This urban mom is very embarassaed to admit that . . .

[Anonymous]

Just get out there and do the best you can. I've never been annoyed at moms with strollers on the metro. Probably because I am one! And ignore all the weird, crazy posters on here. They're jumping on the opportunity to feel superior.

[Anonymous]

just to echo - keep stroller small and out of the way of the doors. assume elevators will NOT be working. would highly recommend the ergo. ignore the b*tches on this thread and enjoy yourself. 14 months is a great age to go explore!

[Anonymous]

10:57 & 11:42 - I love you both.

[Anonymous]

You don't need to pay for kids under 5 (I forget if it is up to and including 5).

Really? I have been buying a ticket for my 3 year old everytime we go into DC on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Urban mom with an older kid here. We lived in a different (bigger, busier) city when DD was stroller-aged, but here are my tips that most likely apply to Metro, too:

* I had what was then the lightest Maclaren that folded up with a shoulder strap. This was key because the transit system where I lived had very few escalators/ elevators (plus we had a walk-up apartment). Unless the kid was sleeping (fun times on the stairs, but I carried sleeping kid+stroller when necessary), I carried the kid on my hip and managed the stroller on my shoulder.

* Streamlined cross-body bag to keep your hands free. Needless to say, keep it kind of in front to maintain positive control.

* Just do what you have to do when there's modest competition for space. Seriously, rush hour on Metro is nothing by comparison to several other cities I can think of. Special event crowding can be comparable (to normal rush hours), but the people packing in are such bewildered wusses that they're more obstacles to be circumvented than anything else. Don't be unkind, but take care of your business assertively and you'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

13:38 again. I should add that once you're practiced and your gear has been streamlined, you won't slow people down or take up any more space than necessary. You'll learn to match the pace of the push, such as it is around here.

[Anonymous]

We commute from Alexandria with our daughter to daycare since she was 4 months (she's two now) and still use the Ergo. People are very nice to my husband and will offer him a seat. So people can be nice on the Metro in spite of what you may have heard.

We used to live in Logan Circle before we moved and I knew how to ride the subway in NYC by the time I was in preschool. Having grown up most of my life in the city it's nice to have a change of pace and live in the "burbs".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You don't need to pay for kids under 5 (I forget if it is up to and including 5).

Really? I have been buying a ticket for my 3 year old everytime we go into DC on the weekend.

You don't need to. Kids under the age of 4 or 5 (forget exactly what age) ride free with an adult. I always use my SmartTrip card for the 3 of us (kids are 3.5 and 22 mos).