Please, dont allow your young children to push strollers

[Sunnywho]

If the person is in the ECV because of MS, they may also have disease-related blurred or double vision, which can flare up in the heat or when exhausted.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you don't like being clipped by strollers, then just stay out of their way.

But...they are *behind* you if you're being hit in the achilles.

I haven't actually been hit at Disney that I recall, but there was that one lady at the Scottish Festival in Alexandria VA back in '96...I still remember her massive jogging stroller hitting me, without anywhere for any of us to go or go faster, multiple times without apologizing...

That experience is what caused me to finally ban DH from pushing the stroller, because even though he is tall enough that he can actually see the front of it, he has absolutely NO depth perception with the stroller.

Accidents happen. Moving on.

Accidents are far more likely to happen in these situations when the pusher can't even see over the handles...

Now that DS is tall enough I let him push shopping carts, but not the BIG ones, and I stand right there. He must feel like he's getting driving lessons with how much I talk to him, helping him work out where he can and cannot go, etc.

But never with the stroller.

 

[TDC Nala]

Doesn't make a lot of sense to allow little children to push their own strollers in crowds or drive grandma's ECV. Sometimes adults don't do things that make sense, like allowing their kids to do stuff like this.

 

[TisBit]

as a wheelchair user, I can assure you the reason most people get rammed by us is NOT because WE aren't paying attention but because THEY stop suddenly or worse.. cross directly in our path.

more people tripped over the foot rests during our recent trip to DL because they suddenly pivoted or didn't watch where the bloody h e double hockey sticks they were going. and if ONE MORE person comes to a dead stop with no notice in front of us my husband does NOT have the time or space to swivel outta the way or stop before my foot rests ram you. no sympathy there. if you need to consult the map.. MOVE OUTTA THE LANE OF TRAFFIC

.

I agree with this (was in a wheelchair and clipped someone that decided to cut in front of me and took a little offense when he gave me the nasty look), but everyone also has to understand that WDW is set up with NO lanes of traffic. Even trying to step aside, often times somene else is walking there. Take mainstreet, the whole street is used, the sidewalks, etc....there is really no out of the way place to stop.

 

[MusiqChic99]

as a wheelchair user, I can assure you the reason most people get rammed by us is NOT because WE aren't paying attention but because THEY stop suddenly or worse.. cross directly in our path.

more people tripped over the foot rests during our recent trip to DL because they suddenly pivoted or didn't watch where the bloody h e double hockey sticks they were going. and if ONE MORE person comes to a dead stop with no notice in front of us my husband does NOT have the time or space to swivel outta the way or stop before my foot rests ram you. no sympathy there. if you need to consult the map.. MOVE OUTTA THE LANE OF TRAFFIC

.

Agreed.

It's often the same for strollers as well. I have been guilty of hitting the back of someone's foot because they rushed up beside me and then crossed over in front of me.

Common sense goes a long way...it's just rare these days.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

If this were facebook, I'd like this. On that note, can we have people stop letting their kids push large shopping carts?

I got rammed yesterday at the grocery store by a little kid pushing their grocery cart. The groceries were piled high enough that the kids couldn't see over them.
The grocery store was mostly empty too so it was just my luck that I got "ankled".

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I work at at grocery store, I can't tell you how many times I've been hit by carts. Some by kids who shouldn't be pushing them in the first place, but a lot by adults that aren't paying attention, and I rarely get an apology.

I agree that accidents happen, but so does irresponsibility.

 

[Schmeck]

If the person is in the ECV because of MS, they may also have disease-related blurred or double vision, which can flare up in the heat or when exhausted.

If that is the case, then it's really not safe for them to be operating a vehicle like an ECV at that time. What if they hit someone and caused a major injury or death? (yes, death - you could crush a small child, or one could be knocked over and hit his head on a curb) If someone doesn't have safe enough vision, one should not be operating a motorized vehicle of any kind.

Worst stroller accident I've witnessed at WDW - at MK, a stroller pushing parent, trying to get out of the park faster than the rest of the traffic, cut into a space between another parent and child. The child was on one of those long tether leashes, and got knocked down and scraped up pretty badly.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

It's not just kids who do this.

I agree, but a kid pushing a stroller is more likely to hit someone even without the crowds. Disney is not the place to let your kids push a stroller, particularly in the most crowded areas.

I agree. Common courtesy is becoming a lost art, it seems....

Accidents happen. Moving on.

True, but a kid pushing a stroller is not an accident IMO. That's stupidity on the part of the parents for allowing the inevitable to happen.

as a wheelchair user, I can assure you the reason most people get rammed by us is NOT because WE aren't paying attention but because THEY stop suddenly or worse.. cross directly in our path.

more people tripped over the foot rests during our recent trip to DL because they suddenly pivoted or didn't watch where the bloody h e double hockey sticks they were going. and if ONE MORE person comes to a dead stop with no notice in front of us my husband does NOT have the time or space to swivel outta the way or stop before my foot rests ram you. no sympathy there. if you need to consult the map.. MOVE OUTTA THE LANE OF TRAFFIC

.

