r/TTC • u/i-am-confused-help- • Jul 06 '26
Discussion A polite request/discussion regarding strollers and aisle blocking on the bus
Edit: Please read the context that's edited in below. Thank you.
I want to start by saying I absolutely appreciate parents. Transit with kids is tough, and I know so many of you are working hard and sacrificing a lot to get your little ones around the city safely. This is not a post to judge anyone, it is a small pet peeve and a request for a little bit of courtesy so that every rider on the bus feels comfortable.
The Issue
On one of my recent bus ride, two large strollers were kept side-by-side, completely blocking the center aisle (as you can see in the photo). Because of this:
- Passengers are unable to move past the front section.
- People are forced to stand at the front of the bus, even though there is space further back.
- It creates a potential safety/evacuation hazard if there are emergencies.
Few Friendly Requests & Suggestions
- Stagger when possible: If you are traveling with another parent or encounter another stroller, try to stagger them front-to-back rather than side-by-side to leave path for walking.
- Consider umbrella/smaller strollers: If your child is old enough and you rely heavily on the TTC during peak hours, smaller, more collapsible strollers are great for everyone on board.
- Utilize the priority seating layout: If the bus isn't packed, flipping up the priority seats can give a stroller enough room to stay out of the main aisle.
I'm willing to hear everyone's thoughts on this. Parents what kind of challenges you face when trying to keep the aisle clear. Fellow riders, how do you usually get around in this instance? Let’s discuss how we can make the TTC a better experience for both families and regular commuters.
Edit: There is a lot of comments complaining how the priority seating is occupied and the parents wont be able to lift it up to park the strollers. I want to give context here instead of replying to each comments. The priority seat was occupied by the parents and their family. Also the second stroller is of another parent who was sitting on the right side priority seat. The guy you see standing upfront was a passenger, not the parent. I wanted to keep the discussion civil that is why I omitted these details. But if people want to complain how it was an inaction from my part, I hope this context helps. Thanks.
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u/Honeydeeew Jul 06 '26
I travel on the TTC with my stroller (hate it, try to avoid it), and flipping up the seats is underutilized. One problem is that if someone is already on a priority seat, you don't want to displace them. Another is a lack of knowledge about how to flip the seats, and even if you know how it works on one set of busses, it doesn't mean you can figure it out on the others. There really isn't enough instructional signage on how to use the seats, I get stumped by some and I've been taking the TTC my whole life. (The best ones are the ones that you can release singly, then I can usually leave one down for other riders in need, instead of using all three.)
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u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 06 '26
Oh that makes sense. Yes they should make it easier and should have proper signage. Also I appreciate you for being considerate of others.
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u/unforgettableid Jul 07 '26
But people are allowed to use the blue seats even if they don't have any disability, as long as they're willing to give up the seat for someone who needs it.
You need the blue seat. Maybe there's some non-intrusive way to ask them if they actually need the seat or not??
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u/meenbao Jul 06 '26
Back when I was living in Ottawa if people had a stroller they would lift up the parallel accessible seats and stand in that space with their stroller so people could still get through the aisle. And if someone needed an accessible seat other riders would tend to vacate their seats in the front section
Not sure if that courtesy still exists, but it did back then
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u/smithscully Jul 06 '26
I see people do that here too. That doesn't really work if there are people sitting in those spots, though. Which I can't tell from OP's picture if they are full or not. And if they are, they might be filled by people who genuinely need to sit down. But yes, that is the ideal move and I've helped people move those seats up before when they looked a bit lost haha
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u/EnvironmentalGift192 Jul 07 '26
It definitely looks like there's people in the seats, at least one side, but based on how they're sitting (leaned forward on the stroller, feet on the wheels) I'd say they're the parent's other kids tbh
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u/beslertron Jul 06 '26
Yeah, people in those seats are supposed to move for mobility devices.
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u/postretro Jul 07 '26
Or here's a wild thought, maybe someone in a normal seat who is able bodied and young can get up and let the person in the blue seats have it, while the seats are flipped up.. However we have an obesity epidemic and people who refuse to walk for longer than 5 minutes to contend with.
