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NYC moms. how??

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ima_dina084

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 2:10 am

for NYC moms- how do you get around the city with your infant or toddler????
do you take a cab without a car seat? I know its legal but its not safe! do you take the subway? is that safe with a younger infant? how do you do it?? I imagine city moms are all pushing regular full sized strollers too. but for taxi you would need a car seat, and for the subway you would, well not need but certainly benefit from a light weight umbrella stroller.
any details please

zigi

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 9:17 am

if I'm going to take a taxi with an infant I used a snap and go. the bus I used a baby carrier and an umbrella stroller if I didn't want to carry the baby the whole time. for the subway there are some places that have elevators at both ends. examples atlantic center, 34st times square. I also live near an elevator stop so I use my regular full size stroller. some of bigger stroller can be bounced up and down the stairs, or you can go with someone to help you go up and down the stairs.

Mrs Bissli

Fri, Apr 16 2010, 9:25 am

I find it frustrating that NYC buses don't take the stroller without folding, and also they don't have low-floor buses. (Maybe things are a bit different). I remember walking a lot more because of the hassle of having to fold an umbrella stroller.

Not just NYC but in most cities, you are not required to use carseats in public transportation (taxis,buses, subways, trains). Sure there are risks, but I do feel comfortable taking these risks considering the distance travelled is usually short, and city traffic speed is much lower than highway traffic speed.

ima_dina084

Sun, May 23 2010, 12:22 pm

Mrs Bissli wrote:

have you ever been in a nyc cab? what incentive do they have to drive carefully, they don't care about you or your baby, most often are muslim and presumably don't like you already, plus the car is not theres if they get in an accident its not a big deal for them. I wouldn't trust them.
it being legal does not make it right.

shnitzel

Sun, May 23 2010, 12:28 pm

I take subways or walk everywhere.

bnm

Sun, May 23 2010, 1:10 pm

I prefer subways and I take a full sized carriage. if you need help shleping up the steps someone will always help if you ask, (usually the teenage boys are the ones that offer)

saw50st8

Sun, May 23 2010, 1:25 pm

I wear my baby and use the subway.

poelmamosh

Sun, May 23 2010, 1:28 pm

Busses are a huge hassle! But subways are manageable, especially since I'm not far from a stop with elevators. I do: small infant in a baby carrier; larger baby in carrier, plus an umbrella stroller (I have a 9 lb silver cross stroller with a shoulder strap and easy fold); walking baby in umbrella stroller which I fold when going up & down stairs. There was a time with my last 2 that I used umbrella stroller for the toddler and a carrier for the infant. Not so much fun, but doable. I also try to stay away from the center cars which get much more crowded.

Mrs Bissli

Sun, May 23 2010, 6:24 pm

ima_dina084 wrote:

Yes I have been in NYC yellow cabs numerous times with my children. Admittedly they are not babies but still at ages where booster seats would be required if I were driving. Universally, drivers do care about how they drive--or more correctly how they don't get into troubles because it's their parnassa. And firstly good majority of cabbies are from central American countries rather than non-muslims, and actually I found those pious muslim types to be more polite and courteous. (Admittedly we're a bit spoiled by black cabbies.)

MommyZ

Sun, May 23 2010, 7:29 pm

We live in NYC and I wear my baby most of the time if I have to go on the subway or bus with him. I avoid strollers if I can. I took a cab to the parade today because a. I felt horrible and have for weeks b. was running late refer to (a) and c. wanted to make sure my kids got their in time to get on the fire engine (see a&b)

Rodent

Mon, May 24 2010, 2:22 am

bnm wrote:

I prefer subways and I take a full sized carriage. if you need help shleping up the steps someone will always help if you ask, (usually the teenage boys are the ones that offer)

That's interesting because in the few weeks I spent there with a (tandem) pram (visiting so no car) we had ONE person help and whenever we asked for gates to be opened because we didn't fit through the turnstile things every man and his dog who didn't need the gate pushed through and it took up to 10 minutes to actually get through ourselves.

