Once upon a time I rushed around London like a mad woman zipping through crowds, jumping onto trains as doors closed around me and squeezing onto jam packed tubes snuggled under a strangers armpit.
Things have changed now I have a buggy. Now people step over me as I try to get off the train like I'm a stationary vehicle that doesn't want to get off the train myself. People avoid eye contact as we approach steep stairs that I cautiously bump my 18month old child down in her pushchair.
Some London stations have gaps wider than my buggy wheels allow and when the doors open I have to call out to someone to help us down, once I tried alone to disembark and dropped the back wheels down the gap. Tabitha was wedged between the train and the two front wheels balanced precariously on the platform. No one came to our rescue, I had to recover the back wheels and shove the buggy forward while I jumped down from the train to stop her zooming off down the platform.
My daily work journey involves no less that 100 steps to heave the buggy up and down, on the plus side I shall have biceps of steel and have no need for the gym. On the down side my chiropractor bill will be higher than gym fees.
Is there any point to my rant?
Yes, next time you see someone struggling with a buggy on the train or the tube ask if they would like a hand.
My money is on them saying 'Yes Please!'
Hear hear! Great rant subject. I was thinking about the difficulties of hopping on and off the tube with a buggy when trying to decide whether or not to attend Cybermummy. I think it would be a bit dangerous and daunting! I don't envy you xx
ReplyDeleteI agree, London Underground plus buggies is sh*tty! I have only done it once and thankfully there was a very very kind man at Marylebone station and he only helped because he goes through buggy hell frequently.
ReplyDeleteLet's start a "be nice to buggy users" campaign for the underground...in fact, for public transport generally.
I'm still working out how to do the escalators best with a buggy, backwards, forwards or getting her out and folding it up? I hate the bloody things anyway so it's not good.
ReplyDeleteI dread to think how disabled people cope in London using the transport system it sucks just having a buggy!
I used to offer to help people in such situations but I don't bother any more as 9 times out of 10 I just get funny looks for even offering to assist.
ReplyDeleteI'm a HUGE fan of slings just for this reason - lugging the buggy around the tube is hard work although I am rapidly getting better at working out where the step free access points all are
ReplyDeleteI can't count the number of times I've chosen to walk over taking public transport. Even if it's a two hour walk. Sometimes there and back! (weather permitting, of course)
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