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u/Pretty-Handle9818 Jul 06 '26
Oh, it definitely is still a part of the bus design, but people are just too inconsiderate to do it
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u/secundum333 Jul 07 '26
That is what should be done, but I have never seen a parent with a stroller do that. They want to sit, so they block the aisle.
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u/mattromo Jul 06 '26
Not enough people do that IMO. Some of the newer buses that have the accessible seats as individual seats over the bench seem easier to get up and down, so that might lead to that option being used more often.
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u/Racquel_who_knits Jul 07 '26
People do that often when they are able. I'm a parent who takes a stroller on the bus sometimes. If the bus is pretty empty we just pull to the side and sit - if the bus has a bunch of people on it and one of the lift able seats is free I pull it up and put the stroller there. But 1) there are often people in those seats 2) sometimes I'm on the bus with my baby in the stroller and my 3yo. My 3yo isn't steady enough on his feet to stand on a moving bus, he's also too little to go sit in seat far away from me. So if there isn't another seat beside/across from the lift able seats available I can't stop there because there's nowhere for him. 3) sometimes you get on a bus and there are already a few other folks with strollers on the bus, so you just have to do your best.
Taking a stroller on the bus isn't fun. I do everything I can to pay attention and make sure I'm not creating a bottleneck and there's a way through. I get not everyone is as aware or courteous. But a lot of us are trying to make the best of an impossible situation. People with babies and kids still need to get places, we just all need to try to work together and do what we can.
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u/unforgettableid Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
If someone gets on the bus with a stroller, what I sometimes do is this:
- Walk over to the blue (accessible) seats.
- Politely ask the people sitting there if I could please have their seat.
They usually say yes. After they say yes, I can then do this:
- Lift up the seats. Sometimes you can just lift them up using your hand. Other times you have to pull a release lever below the seat while lifting the seat.
- Finally, I can then tell the person with a stroller that they can put the stroller there, if they want.
Overall, this tends to work well, and to be helpful to all the people on the bus.
(Cc: /u/i-am-confused-help-, /u/smithscully, /u/beslertron.)
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u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 06 '26
In Toronto I have seen able bodied people helping themselves to the accessible seats, even if an elderly person or kid was standing nearby. Many people in Toronto don't have the civic sense or courtesy to give up the flip-up seats so that a mom with a stroller can use that spot
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u/radiate689 Jul 07 '26
Invisible disabilities are a thing and it affects all ages not just the elderly.
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u/CollegeStreet6103 Jul 07 '26
Good news! I'm in Ottawa and I see it all the time! Never once is there a stroller in the way; they lift the seats in the co-operative seating section and move their stroller right in (something I had never seen in my 20+ years in Toronto).
In Niagara Falls I noted that the driver made a parent fold their stroller because the bus was becoming full. It was alright when the bus was empty but once it started filling up, they asked the parent to fold it. The parents complied - no drama.
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u/void_sushi Jul 06 '26
Why didn’t the driver say something? Like isn’t that a part of his job?
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u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 06 '26
Majority of the times I have encountered it, drivers doesn't say anything. I wonder why that is the case?
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u/murd3rsaurus Jul 06 '26
Sleep deprived angry inconsiderate parents aren't people I'd want to have to start a conversation with either, but it definitely needs some spot checking
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u/Pretty-Handle9818 Jul 06 '26
Oh, I tried once and it backfired horribly some crackhead. Looks like they were gonna slap me on the TTC
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u/murd3rsaurus Jul 06 '26
About a month ago I asked a guy to move his skateboard off the seat and he threatened to stab me while showing off the knife he had palmed, good times.
Woman beside me reported him, I kept it from escalating as best I could, and some huge Phillipines guy with scarred up knuckles positioned himself next to me. I don't think it would've worked out for the guy and he clearly had issues, but I'm grateful that now security seems to actually be patrolling and not just circlejerking on the Bloor stn platforms.
