking towards an escalator a lady with an infant on a stroller sped up to go in front of us and I said (louder than I should - shame on me) "Babe, this is a NO NO. You NEVER EVER EVER go down/up a escalator with a stroller. NEVER! It's very dangerous!"
The lady looked back and said "No it's not!" with a mad face.
I blushed, apologized for being loud and whispered at DH's ear "You can hurt your baby, yourself and everybody behind you. Please, never do this"

As the lady tried to get going once the escalator reached the flat part the stroller got caught. No need to say that she freaked, we tried running up but there was A LOT of people behind us and we all got crumbled against each other. It was just a few seconds but bad enough for some people to fall. Someone came to help her and thanks heaven the baby was not hurt.
She left as fast as she could while people cursed and complained.

Is it just me or this is fairly common in this area? Do you do this? Am I wrong to think that it's a dangerous practice?
Thanks for the reality check.

This sounds made up - just an excuse to pass judgment which you seem to take a lot of joy doing. What did the stroller get caught on? Was it an umbrella stroller?

Just wait until your baby comes and the tables are turned.

[Anonymous]

It was one of the small mclaren kind of stroller, the front wheel in one side got caught under the brush on the side of the escalator.

Sorry if it sounds made up. Honestly that's the most effective way I found to help my husband to educate himself. Most of our friends are single so it's not like he can just get advice from them. The married ones don't have kids yet.
No, you're not wrong, I do like passing judgment on others and it helps me also to evaluate my own opinion. I've changed my mind in so many ways after I started watching parents and reading. I can't imagine how many times I'll change after the baby comes. You're right. I can't wait for baby to come and learn from experience. I bet I'll laugh at myself thinking "I said so many times I would never to this and look at me, doing it right now".
Life is a constant learning experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was one of the small mclaren kind of stroller, the front wheel in one side got caught under the brush on the side of the escalator.

Sorry if it sounds made up. Honestly that's the most effective way I found to help my husband to educate himself. Most of our friends are single so it's not like he can just get advice from them. The married ones don't have kids yet.
No, you're not wrong, I do like passing judgment on others and it helps me also to evaluate my own opinion. I've changed my mind in so many ways after I started watching parents and reading. I can't imagine how many times I'll change after the baby comes. You're right. I can't wait for baby to come and learn from experience. I bet I'll laugh at myself thinking "I said so many times I would never to this and look at me, doing it right now".
Life is a constant learning experience.

sorry hit submit too soon...

Anyway, I'll say again in case you didn't read that part:
When I see a parent doing something nice, cool, fun, beautiful, right I'll point and praise the attitude to DH showing him the good example.
I can see both sides very often

[Anonymous]

Who cares if the OP made the story up or not. Going on the escalator with a stroller is a boneheaded move. People really don't realize how dangerous escalators can be.

[Anonymous]

I'm guilty of taking strollers on escalators on occasion, but generally where the elevator is broken. I often hold the stroller when I do so, or lean it back so the front wheels are off the ground and don't get stuck.

[Anonymous]

I'm guilty of taking strollers on escalators on occasion, but generally where the elevator is broken. I often lift the stroller so all 4 wheels are off the ground when I do so, or lean it back so the front wheels are off the ground and don't get stuck.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes there is no choice but to take the escalator as often the elevators are out. Anyone who takes the Metro regularly knows that. I've even seen the elevator out at the Pentagon City Mall.

[Anonymous]

OP, you were rude. I'm not advocating the use of the escalators with a stroller. However, if you felt the need to inform your child of these wrongdoings, you should have done so out of earshot of the other mom. Do you tell "tsk tsk" overweight people when you see them eating cookies too?

[Anonymous]

DH's father worked in a retail store with an escalator for many years. He said this happens all of the time. It was a big no-no for us when our kids were little (although I confess to having done it a couple times when DH was not there).

[Anonymous]

Everything has a risk of injury. Sometimes you have no choice but to take the stroller up. I was told by a Metro employee I would have to take the stroller on the escalator since the elevator was broken. Good luck OP raising your child in the Metro tunnels when you can't get out due to a broken elevator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, you're not wrong, I do like passing judgment on others and it helps me also to evaluate my own opinion. I've changed my mind in so many ways after I started watching parents and reading. I can't imagine how many times I'll change after the baby comes. You're right. I can't wait for baby to come and learn from experience. I bet I'll laugh at myself thinking "I said so many times I would never to this and look at me, doing it right now". Life is a constant learning experience.

OMG, OP, welcome to DCUM! You will fit right in here!

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you can really judge other people's parenting skills when you don't even have a child yet! Everything that I thought I'd NEVER do (like really YELL at my child, plop them in front of the TV so I could do something, etc) I have done, and I am still a really good parent. I am smiling, confident in the knowledge that you too will experience Karma.