And don't even start me on the bus ride with an 18mo, a 5mo, a day's full of shopping with said pram (which has 2 bits that remove to fold), raining so covers and we couldn't dismantle the pram before it arrived because it was keeping the kids dry etc) and a driver who was not at all friendly or patient.

And the non-accessible shops.

NYC is SOOOOO not pram friendly. I was grateful to get home...

Sending you lots of sympathy!

bnm

Mon, May 24 2010, 2:30 am

Rodent wrote:

bnm wrote:

I prefer subways and I take a full sized carriage. if you need help shleping up the steps someone will always help if you ask, (usually the teenage boys are the ones that offer)

first of all traveling with a tandem is harder, I only did single meanwhile, if I would go anywhere with a twin it would be side by side and only if I was taking along someone who can help. I don't do busses cuz then I have to fold the carriage and my kid jumps all over the place. getting through the gates I learned that I have to press the buzzer and then push REALLY hard with tons of force.... I just did a trip to Manhattan that involved switching trains and the elevators weren't working at that station. I had plenty offers of help, didn't accept all because for me its easier to go down stairs without it, up I accepted. I walked more than 10 blocks so I shouldn't have to take a bus and be able to take a direct train home but ended up on the wrong train which involved going up a flight of stairs and down to switch to the other side in the worst neighborhood in Brooklyn and I had the most help there. I then had to take the train back a few stops and switch to the one I needed.... and I prefer all that switching to taking the bus

If I need to get someplace that isn't next to the subway and is too far to walk I take a car service and take along the carriage and a car seat.

bnm

Mon, May 24 2010, 2:32 am

I've seen mothers taking along light carriages and just picking up the whole carriage and going up and down the stairs like that.

queen

Mon, May 24 2010, 5:23 am

for discussion in separate thread--- how does the law allow buses to transport babies not strapped into car seats????? Exclamation

Inspired

Mon, May 24 2010, 5:41 am

Another vote for wearing the baby on busses and subway. So much easier!

Isramom8

Mon, May 24 2010, 6:18 am

Buses are supposed to be safer because the bigger the vehicle is, the safer it is compared with smaller vehicles. So no car seat law.

In Israel the best for my using cabs was a snap and go (till it was stolen).

Tapuzi

Mon, May 24 2010, 10:48 am

When my baby was smaller and I took taxis I would take the car seat and my stroller frame. Now he won't sit in the car seat as a stroller so on the rare occasion I have to take a cab I do hold him on my lap with the seatbelt over both of us. I ususally take the subway, using a very light umbrella stroller. It has a recline so I started doing that when he was 3 months old. I generally just pick up the whole thing. On the days I work I go up and down 6 flights of stairs. I would estimate people offer to help about half the time. All types offer to help and all types ignore me, including frum men, which always makes me a bit angry. I had assumed I would use a baby carrier but my baby never liked it.

cheeseblintz

Mon, May 24 2010, 11:12 am

"most often are muslim and presumably don't like you already"

I think imamother would really benefit from not having stereotypical, racist statements like this one from an above post.

Barbara

Mon, May 24 2010, 12:01 pm

ima_dina084 wrote:

Mrs Bissli wrote:

You gotta be kidding.

What incentive do they have to drive carefully? Loss of job. Loss of income. Loss of life. Unless you believe that Muslim cabdrivers are really a form of suicide bombers, awaiting unsuspecting Jewish passengers and then crashing their cabs.

The equation is that the vast majority of car trips don't result in crashes, therefore the chance of a short cab trip being problematic is low. I don't like the odds, so I didn't take cabs. I used a sling or Baby Bjorn most of the time.

manhattanmom

Sun, May 30 2010, 10:22 pm

An infant--as in still in a snap-and-go is easy--you can keep the baby in the car seat strapped into a cab, lightweight stroller frame folds in a flash, right into the trunk.
On public transportation--wear the baby. Invest in a GOOD carrier--like an ergo. In my opinion, it's a must for city living.

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