Sick and Tired of Being Attacked by Strollers

[KellyNY]

Well, consider yourself lucky... in 40 days at WDW (our 1st 4 trips), we were never hit by a stroller either. This last trip, DW was hit twice. And the 2nd time caused a pretty bad cut to the back of her heel. The problem was NOT us. We were walking up the hill toward Fantasmic and an impatient idiot not paying attention to what they were doing rammed into the back of DW causing her to stumble and have pain for the rest of the night.

You think that's OK? You want to blame me for someone else acting irresponsible? Seriously, what's wrong with some of you people? You're at a crowded park pushing a heavy stroller -- watch what you're doing. I pushed DS in a stroller on 2 trips and never hit anyone... know why? Because I payed attention to what I was doing.

If you cause injury to someone else (not talking about a scratch or bumping into someone), you should stop... especially if you hit someone hard or knocked them down. Don't pretend you didn't realize you hit someone. If someone causes a serious injury to my DS or DW who were knocked to the ground by you....you will stop or I will follow you until security arrives.... And if security can't force you to cough up your information, I'll hold Disney accountable. No, I'm not really going to physically detain you.... but you're not going to knock someone to the ground because you're an impatient idiot and not be held accountable.

And it's not about getting compensation. I have plenty of health insurance and money to pay my own medical bills.

Many people are just plain inconsiderate these days, selfish, and entitled. It's amazing. Fortunately, they are small in number at WDW.... but they are there based on reading many different threads here.

I'm not out to convince anyone to agree with me. I really just wanted to hear what other experiences people had. Oh well.... there's more interesting threads on disboards. Sorry I started this one.....

But nobody knocked your DS or DW down and ran away, did they. You inventing scenarios with serious injuries, hospital bills and so on when nothing really happened.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

But nobody knocked your DS or DW down and ran away, did they. You inventing scenarios with serious injuries, hospital bills and so on when nothing really happened.

The 2nd time, DW was hurt pretty bad. Hospital visit? No. When it happened, we both turned around and the person pushing the heavy Disney stroller looked at us and quickly moved to the other side of the crowd and sped up. She knew she hit DW and didn't care. Too much in a hurry to get to Fantasmic (even though the theater was only 2/3 full when the show started.....

Inventing scenarios? Maybe... When DW was hit, we had to stop. I had no idea how bad she was hurt. Her ankle could have been broken easily by one of those heavy strollers. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. These things happen quickly. But DW was not very happy about the pain the rest of the night and the next morning.

We will be more careful on future trips as we were the rest of this last one... we did NOT walk in front or near any of those big plastic strollers or ECVs and I won't ever again. I hope Disney gets rid of them. It is a safety hazard and I can't imagine it's profitable for Disney to rent them. People can bring their own stroller... and I've seen few private strollers that could cause serious injury except for the few people who bring their gigantic jogging strollers and wonder why they can't get through the crowd......

I have to wonder about people though... If I'm pushing a child young enough to be in a stroller, I'm going to be careful... not barreling through a crowd.... for my own child's safety (grandchild next trip).

 

[Poppin]

Good thing it's a stroller and not a car because rear ending someone is always that driver's fault. Just sayin....

:

 

[ppony]

Hey OP, I just wanted to give you support as well. Even though I posted just a few posts ago, in support of some of us stroller people, I don't doubt that someone was clearly rude. Had I accidentally done that, I would have certainly apologized and if you had been injured, I would have stayed w/you until you got help, or shooshed us away. There are rude people everywhere, some use ther cars as weapons and they are probably the same people that use their strollers too. Here's hoping your next visit is ankle ramming free!

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Hey OP, I just wanted to give you support as well. Even though I posted just a few posts ago, in support of some of us stroller people, I don't doubt that someone was clearly rude. Had I accidentally done that, I would have certainly apologized and if you had been injured, I would have stayed w/you until you got help, or shooshed us away. There are rude people everywhere, some use ther cars as weapons and they are probably the same people that use their strollers too. Here's hoping your next visit is ankle ramming free!

Thanks for the support. I was asking for trouble with my original post.... I completely understand people racing with strollers with all the pressure of so much to do at Disney World. I was like that too my first couple of trips. I apologize for being ornery with some of my posts... been a bad mood lately! Have a wonderful Christmas all and Happy New Year. Now, I wait with eager anticipation of the new MK land coming... and a trip with my grandchild going on age 3.