I agree to a point. Yes, people jump out in front of strollers, ECVs, Wheelchairs, etc. But on the other hand, guests stop all of the time whether you're walking behind them, pushing a wheelchair, driving an ECV, etc. We try to stay clear of all strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs for this very reason. We do give them the right of way as most other guests don't. That said, if you hit someone for stopping in front of you (not one cutting, but stopping), that's really your fault IMO. You should watch for it, regardless of how frustrating it is as it will always happen at WDW (or anywhere). I used to get so upset at the "idiots" who would just stop walking, but have chilled with age.

 

[Disneyadore]

If the person is in the ECV because of MS, they may also have disease-related blurred or double vision, which can flare up in the heat or when exhausted.

And that is an excuse to just hit people with an ECV?
In that case they are a danger to others and if they would hit me they sure could see a big problem whit the police coming.

 

[Bunnyfeather]

I must be very lucky, as I have never been mowed down by a grocery cart, and rarely see small kids allowed to push them. I have certainly not let my 3 and 5 year old push a cart, ever.

I do sometimes let small kids push strollers, but only in wide open spaces and with an adult nearby to make sure nobody is bumped. My kids know if they come close to bumping someone or ramming a bench or something, the stroller-pushing is over. Their only opportunity to push the strollers in DL was in a wide dead-end, people-free space near a restroom one day for about 3 minutes.

Now, while I was pushing a stroller, I had two people step over the front of the stroller and put a foot down in front of the middle so that they were straddling one side support of a MOVING stroller. Shockingly, they got hit. I don't see how this move could have been accidental, they had to lift a foot extra high to step over an umbrella stroller seat...what did they think would happen next?

At Christmastime, we rode the elevator in the Contemporary to get on the monorail. As we got off and turned to go to the back of the long line, a woman in an ECV started yelling at us that the end of the line was back THERE and we were cutting the line (no, we were still not even off the elevator, had not had time to move to the back of the line, which of course we had every intention of doing). In turning her ECV toward us to yell at us, she blocked our passage to the back of the line. When she tried to back up, she rammed her mother's ECV, which she blamed on us. She then moved forward...and ran over my 2-year-old son in his stroller. She rammed the stroller against a wall such that we could not free him or the stroller and then she apparently couldn't figure out how to stop or reverse. When she finally got backed up, she huffed angrily away as the line advanced, no apology or concern at all, still convinced that by using the elevator we had somehow violated her rights.

 

[tjmj9801]

At Christmastime, we rode the elevator in the Contemporary to get on the monorail. As we got off and turned to go to the back of the long line, a woman in an ECV started yelling at us that the end of the line was back THERE and we were cutting the line (no, we were still not even off the elevator, had not had time to move to the back of the line, which of course we had every intention of doing). In turning her ECV toward us to yell at us, she blocked our passage to the back of the line. When she tried to back up, she rammed her mother's ECV, which she blamed on us. She then moved forward...and ran over my 2-year-old son in his stroller. She rammed the stroller against a wall such that we could not free him or the stroller and then she apparently couldn't figure out how to stop or reverse. When she finally got backed up, she huffed angrily away as the line advanced, no apology or concern at all, still convinced that by using the elevator we had somehow violated her rights.

And some people are perpetually angry at life.

 

[bdcp]

In Epcot in 2008, around early evening, we were leaving with a throng of people. I got rammed in the heels from behind by a kid pushing a stroller. He was probably 4 or 5. What bothered me more than getting rammed by a child who should NOT be pushing a stroller, was the fact that his parents did not say much of anything and they didnt' make him apologize either. Really? Great lesson there parents. If my child had done that, I would have been very apologetic. Not that my kids pushed strollers anywhere.

It's definitely not an accident when a child is allowed to push a stroller. First, they can't see over it and second, they have absolutely no perception of distances. Until a child is about 10 years old, they cannot and do not understand distances. I remember that from the age that a child should be riding a bike in the street alone, which is 10 because by then they can judge the distance between vehicles and themselves and when to slow/stop. Why should a stroller be any different?

I also have issues with ECV's. They should not go the speeds they do. They are used with people walking, yet most drive them at high speeds. If they really are meant for people who can't walk, then they should only go at an average walking pace. I've seen people in ECV's mow down others and not even slow down as they think they have the right to go faster than everyone around them walking. This does NOT work in crowds at all, at least not safely.

 

[Always Dream]

I totally agree with the OP - I've been hit by strollers to and it HURTS! I think some parents just get a little to relaxed on vacation!