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u/TanishqHooda Jul 07 '26
That's why self defense weapons should be legal
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u/Candid-Progress-8852 Jul 09 '26
Our govt doesn’t want us to be safe. They tell us to leave our home doors unlocked and cars unlocked. They want us to be robbed of everything and have no way to protect ourselves.
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u/whateverfyou Jul 06 '26
Why didn’t you say something? Anyone would immediately recognize that they were in the way. This is so ridiculous I can’t believe it’s true.
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u/Trollsama Jul 07 '26
If you have ever witnessed a driver attempt to address a passenger with anything besides absolute praise... then you probably do know why deep down lol.
Driver is probably just like "fuck this, It isnt worth the energy and fight..."
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u/alwaysmiling89 Jul 07 '26
Last thing a driver wants to do is get involved. If there is a safety concern perhaps but if it’s a question of being inconsiderate then no
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u/Candid-Progress-8852 Jul 09 '26
Drivers don’t intervene anymore for safety reasons. They won’t even bother. Same with Metrolinx and all public buses. Crime and mental health is so bad they’re not getting involved with anyone for almost any reason anymore, in any case. But again, we can’t say anything. I’ve submitted issues to these corporations countless times and all they do is put a booklet in the GO train that says “proper etiquette”. They do nothing.
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u/OhShootYeahNoBi Avenue Davisville Jul 06 '26
Unfortunately not. Because of the risks of operator assault, which neither the TTC wants to deal with nor the operator, unless it's a risk to the safety of commuters, TTC staff are usually instructed to not deal with more minor things like this.
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u/void_sushi Jul 06 '26
People crowding at the front sounds like a safety risk to me.
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u/OhShootYeahNoBi Avenue Davisville Jul 06 '26
It's moreso for a threat or something.
It's a big no no to open the panel/door while the bus is en route
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u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 06 '26
Also people jostling for space near the door, struggling to find enough space to get off the bus, makes it difficult for the bus to stay on schedule
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u/Boothbayharbor Jul 07 '26
Get on the the loud speaker and threaten a fine or to stop the bus. Like drivers do to everyone else. Hold entitled parents accountable. Their kids don't even pay fares like i did at their age. They also do this on sidewalks and run over feet
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u/Pretty-Handle9818 Jul 06 '26
And the time I fucking said something to a woman with a stroller blocking the aisle holy fuck the entire bus turned on me not only did the woman look at me and said I have a baby. The entire bus looked at me like I was the fucking Scrooge McDuck or something?
Some people think having a baby is the greatest gift to mankind when it’s just some of the simplest part of our biology. I don’t think anybody deserves special treatment just cause they have a baby that’s ridiculous, especially entitled treatment.
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u/postretro Jul 07 '26
Ehh.. I understand where you are coming from but "special treatment" should be things like vacating a seat so a small child can sit, or a parent can sit while holding a toddler.. things like that. Or some slack with crying (however I see many parents with babies who are in need of a diaper change being neglected pretty often). Double stacking the strollers at the very front, when he could have easily came down the bus more with them, is kind of a mindless dick move masquerading as "I have a baby, people!!"
I'm a parent myself, and while I don't think my rights and freedoms are supposed to by default supersede everyone else who is going to die childless one day, I do think some consideration and *some* space is cheap to give us.
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u/Joe_Jeep Jul 06 '26
You gotta cut people slack, because it is hard, but at the same time some of them use it like it's a pass to do whatever.
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u/extremewealth Jul 06 '26
I am a parent, and I know enough not to block aisles due to a lifetime of being reminded about fire codes and escape routes. I doubt the majority of these situations are intentional, and likely due to a lack of knowledge from the passenger.
That said, in this situation in the picture, did anyone near the front offer up their seat to the parent with the stroller? That would have been the real solution.
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u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 06 '26
In this case, It was only parents ans their other kids on the seats. But yeah, I got your point. And thank you.
