Poll: Do you take your stroller on the escalator with DD/DS in it?

[janeybwild]

This occurred to me today at the mall. I usually try to find the elevator, but the escalator was right there, I had no bags, and we just hopped on. Then I got a nasty look at the top from another mom. Megan thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. What do you do?

[McQ]

We do. Provided we're not loaded down with other things. Now with a double, I'll be finding those elevators :(

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[LD92599]

We do sometimes under these conditions (as long as I'm there anyway!):

The elevator is either pretty far out of the way or there's a long line for it
If we use the escalator, i take DS out and hold him while DH has the stroller
If we use the escalator, i try to make sure nothing is going to fall out/overboard
If we use the escalator, DH is in charge of the stroller!

Personally, i prefer the elevator anyday when out w/ a stroller. Before DS i *hated* elevators. Even now, with a stroller..i can't figure out why people w/o strollers, wheelchairs, etc opt to take the elevator!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030305/0/7/0/-5/.png[/url]

[sbjf]

Allison, I haven't visited the Stroller board in a while, which double are you sticking with, the Valco? I'm still undecided. I'll probably wait for the 2005 MBUD's.

How are you liking whatever it is you are using?

[McQ]

I just updated the stroller forum mere seconds ago. I've got two threads going over there with pics. I'm loving the Valco.

Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04

[Marisa6826]

It's not allowed/encouraged here. In fact, at the Short Hills Mall, the security guards tend to hang around the escalators just for this reason. I've only ever done it once when the elevator was broken. I wasn't comfortable doing it.

I know it's a little different, but when I was a little girl, my father and I were going up a three story escalator in the WTC. My shoe got caught in it. He was ahead of me, and didn't realise what had happened. Thank God a business man behind me thought quickly enough to pull my sneaker off. Ever since then I've always been apprehensive about children around escalators.

-m

[crl]

I haven't ever, but would if I could carry ds and someone else took the stroller. I have taken ds on esclators, but in a baby carrier (Ergo) not in the stroller. I'd rather take the extra time than risk it with a stoller.

[flagger]

Absolutely with DD in the stroller. She thinks it is the coolest thing ever. If the elevator is closer, we take that otherwise take me down to escalator city!!!

[LD92599]

We were "caught" at Palisades Center by security! After that (and after seeing an escalator mishap at GSP) i'm adament about taking DS out of the stroller.

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030305/0/7/0/-5/.png[/url]

[C99]

I voted sometimes, but it's really "sometimes, if the situation is dire" instead of "...if the situation is OK." Nate LOVES the escalator and can usually get on and off easily when holding my hand, so I usually take him out of the stroller and let him walk on it, and just hold the stroller behind us.

[bostonsmama]

I just wanted to weigh in with my horrible story. When I was six months old, my parents had me in a stroller at the mall. The elevator line was long, so my father buckled me into the stroller and proceeded to lock the wheels, place the stroller on the step, and go down the escalator. Well, when the stair formed, it pinched the frame and collapsed the stroller, sending me flying out of the stroller, hitting every step on the way down. My parents were mortified. I had a couple scratches on me and obviously screamed bloody murder, so they rushed me to the ER to do LOTS of testing (as they retell it). Nothing wrong with me today (in fact, we always joke that it might have made me smarter-as I did so well in college)...but it's still a reminder that awful things can happen if you don't take your child out of the stroller before heading up or down the escalator!

[jd11365]

You didn't get the name Janey B Wild for nothing...;) I prefer the elevator, but honestly I've used the escalator without much of a second thought.

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
May '03

[whittyanne]

I was so interested to see this poll. I NEVER do it. But I go to the mall with a friend a lot (who doesn't have any kids yet) and she thinks I'm nuts not to do it. It makes me too nervous. We have taken the stroller on the escalater if I'm HOLDING my DS and someone else has the stroller... otherwise, we definitely hike it to the elevator.