I do have to take exception to anyone blaming the people getting hit. If you are driving or pushing something that could hurt someone, you are responsible for it. Of course people shouldn't cut anyone off, but that's going to happen in a crowded park; one shouldn't be travelling so fast that they can't stop right away.

It's really absurd to me that ECVs don't have breaks? And if this is the case, why on earth is there use allowed in crowded places? Can't the design be changed? This seems like a major safety problem to me, for both pedestrians and the driver.

 

[POOHsie]

... It's really absurd to me that ECVs don't have breaks? And if this is the case, why on earth is there use allowed in crowded places? Can't the design be changed? This seems like a major safety problem to me, for both pedestrians and the driver.

ECVs have brakes. The brakes are automatically activated unless the throttle is engaged to either go forward or go backward. Why people say there are no brakes, is because there is no brake pedal you push, like in a car. If you stop pushing the throttle, the brakes are engaged. But the ECV does not stop on a dime. It takes a few moments. This is intentional so the rider doesn't get a whiplash injury for a sudden, complete stop.

 

[Disneyadore]

ECVs have brakes. The brakes are automatically activated unless the throttle is engaged to either go forward or go backward. Why people say there are no brakes, is because there is no brake pedal you push, like in a car. If you stop pushing the throttle, the brakes are engaged. But the ECV does not stop on a dime. It takes a few moments. This is intentional so the rider doesn't get a whiplash injury for a sudden, complete stop.

So the driver of an ECV is safe but those that he runs over has just to cope whit the injures an EVc can cause?
So no whiplash for those on an EVC but broken bones for the rest of us are perfectly acceptable.

 

[StarTunnel]

Not as huge a deal as the amount of wheelchairs in the parks these days. I've come much closer to losing an ankle because of a wheelchair than a stroller.

My goodness am I with you! I'm a very petite girl, and I heard someone say "excuse me" in an annoyed tone behind me. Next thing I knew a wheelchair was up on my heels, leaving some nasty scrape marks. My father was ready to give her some choice words, but she was gone as soon as she came. The real punchline here is that once the older woman and the man she was pushing had escaped the crowd, and made it to an empty area, THEY SWITCHED PLACES! People should not be allowed to use wheelchairs unless their health is dependent on it. This still makes me mad as I had to limp through the park for the rest of the day!

 

[POOHsie]

So the driver of an ECV is safe but those that he runs over has just to cope whit the injures an EVc can cause?
So no whiplash for those on an EVC but broken bones for the rest of us are perfectly acceptable.

Please stop. It's not funny. I use an ecv full time because of leg issues. I see how they are used at the theme parks. Collisions mostly happen when walking people try to get in front of the ecv because they think the ecv will slow down their pace. Some of those people miscalculate and get their heel nipped. Not the ecv user's fault, and there's no time to stop when a person is just inches in front of you.

Agreed, a tiny minority of people don't belong on them. The great majority, who can handle them, do so safely all day long, with no collisions with others. The ecvs go very slow, and it's almost unheard of that they would break a bone. Of all the many thousands of wheelchairs and ecvs at the parks on any one day, year after year, I've only read one story about a broken bone. So, please, live and let live.

 

[maxiesmom]

My goodness am I with you! I'm a very petite girl, and I heard someone say "excuse me" in an annoyed tone behind me. Next thing I knew a wheelchair was up on my heels, leaving some nasty scrape marks. My father was ready to give her some choice words, but she was gone as soon as she came. The real punchline here is that once the older woman and the man she was pushing had escaped the crowd, and made it to an empty area, THEY SWITCHED PLACES! People should not be allowed to use wheelchairs unless their health is dependent on it. This still makes me mad as I had to limp through the park for the rest of the day!

I know as you were pretty much mowed down it is probably hard, but try to give them the benefit of the doubt, for your own peace of mind. Many people use ECVs or wheelchairs that can walk a bit. There is a big difference between being able to walk for 20 minutes and being able to hike all day thru the parks. It is possible that neither of the people who perpetrated the hit and run on you could not walk all day in the parks, but just needed to be able to ride for part of the time.

 

[bdcp]

Please stop. It's not funny. I use an ecv full time because of leg issues. I see how they are used at the theme parks. Collisions mostly happen when walking people try to get in front of the ecv because they think the ecv will slow down their pace. Some of those people miscalculate and get their heel nipped. Not the ecv user's fault, and there's no time to stop when a person is just inches in front of you.

Agreed, a tiny minority of people don't belong on them. The great majority, who can handle them, do so safely all day long, with no collisions with others. The ecvs go very slow, and it's almost unheard of that they would break a bone. Of all the many thousands of wheelchairs and ecvs at the parks on any one day, year after year, I've only read one story about a broken bone. So, please, live and let live.

Sorry, but ECV's do not go VERY slow. They go much, much faster than people walk.