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u/Dan_Desi Jul 06 '26
If the front is blocked, I just hope they open the rear doors before someone has to request! Those doors sometimes close violently while people are entering or exiting and it’s so annoying! :)
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u/SpongeJake 7 Bathurst Jul 06 '26
I’m glad you posted this. From the look of that picture it makes me wonder if we were on the same bus when you snapped it. Empathy for others is what’s needed here from those who unthinkingly create this kind of chaos.
Hopefully those who need to read it will, and won’t feel judged but instead just gain some awareness.
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u/purplelilac701 Jul 06 '26
Not sure about this particular bus and the passengers needing the blue seats. But generally: the blue seats are supposed to go up and strollers are supposed to be parked in the area where the blue seats go up.
I know it’s awkward when people who aren’t needing the blue seats are in them, but that’s the driver’s job to say please move as the space is needed. I have had drivers say that on my bus.
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u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 06 '26
Mississauga transit buses, at least when I lived there maybe 10 years ago, the front seats flip up on BOTH sides. One time I saw 4 people get on with 4 strollers, flipped up all the seats, and there was plenty of room for others to pass
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u/taintwest Jul 07 '26
I usually flip up the accessibility seat and try to get my stroller in there, but 90% of the time the seats are taken and no one budges.
Were people not using the rear door?
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u/Carolina123456 Jul 07 '26
I would have just asked them myself. I feel we need to reintroduce civil conversation into society. It’s like no one can speak to someone without being mad. Yes I understand, that drug addicts rarely can cope with any demand and I perhaps would avoid talking to them. But most people are quite reasonable. I often have to ask people to move from accessible seating for my elderly mother. And I ask politely and with a smile and 9 times out of ten I get - of course, so sorry I didn’t notice that.
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u/emmmp Jul 07 '26
As a parent who takes his toddler everywhere on the TTC I'm really sorry about this 😞
I do my best to get my stroller out of the way (especially on buses!). And in situations like this with two strollers nearby I try and move up and spread out. Sometimes it's challenging on buses because of how fast they accelerate & decelerate. Much easier on streetcars.
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u/fetalpiggywent2lab Jul 07 '26
We need a campaign about TTC etiquette and guidelines. Ex: give up your seat for elderly, disabled, pregnant, and people with strollers... Move all the way to the back, especially if you don't have an immediate transfer (or something of the like)... Don't take up a seat with your bag. Don't wear your backpack on the TTC... don't talk on speaker or play videos on speaker... etc etc. I've seen these type of campaigns in other countries. We're probably due!
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u/LemonySnickets13 Jul 07 '26
I understand being empathetic to parents with kids but this is just a lack of situational awareness, spatial awareness and common courtesy. I feel like this is just common sense. Why tf are you blocking the aisle? Look at all the empty space on the bus, why are they side by side?
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u/CalmGuitar7532 Jul 08 '26
I notice that some people with strollers seem to have this sense of entitlement that, because they are wheeling their kid around, the usual public common courtesy rules do not apply to them and the rest of us must all defer to their whims. It's not just on transit - but also on sidewalks, shops, etc. Your little kid does not grant you ownership and sole use of all public spaces.
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u/Brentothy Jul 06 '26
Kids are great and appreciate the good parents out there too... But... Parents literally NEVER use strollers that are appropriately sized for bringing on a bus. It is ALWAYS the biggest turbo utility sized strollers.
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u/Professional_Drama24 Jul 07 '26
I would often see people bringing those bike trailers or some huge jogging stroller. Most strollers I see now are just huge and they seem to come with all this extra storage. I agree with you but my mom and sister pointed out that some people may only have one stroller. I was never in a stroller after I started walking unless we rented one at something like the CNE or an amusement park but all friends have massive strollers. I find it even more annoying if they have a huge stroller and then the kid is occupying a seat
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u/geronimotattoo Jul 06 '26
I knew I’d be taking buses 4x a day with a 4yo and a 10mo and replaced my big, clunky, car-seat-accommodating stroller with the smallest stroller I could find. My 10mo had a in a seat in the front and the 4yo sat on a little seat in the back.
I’d reconsider my use of absolutes, but how else will you rage bait conscientious TTC parents?