[MelissaTC]

Never. Escalators kind of scare the crap out of me since I was a kid. I got stuck on the top of one at the Sears (in White Plains, NY if anyone is familiar). My sister also got her shoelace caught in the one at the mall at Cross County. One of the hair stylists that worked in the salon by the escalator saw what was happening and cut her free. It was awful. I just don't think it is very safe with a stroller considering what can go wrong with you just getting on without one. Just my 2 cents...

[tippy]

LOL! You are from my neck of the woods! I can walk to Cross County from my house! I got stuck at the top of the escalator in Floyds (remember Floyds, it was a Great Eastern and Caldors before becoming Kohls). My mom went down in front of me and thought I was right behind her but I was afraid to step down onto the moving step and we ended up getting separated. I just stood at the top and bawled my eyes out. To this day I have a hard time stepping down onto an escalator. No way in Hell I could do it without holding on. Now let me tell you about the time I got my arm stuck in the revolving door at Columbia Presbyterian!

[jubilee]

When I had my bulky Combi Perfect Monster, I never even considered it. But now that I have my sleek and smaller Mac Techno, I did think about it the other day at the mall. I ended up deciding not to, but only because I was concerned I'd do it wrong!

[teamommy]

I voted no. I sometimes take DS out of the stroller, carry him, and drag the stroller behind me onto an escalator, but I would never, ever leave him in and try it. I consider it a hazard to him and to anyone who might get bowled over by a runaway stroller containing a heavy, screaming toddler and a frantic, screaming Mom (because you know I'd be right behind him!). I just think there's too much of a risk if the stroller was off balanced, the escalator jerks, etc.

I heard a lot of horror stories about this when I was a kid so I guess I'm extra cautious.


--Old poster, new name. Had a little security issue.

Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born. - Erma Bombeck

[Jeanne]

About sever years ago (pre kids) I was living in Boston and friends of mine came up for the weekend with their two year old DD. We were in the Gap downtown and there was no elevator in the store. They folded the stroller down to go into the bottom part of the store but didn't fold it to go back up. My friend took her DD out and carried her but I was behind the unfolded stroller going up the escalator. Well apparently, some escalators are narrower at one end and this one was! You couldn't see it by looking at it though. So while the stroller went on easily, it got stuck at the top.
It started to go up in the air and tip over forward and since I was behind it, I went up in the air with it! At the last minute the stroller broke free and I was able to keep my balance and avert disaster. But it broke the stroller in several places and gave everyone in the store a big scare.

I haven't ridden one since with either of my girls. I would consider it but only with a very small stroller folded up while carrying them.

[MartiesMom2B]

I've only done it once when I went to Tysons Corner Center and parked in Lord & Taylor. I didn't know that there was no elevator to go up. There was only an escalator. That's the only time that I'll ever do it, otherwise it's the elevator for me.

-Sonia

[psophia17]

I had DS in his stroller in Macy's in NYC, where the line for the elevator was INSANE, so we ended up escalating it to the 7th floor. I didn't like it, but by the 3rd leg of the journey, it wasn't too bad. I've also used the escalator in the Bay in Montreal - again, the elevator lines were the reason. I find that mobs of people tend to be really rude to moms shopping with kids, and also to the disabled, especially in larger cities. I will tell off the people being rude, so they better watch out.

Now, if the elevator is nearby and there's no mob of people trying to squeeze on, I'll use it, but otherwise I'll head for the escalator. It's easier on my sanity.

-Petra

DS - Nathan, 12/29/03

[MelissaTC]

I used to walk to Cross County from my house! I lived off of Seminary Avenue. Actually, Seminary turns into Smart before it hits Midland, and I lived on Smart. I actually lived all over Yonkers. I lived on Yonkers Ave (those apartments that face the Saw Mill/Cross County)and I also lived on Palisade Ave near St. John's Hospital. My inlaws live in Yonkers on Warburton, in the Greystone building. It is a small small world! :)

[Puddy73]