 

[LarryNabisco]

The quality of park attenders has gone down hill, so this type of thing should be expected. Accidents happen, but lack dignity and lack of concern for others, (self entitlement) is the basis of the problem.

 

[ppony]

Thanks for the support. I was asking for trouble with my original post.... I completely understand people racing with strollers with all the pressure of so much to do at Disney World. I was like that too my first couple of trips. I apologize for being ornery with some of my posts... been a bad mood lately! Have a wonderful Christmas all and Happy New Year. Now, I wait with eager anticipation of the new MK land coming... and a trip with my grandchild going on age 3.

Hey! TOTALLY understood! I've made some of those posts too. Believe me. It happens. You meant well, you were just venting as we ALL do. You just never know the life of it's own a thread can take. ALL my best to you and your wife!!! And Merry Christmas and happy NY to you as well!

 

[WantToGoNow]

Although I don't think you could legally restrain someone for hitting you with a stroller and I doubt that the police would file a report, I think people pushing them should be more considerate of people around them.

During our trip in October, we were standing in a stand-still crowd at the hub after Wishes and I guess the person behind me thought she could make the crowd move by slamming me with a double stroller with two pre-teen kids in it. This was the 2nd night of our trip and I had a baseball size bruise and a two inch cut on my ankle for the rest of the trip. I did turn around and comment to her that it hurt and I had no where to go and her response "oh I thought you were moving". Her husband yelled at her to be careful.

 

[Always Dream]

Good thing it's a stroller and not a car because rear ending someone is always that driver's fault. Just sayin....

I agree. If you hit someone from behing, whether just walking into them or with a stroller, it is ALWAYS your fault. You are responsible for yourself, and to leave enough space to stop; the people in front of you don't have to keep walking - it's a park for goodness sakes, not the highway.

 

[LadyCerri]

I've been here for seven days and I've had to pull up my double YELLOW stroller short so many times I've lost count because people are too busy staring at the pretty Xmas lights to notice a tired redhead pushing two small children. I've yet to hit anyone other than my teenagers who keep stepping directly in front of the stroller while talking to one another. But I am bloody sick of these people who think that I can suddenly stop a large stroller with a five year old and a two year old in it. Inertia is a terrible thing. Anyway, I have apologized for even coming close to these morons who keep jumping in front of me but honestly, here in Michigan, with a deer-car accident, we don't blame the driver, we blame the stupid deer.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

I've been here for seven days and I've had to pull up my double YELLOW stroller short so many times I've lost count because people are too busy staring at the pretty Xmas lights to notice a tired redhead pushing two small children. I've yet to hit anyone other than my teenagers who keep stepping directly in front of the stroller while talking to one another. But I am bloody sick of these people who think that I can suddenly stop a large stroller with a five year old and a two year old in it. Inertia is a terrible thing. Anyway, I have apologized for even coming close to these morons who keep jumping in front of me but honestly, here in Michigan, with a deer-car accident, we don't blame the driver, we blame the stupid deer.

Several good points here! Inertia, day dreaming tourists, teenagers, the deer, etc. They should know better than to mess with a redhead. I know from experience. Texting while walking is another hazard not yet mentioned. Enjoy your trip.

 

[larryz]

...here in Michigan, with a deer-car accident, we don't blame the driver, we blame the stupid deer.

And who gets the blame when a pedestrian is run down in a parking lot? Do the police accept excuses like inertia (my car was moving too fast for me to stop it), being red-headed (the moron was just staring at the lights, officer, so I hit him), or having two teens to deal with?

And, you can bet I'll be sure to never wear my antlered Santa hat if you're in the world!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

And who gets the blame when a pedestrian is run down in a parking lot? Do the police accept excuses like inertia (my car was moving too fast for me to stop it), being red-headed (the moron was just staring at the lights, officer, so I hit him), or having two teens to deal with?

And, you can bet I'll be sure to never wear my antlered Santa hat if you're in the world!!!

Your comparison only makes sense if someone is driving along behind a pedestrian for a while, and the pedestrian suddenly stops. That doesn't happen much. Even if that did happen, the person who stopped suddenly would have a pretty good idea the car was following them, so morally they share some of the blame for the accident. You can't come to a sudden stop knowing there is someone or something behind you, and not be partly to blame if you get injured.

 

[fan1080]

The quality of park attenders has gone down hill, so this type of thing should be expected. Accidents happen, but lack dignity and lack of concern for others, (self entitlement) is the basis of the problem.

Bolded above.