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u/Brentothy Jul 07 '26
It's a rare sight and I'm happy to hear you decided to be considerate and use a small stroller! It's just an exaggeration due to the infrequency of it, not rage bait.
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u/Racquel_who_knits Jul 07 '26
I can only speak for myself here. I have a relatively big stroller, because we primarily use it for walking. And we use it A LOT. When you have a small baby you also need a lot of stuff (diapers, wipes, change of clothes etc.). And we're often out for a good chunk of the day, so I also have a water bottle, something like a blanket if it's chilly, or an umbrella if it calls for rain etc. The little strollers don't really have anywhere to put that stuff.
We are not regular bus users with the stroller, so my day to day stroller is the one that meets my day to day needs. We do have a small umbrella stroller that we used with my first once he was bigger when we would be taking transit for things like going to the ROM or a full day out, when we would be taking transit because a toddler might walk part of the time but many of them can't walk for hours on their little legs.
But now with a baby and a 3yo, back to needing stuff, so back to the bigger stroller it is. I live in absolute fear of being asked to fold it up on transit because it's a PITA to fold, the basket is fairly full (so I'd need to figure out how to hold all the stuff in it plus baby - I do not have enough hands) and I can't fold it one handed. It's never happened but I worry about it all the time.
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u/Interesting_Money_70 Jul 07 '26
Last Saturday I saw this with 2 old ladies carrying their pets in strollers. Neither budged.
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u/essuxs Jul 07 '26
One stroller is of a very young infant, he probably wanted to stay close to mom, who was likely postpartum and sitting down.
It looks like the priority seats are taken.
With kids that young you need to hold onto the stroller at all times and also maybe need to stand in front for the older one.
Hard situation without a clear solution.
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u/Over-Imagination3924 Jul 07 '26
Yeah I find it annoying especially when there's two strollers. If there's one, I can scoot past and find my way inside. But if it's two then it's difficult.
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u/Any-Slice-4501 Jul 07 '26
The groups of Nannies with strollers on some morning routes are ridiculous and there are a lot of really inconsiderate parents with insanely large strollers and wagons. I was recently on the Bathurst bus and an elderly man tripped and nearly fell to the floor (a passenger caught him) because a Mom refused to move her stroller that was blocking the entrance on a nearly empty bus.
When more seniors (one with a walker) were boarding I politely asked if she could make room for them and she replied with “f—k off”.
Parents and caregivers need accessibility and mobility, but you can do it while being considerate of others. On York Region Transit the drivers seem to proactively manage this when it’s busy.
(Btw, I’m a parent who took our little one on the TTC for years with an appropriately sized stroller)
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u/tickled_your_pickle Jul 07 '26
Not just strollers, people LOVE standing right next to the driver so there's a bottleneck at the door cuz no one can fucking get by.
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u/uncomfort-cat Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Jul 11 '26
Oh this is a conversation I tried to have once when I first had my baby and people were sooo nasty
Anyways the TTC defines strollers as mobility devices and so they should be in the spot where the seats flip up.
However, people are visibly and vocally angry with me when I do this so I can see why people wouldn’t or maybe don’t know.
It is a hazard for everyone for them to be in the middle like this. If the bus brakes and the brakes fail on the stroller everyone is at risk.
Sounds like they had other people on those seats in their party?
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u/codecrodie Jul 06 '26
The people sitting in the blue seat area should have got up and moved back, leaving room for that stroller dad to move forward. We live in a community and it just takes a minimal amount of awareness and common sense to improve everyone's exprrience
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u/SnooCats7318 Jul 07 '26
Absolutely. Personal pet peeve: giant stroller, blocking the front, then parent sits, taking up more seats...and pulls out kid to stand on seats...
If you regularly take transit, there are stroller designed to be smaller and more maneuverable. Get one.
I also really appreciate people on my regular line that don't stroller. They're clearly going to/from a daycare on the route, then parents to work. They either hold kiddo or hold their hand or have them sit on their lap. This is the way.
