In defense of stroller pushers

[BCKatie02]

I wish I had a DVC point for every person who has stepped out in front of my stroller then stopped.... that's right while I am pushing our way down Main Street, people step in front of me, then stop.

Some I have hit, others were lucky, all blamed me.

If you were driving down the street in your car and the car in front of you stopped suddenly, it's your responsibility to stop. If you hit the car, it's your fault since you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. The same could be said of your stroller.

 

[kmebee]

I wish someone would push me in a stroller.. Heck - I'd even carry all the "stuff" in my lap!!

By the size of some of the kids I saw in strollers, you just might fit. That was the other amazing part. Now to just find someone willing to push you.

jann1033 - Howdy neighbor!

 

[Laurabearz]

If you were driving down the street in your car and the car in front of you stopped suddenly, it's your responsibility to stop. If you hit the car, it's your fault since you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. The same could be said of your stroller.

If you read my post carefully you would see that these people step out in front of me... Or in senerio they blow a stop sign, dont yield to moving traffic and the STOP in front of oncoming traffic.

But thanks for your thoughts.

 

[seashoreCM]

My problem was with the adults who allowed toddlers and small children to push the strollers in crowded (snip)). I know it looks cute and I know they scream 'cuz that is what they want to do and so you allow it but, come on, think a little. There are WAY too many people in these places at these times to let your little one push the stroller. They are the ones running into people, cutting them off, etc. and it gets frustrating.

Ever wonder why the minimum age for getting a driver's license is 16 or so?

If you "got the bigger dog", that is, stroller, SUV, tractor trailer, you have a special extra responsibility to protect the public around you. I didn't say you must succeed 100% of the time but you must try 100% of the time.

 

[madgomez]

If you were driving down the street in your car and the car in front of you stopped suddenly, it's your responsibility to stop. If you hit the car, it's your fault since you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. The same could be said of your stroller.

If you "got the bigger dog", that is, stroller, SUV, tractor trailer, you have a special extra responsibility to protect the public around you. I didn't say you must succeed 100% of the time but you must try 100% of the time.

I think the problem with these comparisons to driving is that we are all basically on "equal footing" when driving. We all have four wheels, a steering wheel, brakes, etc. The vehicle "handicaps" us all basically in the same way.

In comparison, manuevering a stroller is much harder than just walking around controlling your own body. No rocket science there. A body can start and stop much more quickly, turn more quickly, run, switch to reverse, turn around suddenly, etc. It is a cumbersome process to do those things with a stroller. Doing one of those quick manuvers in front of a stroller just seems contrary to common sense. Also, the inequality of mobility normally leaves the strollerless person the "last clear chance" to avoid the accident - that is a legal theory commonly applied to determine who should be held liable in a case of negligence.

For that reason, it is my opinion that strollerless folks should, in general, be more yielding and considerate of those with strollers, rather than putting an "extra special responsibility" on the stroller driver. JMHO

But I am NOT excusing the careless stroller driver who is inconsiderate and uses the stroller inappropriately. I just fear alot of "accidental" bumps get mislabled as rude stroller handling.

 

[freakylick]

I will say that most (not all) of the stroller pushers that we saw last week were "well-behaved". The only ones that really got on me were those that were in the shops at the end of the day (when the shops are most crowded). I know that everyone has a right to shop the stores, but it really is frustrating trying to just walk through a store where strollers are clogging up the walkways.

I am not sure why they would even bring them in there...it has to be even more frustrating for them to push them through the packed stores.

 

[daisax]

Guess what- many of these little people need to be pushed around. Guess what again- mom needs to pack diapers, wipes, clothes change, formula, bottles, sippy cups,snacks, baby food, spoon, dish, bibs, Purell, various just in case medicines. Then as a family we need water bottles, snacks, jackets for temp changes, camera, autograoh books,pens and Passporter.​

Funny, when I was a kid and my parents took us, we had one little umbrella stroller and a baby bag (and Mom's purse). Kids over the age of 4 WALKED.

I actually had no negative encounters with strollers on my most recent trip, but I was flabbergasted by the amount of crap that people chose to haul around all day.

 

[lil.disney.princess]

You know, when people in general do stuff such as stated above - I just look at them and in the calmest voice say, "You know, the words excuse me still exist in the dictionary." I get the deer in the headlights look every single time.