That's precisely the issue, IMO.

Case in point: A recent trip to another popular Orlando park. I was with my family, feeding the dolphins, and a young couple approach with their daughter in a stroller. Mom attempts to squeeze the stroller in between myself and the next person. In doing so, she rammed the side of my ankle repeatedly, expecting me to move out of the way, likely thinking because she had a baby that she should be given priority. When I didn't move she threw a fit which brought attention to the situation. Immediately other people started to offer their spot for the baby, and guess who looks like the bad guy at that point? lol

I wasn't moving, for good reason, one of my daughters is a huge dolphin fan, and this was her first interaction and I wanted to be sure to capture it all on camera.

I'm sorry, but if I'm there first, you do not take priority over my family. You can wait until we are done. No amount of inconsiderate nonsense is going to make me move any faster.

 

[seashoreCM]

Mom attempts to squeeze the stroller in between myself and the next person. In doing so, she rammed the side of my ankle repeatedly, expecting me to move out of the way, likely thinking because she had a baby that she should be given priority. When I didn't move she threw a fit which brought attention to the situation. Immediately other people started to offer their spot for the baby, and guess who looks like the bad guy at that point? lol.

Strollers don't attack people. People attack people. Security is summonable even if she did not have a stroller and was elbowing you aside. (You would not need security if you can fend her off singlehandedly.)

Someone repeatedly ramming my ankles would be adequately served with a curt "Cut it out!" plus a foot to the stroller pushing it back more than just an inch or two. Let her ask the long quesitons and give the long answers while you make just short comments.

 

[fan1080]

Strollers don't attack people. People attack people. Security is summonable even if she did not have a stroller and was elbowing you aside. (You would not need security if you can fend her off singlehandedly.)

Did I give you the impression a stroller attacked me?

Not sure I'm following.

And, I have better things to do than call security because someone is trying to push their way in somewhere. Not worth the headache. I can, and did, handle it on my own.

Again, not following your point here.

 

[fla4fun]

You can't come to a sudden stop knowing there is someone or something behind you, and not be partly to blame if you get injured.

Except that often times at Disney you have to, because the crowd in front of you has stopped. So either you are the one doing the injuring, or you're the one being injured - not much of a choice.

It all comes down to paying attention to your surroundings, whether you are the pedestrian or the stroller wielder. Both sides have to be doing their job right to prevent anyone being hit. I can't tell you how many times I stopped in my tracks walking at WDW last week because people darted across right in front of me (less than 6 inches away) or turned and started walking right toward me with no notice, etc., and I wasn't pushing or riding anything. I didn't run into anyone, but I had to keep my wits about me the whole time to prevent it. Feeling like you're the only responsible adult in the park kind of takes some of the fun out of the trip . . .

 

[goofyernmost]

And who gets the blame when a pedestrian is run down in a parking lot? Do the police accept excuses like inertia (my car was moving too fast for me to stop it), being red-headed (the moron was just staring at the lights, officer, so I hit him), or having two teens to deal with?

And, you can bet I'll be sure to never wear my antlered Santa hat if you're in the world!!!

Nice try at a comparison there but it is sadly lacking. Two things apply here one is the size difference between a car and a stroller. The other is more of a legal vs. a moral comparison. Just because a person is held legally liable if they hit a pedestrian with a car does not erase the possibility that the pedestrian was doing something stupid. It just says that it doesn't matter...the driver having a bigger vehicle will be held accountable if he/she runs into someone. It doesn't say who's right or wrong, only who had the right of way. Strollers in a theme park environment...not even close to the same thing.

I have seen people step out in front of moving vehicles and come shockingly close to being hit by them. Their only reaction was..."I had the right of way". I guess that means one doesn't have to use any brain cells to make sure that they are safe. It is, apparently, someone else's problem.

I wonder how many grave stones could have those words, "I had the right of way", stenciled on the front.

Would the same rule apply if a person were to casually cross a race track during a race? Of course not, it is contingent on the location and the circumstance. In the case of the strollers it is the responsibility of both parties, to be constantly conscious of their surroundings. And to never, never assume that because you have the "right of way" you won't get hit.

There are certainly people out there that are so self absorbed as to think that they have some privilege over someone else. Although I am not an advocate of being an enabler...being in a theme park would certainly alter my reaction to such behavior. I would just turn away and continue my day without a second thought. Why? Because you cannot change what has already happened and any action will just take away my time enjoying my vacation. Even if someone was injured there would be no way of proving that a certain individual was responsible. Too big a place, too many people.