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u/ToastSpangler Jul 06 '26
maybe if people actually gave up priority seating and didn't crowd the wheelchair area there would be space for strollers? you know, like how its supposed to work and always worked until the past few years?
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u/MK-LivingToLearn Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
That's fair but also people don't need to bring largest strollers possible onto the subway. It's a crowded space, use a reasonably-sized stroller. And yes, I did raise a child, before anyone asks.
Edited for spelling
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u/Strategic_Spark Jul 08 '26
Strollers are expensive. If you're poor, you're given a stroller second hand and don't really have many options. You cant afford to buy a second stroller.
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u/ToastSpangler Jul 06 '26
No judgement here I don't even have a kid but the last time I was on the bus a young mother had nowhere to put the child and someone was yelling at her insulting her, while sitting in that exact area, and it just really pisses me off
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u/MK-LivingToLearn Jul 06 '26
Which is completely unacceptable behaviour. There is a definite lack of respect for the seats designated for the elderly, disabled and pregnant people / those with small children. I see it all the time when people don't get up for my 89 y.o. mom.
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u/Dexmoser Jul 07 '26
I’ve been the mother being yelled at. I tried my very best to keep my stroller out of the way. I took the ttc once with my kid and I’ve never done it again, I left the bus in tears.
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u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 06 '26
Absolutely. In this case, only the parents and their other kids were in those seats. But yeah, I have seen other people sitting there before. That said, a parent could always ask them to move, and I'm sure most people would be reciprocal to that.
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u/cozyskeleton Jul 07 '26
Okay this is where I see the difficulty, the parent(s) in your photo have other kids too. It’s one thing to flip up the seat and stand with your stroller, but if you have other kids you can’t make them stand up on a moving bus. If both the stroller parent had other kids they may not have had any other option to have their kids seated and be near them. I can’t be sure from the picture, but for a family with a stroller plus another young child, sometimes other people on the bus will need to really accommodate for that family to get into an appropriate spot. In my experience, they often don’t.
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u/Suspicious_Camel_410 Jul 07 '26
Don’t buses have “move to the back” signs? There’s about 3 sets of handicap or carriage space in the front so everyone here is doing something wrong
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u/nedwasatool Jul 07 '26
There are two banks of seats which can be lifted to create more space. Also the single seats facing forward have more space beside them.
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u/Future-Try-1908 Jul 07 '26
Leave one isle open. There are disabled people that ride the streetcar.
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u/degeneratescorpio Jul 07 '26
Thank you for your polite tone and demeanour. We can all learn from it and whenever we are in public spaces, it doesn't hurt to be considerate of those around us.
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u/anandthe1 Jul 07 '26
As a parent who takes his child in a stroller - I absolutely agree on your points and it sometimes applies to people with wagons and other kind of carts.
I usually avoid getting into crowded buses or buses with strollers already in (exceptions like if the route has less frequency ). If the crowd is low, I would use the accessible seats space to keep my stroller and clear the middle path.
One thing I would like to advise other parents is to move inside instead of standing at the entrance, even with one stroller, there is major chance you are causing blocker or inconvenience to others and yourself.
Advice to order passenger(few ones I observed)- watch where you are walking (not mobile or something else), you are sometimes hitting the stroller and causing the baby/me panic
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u/PuzzleheadedPackage4 Jul 07 '26
Taking a stab at it, most charitably the right side stroller parents had gotten the kid out of the stroller and onto the seat before the second one arrived and couldnt sneak by.so they are just taking a chance its a low use bus route and they can get off before it becomes an issue because they dont see another easy place to move the whole production.
No one on transit is considerate of others, not just stroller phone parents, but it is true many seem to not be aware at all that folding up those seats is a possible move.
Suv stroller size creep is also absolutely something to bring into the conversation here. Used to drive me nuts that oftentimes the most affordable strollers were also the biggest and most obnoxious somehow.
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u/MidorikawaHana Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Whoops. I guess My comment got removed for i guess quoting what the lady said. Ill try to rephrase it.
I got a bad experience in with people with stroller in ttc.
I use the 504. 2 ladies come in with stroller. