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Parenting pet peeves on transit

Parenting pet peeves on transit

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the parenting pet peeve debate!

Transit pet peeves are a subject we know well on the blog and on Facebook. We’ve also talked about talked about the challenges of taking your stroller on the bus and the ins and outs of just how you should navigate transit with your little one. But the two subjects haven’t really crossed paths, until we saw this Georgia Straight blog post called, Seven transit peeves from a new parent in Vancouver.

I encourage you to read the blog post yourself to get the author’s explanation of each peeve. Here’s the list of the seven peeves minus the explanations:

1. Able-bodied, babyless people hogging the courtesy seats

2. Bus riders who give parents dirty looks when their baby cries

3. Smokers lighting up at bus stops

4. People who rush to beat parents with strollers onto the bus

5. Aisle-blockers who seem to think a stroller can magically pass through them

6. Transit riders who think my kid’s stroller is a handrail

7. Bus drivers and passengers offering unsolicited child-rearing advice

As a parent and transit user, I can honestly say that I’ve only experienced one of these peeves. I’m not saying this author is wrong or that these other peeves don’t happen, they just haven’t happened to me as a parent who’s traveled on transit with my kid for the past two years. Considering some of the comments to the blog post, there just may are people who aren’t fond of some parents, kids and/or strollers on buses which could obviously lead to some of the peeves this post and author are referencing to.

I generally find that most riders are very accommodating of my stroller, my child and myself on transit. In fact, I’ve had some downright great experiences of people playing peek-a-boo with my kid, helping me situate my stroller and reminding me to put the breaks on my stroller wheels.

The peeve I can identify with is the third one about smoking at bus stops – well, half of it. I do see people smoking near bus shelters in Vancouver. However, when myself and my child show up at the stop they often move away from the shelter to finish their smoke, especially if I make eye contact with them.

I think it’s safe to say that most Buzzer blog readers are dedicated and frequent users of the system. Therefore, I see you all as experts in daily public transit use in Metro Vancouver. So, I’m wondering what you’re experience is, whether your a parent or not, with strollers, parents, children and riders on buses is. Do these peeves ring true for you? Are there other peeves you have as a parent or a rider who’s comes in contact with parents and strollers on the bus, or are you like me and find the experience of taking your kid on the bus a generally pleasurable one?

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