We use the escalator only if there is no elevator, and we always take DD out of the stroller first. I have to add another escalator accident story: A friend of mine was riding the escalator at Rich's in downtown Atlanta with her two year old DD. My friend's shirt tail somehow got caught in the side of the escalator, so she put her DD down while she frantically tried to yank it out. When they reached the top, her shirt was still stuck and her DD dashed off out of sight. My friend finally unbuttoned her shirt and ran after her DD wearing nothing but her bra. Luckily, a saleslady saw the whole thing and ran over to her with a shirt.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle Mae 9/8/03

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[fauve01]

Nope wouldn't risk it for anything. maybe if DH was with me so one of us could carry DD and one of us could handle the stroller, but it'll never happen that when DH has free time we'll be at the mall! LOL

Anne + DD 10-03

[mharling]

We did it once at McCormick Place when they were lots of people and we couldn't find the elevator. I was nervous the entire time and we haven't done it since. Dh went first holding the front up and I was in the back.

Mary
Lane - April 2003
Little brother or sister on the way - EDD March 2

[candybomiller]

I used to. But, we had a mishap once that convinced me to never do it again.

When we were flying back east this summer, we had Matt strapped into his carseat and his carseat sitting in the stroller. I thought it would be fine to go on the escalator. We got on, going down and somehow the stroller got tippy. Thank GOD that Scott went before me because the carseat went flying out of the stroller, WITH MATT STRAPPED IN.

Can you say moron?

[DDowning]

If DH is with me, we'll use the escalator going up, but won't do it going down.

[janeybwild]

Ha! I wish it were for that reason!

[dr mom]

I have carried DS and taken the (empty) stroller on the escalator without a thought, but after hearing everyone's scary stories, I don't think I'll even do that anymore. Yikes!

[calebsmama03]

ITA - tried it once and had the wheel get stuck, so never again!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
Oh my!! #2 5/05

[american_mama]

I voted "yes with no second thoughts" but that is only now, after learning how to do it. It took me a while to learn. I don't think I could manage my toddler and a stroller separately, and I can't leave her at one end while escorting the stroller alone. So for me, going together is the best option and I now have no problem with it.

I live in a place where there are sometimes escalators but not elevators (don't anyone else live somewhere like that?) in stores, public transportation, airports, etc. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

[s7714]

I voted absolutely never, but it's because I saw a poor little 3 year old boy who got his legs caught in an escalator a couple years ago when I was at an ER. Before then, I probably wouldn't have thought much about doing it. (And no, he wasn't in a stroller, but after seeing his mangled legs, it has drastically changed my view of escalators for life.)

Jennifer
Mommy to Annalia 03/03/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif

[westchicagomom]

Nope - they scare the heck out of me too. I don't even like riding them myself.

Maybe because I have big feet or something - but I always feel like I am not very stable on them. I will usually take the stairs when I am by myself so part of the challenge of taking DD out and about has been finding all the elevators.

DH did take the stroller on an escalator once when I was w/ him and I wasn't happy about it.

[tippy]

Yup, it seems to get smaller every day! I grew up on Grandview Blvd (North East side of town). Went to Roosevelt High School (were you a Lincoln girl?) I also lived in the Crestwood Lake Apartments (near Nathans) and now live on Midland but closer to Kimball Ave. PM me if you ever come to town to visit your inlaws and we can have a mini-bbb get together :)

[MelissaTC]

I actually went to Catholic School. St. Casimir on Nepperhan for elementary and Good Counsel Academy in White Plains for HS. I had a friend that went to Roosevelt but my crowd tended to be the Catholic school kids or Edgemont MS/HS in Scarsdale. I will be up there for Christmas this year! :)

[cvharris]

We did it once because I couldn't figure out how to get to our small food court without using the escalator. (which might be the mall you are referring to - OB?) It made me a bit too nervous, so next time I'll try to find an elevator somewhere.

Carolee and Ben (6/14/03)

[tippy]

The only person I know who went to Good Counsel is Kerry Ann Molloy. She would be about 37 or 38 now so I'm not sure if she was in your grade or ahead of you. Please look me up when you come to town if you have the time. I know the holidays can be crazy and you probably don't have that much time to be with your family but a cup of coffee could be nice!