I witness a mean looking old lady on an ETV attempting to push up through a post parade crowd laying on the horn, thinking that everyone would just get out of her way. She didn't give up, she just kept blowing that horn. Had I been in front of her I wouldn't have said anything to her. I might have disabled the horn though. Those things are easily breakable. Oops! My bad!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

There are times that people bump you by accident with their stroller, then there are times that they push the stroller into you so you get out of their way.. you have a split set of guests at Disney. It is not full of guests who are all Magical, even Disney has its Villains.. They wonder among all and you cannot pick them out by sight... you feel the push, the shove, the stroller on the ankle, the wheelchair bump (that happened to me on purpose too, I had a thread about that a few years ago), the elbow in the side...etc.. and it's not because you went in front of them.. It's because they want to move you out of the way.. look it happens.. face it... OP has a point.. she may not have worded her original post the way she wanted it but the point is there and it is valid about the strollers..

 

[WDSearcher]

Well, consider yourself lucky... in 40 days at WDW (our 1st 4 trips), we were never hit by a stroller either. This last trip, DW was hit twice. And the 2nd time caused a pretty bad cut to the back of her heel. The problem was NOT us. We were walking up the hill toward Fantasmic and an impatient idiot not paying attention to what they were doing rammed into the back of DW causing her to stumble and have pain for the rest of the night.

You think that's OK? You want to blame me for someone else acting irresponsible? Seriously, what's wrong with some of you people?

I think the entire problem here is that your original post (and the title of the thread even) make it appear as though you were under a constant barrage of stroller attacks. That people were seeking you out and purposely slamming into you specifically, and then flitting off on their merry way, leaving blood and major injury in their wake.

Now ... I know that's not what you wrote, but that's how it seems to be coming across. Add to that your (seemingly serious) question about calling Security and implying that a hit from a stroller would warrant a 911 call ("Is there a phone number for Disney security or would you just call 911 from your cell phone?"), and you're pretty much guaranteed to have people rolling their eyes and pushing back.

And now we all see that "This last trip, DW was hit twice." So ... two stroller hits in a multi-day Disney vacation. Annoying, painful, frustrating, sure. But worthy of the initial rant? Probably not. Had you come on and said, "After 4 trips to Disney, this last time my DW was hit twice -- once pretty badly -- by strollers. What's up with that?", you'd have received page upon page of supportive "let me share my story with you" posts. It's the over-dramatic "they're all out to get me" nature of your inital post that did you in.

You're at a crowded park pushing a heavy stroller -- watch what you're doing. I pushed DS in a stroller on 2 trips and never hit anyone... know why? Because I payed attention to what I was doing.

Clearly, so were most people, since you only experienced this twice in a multi-day, multi-park Disney vacation.

If you cause injury to someone else (not talking about a scratch or bumping into someone), you should stop... especially if you hit someone hard or knocked them down. Don't pretend you didn't realize you hit someone. If someone causes a serious injury to my DS or DW who were knocked to the ground by you....you will stop or I will follow you until security arrives.... And if security can't force you to cough up your information, I'll hold Disney accountable. No, I'm not really going to physically detain you.... but you're not going to knock someone to the ground because you're an impatient idiot and not be held accountable.

"if security can't force you to cough up your informtion, I'll hold Disney accountable" -- really? It's DISNEY'S fault that the person who hit you with a stroller refuses to give up their personal information? What, exactly, is Disney supposed to do in that case? Waterboard?

I suppose you could call the Sheriff and press formal charges for battery. If you do that, then Security will truly detain the stroller slammer as well as his / her entire family and any witnesses until the Sheriff arrives. Not how I'd choose to spend several hours of my vacation, but it's an option. And if it truly was a hard, purposeful, injury-inducing stroller slam, then it might be worth that.

And it's not about getting compensation. I have plenty of health insurance and money to pay my own medical bills.

Many people are just plain inconsiderate these days, selfish, and entitled. It's amazing. Fortunately, they are small in number at WDW.... but they are there based on reading many different threads here.

I'm not out to convince anyone to agree with me. I really just wanted to hear what other experiences people had. Oh well.... there's more interesting threads on disboards. Sorry I started this one.....

Again ... had you approached it a different way, you'd have received the "other experiences" you were interested in. But reading your OP, it didn't seem as though you wanted to hear others experiences. It was more about you telling us what you were going to do next time.