Stroller rights on Roosevelt Island have spiraled, with parents prioritizing their convenience over the needs of seniors and disabled, blocking necessary access and seating.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Stroller Rights or Wrongs?

“12 yrs ago a lot of parents with babies sat down with RIOC and convinced them to let us keep our strollers open inside the Red Bus,” one mom recalled in the private Island Babies Group. But now, as regular bus riders know, a hard won privilege came at an unexpected cost.

Stroller moms now block access to seating reserved for seniors and disabled. There’s a strong sense of entitlement no one ever granted. It’s at the point now where stroller rights sometimes even block boarding for others. Strollers, which get bigger every year, eat up the front of buses during rush hours.

Blocked by strollers, a disabled man cannot get to an empty seat on A Red Bus.

Roosevelt Island parents board Red Buses, pushing strollers ahead of them. No heed is paid to visibly posted RESERVED signs. A single stroller fills up most of the reserved seats on either side and most of the aisle. Boarding, Mom then sits down. Often, she pulls her child out of the strollers and onto a second seat.

At this point, mother and child occupy four seats reserved for others in need. Making it worse, they sit tight when in people in need board.

“There are a lot of neighbors by the Church stop that NEED the bus – a couple with canes or walkers. They can’t board because of the strollers. And the toddlers are not even inside the strollers,” a member of Babies group posted.

It’s worse when a wheelchair rolls up the ramp. The won’t move for that either. Or for canes or walkers.

A Problem That Shouldn’t Be

Given RIOC’s apathetic passivity, community members almost always must solve problems on their own. This one seems worse though because stroller rights demand precedence over all others.

There was pushback on the Babies group.

“Is this a joke?” an annoyed mom wrote. “Babies and toddlers have the same rights as you do. If you don’t like it please walk. You are an adult, babies cannot walk and are more fragile than you.”

She made no mention of how badly this affects our older adult population. At the same time, this Mom insists that kids have special rights no one has ever declared. She brushes off rights enshrined, not just in law, but in public manners.

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One point is missing here. Strollers are so named for a reason. They have wheels, and their parents have feet. These are designed for walking, not clogging up bus aisles.

One other observation – Many times, strollers can’t be folded up. Mom has packed them with foods, toys, and hygiene items. It’s as if the baby is going on a weekend trip.

Finally and Seriously: Stroller Rights

Yes, young families have challenges galore, but try getting old or dealing with a physical disability. It’s more about denying the rights of others if you want yours respected.

RIOC is not going to help. Its seen and heard about the stroller rights overwhelming all others and did nothing. Now, it’s time for our community to be a community. Respect our seniors. Respect our disabled population. They simply need and deserve the seats more than anyone in good health or traveling on wheels.

Let’s be neighborly.

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