I would rather make them think instead of making them angry because I was rude.

pmsl...........i say stuff like that.............or "the word you are looking for is sorry"!!!lol

i havent taken my tribe to WDW-yet..........but we are buying a small stoller from wal-mart rather than hiring one of the WDW monsters!!they look too much hassle!lol

 

[DisneyKidds]

I wish I had a DVC point for every person who has stepped out in front of my stroller then stopped.... that's right while I am pushing our way down Main Street, people step in front of me, then stop.

Some I have hit, others were lucky, all blamed me.

Ding....ding....ding.....we have a winner!!!

Yes, stroller pushers should always be considerate.........but shouldn't non-stroller pushers be considerate as well. Whatever the % of inconsiderate stroller pushers is to total stroller pushers, there is an equal % of inconsiderate non-stroller pushers.

If those inconsiderate non-stroller pushers get their ankle clipped when they cut in front of me and my behemoth double stroller.......we'll, they deserve it and it is they who should be apologizing.

 

[CheshireVal]

I am so tired of people complaining about strollers in WDW. Children, toddlers and gasp even infants go to WDW. Guess what- many of these little people need to be pushed around. Guess what again- mom needs to pack diapers, wipes, clothes change, formula, bottles, sippy cups,snacks, baby food, spoon, dish, bibs, Purell, various just in case medicines. Then as a family we need water bottles, snacks, jackets for temp changes, camera, autograoh books,pens and Passporter.

That's a whole lotta stuff!

My family does not require that much junk. I'm sure you could cut back if you tried.

 

[urglewurgle]

oi have no problem with strollers... infact, great idea... easier for the moms/dads/etc and the kids... and i'm not even too bothered about people banging into me by accident, the place is crowded, i walk into people myself... it's when people don't apologise... or look at me like i should apologise.. but then that applies to people just in general.. rude people... blah...

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

We normally are pushing at least one stroller when we go to Disney, so when we went on a solo trip for our anniversary, DH and I paid particular attention to this issue. Neither one of us was run into one time, and we went in August when there are a lot of people with little ones and we didn't have an issue with one stroller pusher. I think part of it is that we know what it's like to push a stroller and we don't try to get around them, get in front of them, or cut them off because we have been there. When we were on the bus and we would see someone coming with a stroller, we would sit up and pull our knees and arms in out of the aisle, giving them the room to get down the aisle without bumping into us, and low and behold, we were never bumped into. This is not the norm, however. I saw more than one person flop down in their seat, arms and bags and legs in the middle of the aisle, and then they get angry when they get bumped by a stroller. My opinion is that if we all tried putting ourselves in the other persons position (stroller pushers and non stroller pushers alike) there would be less of an issue. Now there are always going to be those one or two rude people who are selfish and nasty, on both sides of the issue, but I think that's the exception rather than the rule.

Excellent post - I've now done both and have walked in boht sets of shoes...I wish other people could see it from both sides too!! Last year some idiot dived in front of me when trying to leave the park after wishes and almost ended up sat on my DD's lap! He obviously didn't look to see if I had a stroller in front of me - just saw a 'gap' and dived into it! Then had the temerity to tell ME to look where I was going! WE purposely bought a very small umbrella stroller but this meant it wasn't easy to see my DD sat in it hence the problem!!!!

 

[Mickeyistheman]

The people in front of them may not know they're tailing them closely, so it's the pusher's responsibility to maintain a generous space between themselves and those around them, and be sure they have room enough to stop if someone comes to a sudden halt.[/QUOTE]

Here! Here!
Thank you for saying that, I am usually always cautious of those in strollers and usually let the little kiddies go ahead of myself and whomever I am with. But if you are that close behind me, how am I supposed to know that. If you keep a decent distance we won't be bumping into each other.

 

[Daydreamer]

We're heading out in 18 days and will have a 10 month old in a stroller. With that in mind, I have a question.

Reading through this thread there seems to be a tremendous number of people complaining about strollers following too closely. The common theme seems to be people with strollers should leave ample room between the stroller and the person in front of them. I'm good with that.

The other common theme seems to be people not wanting to walk behind strollers. Seems they see the gap in front of the stroller and assume the stroller is just moving slowly. They go around the stroller and jump into the open gap the stroller has left.

So, do I keep leaving a gap for people to jump in front or do I follow closely enough to keep others from jumping in, thus running the risk of hitting someone? Seems to me that either way I go I am going to run into someone.

 

[LoveBuzz2]

We're heading out in 18 days and will have a 10 month old in a stroller. With that in mind, I have a question.

Reading through this thread there seems to be a tremendous number of people complaining about strollers following too closely. The common theme seems to be people with strollers should leave ample room between the stroller and the person in front of them. I'm good with that.

The other common theme seems to be people not wanting to walk behind strollers. Seems they see the gap in front of the stroller and assume the stroller is just moving slowly. They go around the stroller and jump into the open gap the stroller has left.

So, do I keep leaving a gap for people to jump in front or do I follow closely enough to keep others from jumping in, thus running the risk of hitting someone? Seems to me that either way I go I am going to run into someone.

excellent

 

[mattsdragon]

I am amazed that every stroller pusher on here is considerate of everyone around them and doesn't run into anyone because they are at fault.

And none of you have ever been responsible for any of your automobile accidents either, have you?

I will restate what I said before, there are complaints because there are stroller pushers who are not considerate, who push their double-wides down the narrow paths leaving no room for people to go the other direction. There wouldn't be these complaints if it didn't happen. Goodfairy, why do you think you found yourself pulling in your arms and legs on the bus? Because some people with their strollers don't care who's in their way, they are coming through. We actually were behind a couple at AK waiting for the park to open, when a woman said to her husband, "and don't run into anyone this time", it seems he felt the need to be at the head of the line.

If everyone were perfect, there wouldn't be a stereotype of stroller pushers.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Trust me.....if it weren't for all those little 'red sports car' non-stroller pushers weaving in and out of stroller pushing 'minivan traffic' most of the problems the non-pushers are complaining about would be eliminated.

Oh, and someone pushing a stroller has just as much right to any narrow path as any non-pusher......as much as that may displease some. Really, you may find an inconsiderate stroller pusher who doesn't consider those around him/her when they stop........but I've seen just as many inconsiderate non-pushers who don't seem to care about other when they stop as well. People are people, and having or not having a stroller doesn't change that.

Can't we all just get along.

 

[beattyfamily]

I am so tired of people complaining about strollers in WDW. Children, toddlers and gasp even infants go to WDW. Guess what- many of these little people need to be pushed around. Guess what again- mom needs to pack diapers, wipes, clothes change, formula, bottles, sippy cups,snacks, baby food, spoon, dish, bibs, Purell, various just in case medicines. Then as a family we need water bottles, snacks, jackets for temp changes, camera, autograoh books,pens and Passporter. My 2 kids will be in a limo type double stroller. Yes I will have the basket filled with all their gear. Yes it may take a little longer at security but I do try to have bags open. I don't rush to be the first everywhere and use my stroller as a battering ram. I do use it as a convenient holder of kids and stuff. So please stop complaining! BTW I'm sure I will be struggling with the new finger scan- last year my Park Hoppers wouldn't work the first time. It has nothing to do with the stroller at all.
So Im giving a cheer out for stroller pushers in the World- keep on pushing(politely)

Wow, I think this is the first stroller thread of this kind! Most are complaints about strollers at WDW so this is a nice change!

There are considerate stroller pushers and there are inconsiderate stroller pushers just as there are considerate non-stroller pushers and inconsiderate non-stroller pushers. It goes both ways.

I try my very best to be considerate and leave space between my stroller and the person in front of me but sometimes when it's elbow to elbow people after Wishes, its really very difficult to leave any space between my stroller and the person in front of me because people on the left and right of me JUMP into that tiny space I leave and cut me off left and right. It's like I'm invisible.

It goes both ways. I don't see anything wrong with OP's post. It's a nice change from all the stroller complaint threads!!!

 

[WIcruizer]

I've been an ankle basher and bashee. In a crowded park, it's almost impossible not to run into someone. As far as keeping your distance, keep in mind people dart in front of strollers from the side, stop right in front of you, etc.

It all comes down to manners, or better put the near death of manners. A simple "sorry" or "excuse me" with a smile goes a long way.

 

[Mom2R&D]

I've been on both sides of the fence here, too. During our first two trips with both of our DS's we used the big double strollers that you rent. And I have no doubt that somewhere amongst those fourteen days I inadvertantly clipped an innocent or two. Or three. Who knows?

Our last two trips our boys have been old enough to walk. And guess what? I've been inadvertantly clipped once or twice. Who knows? Most times the offender has been apologetic and I laugh it off and tell them it's no big deal. Afterall, karma is a funny thing.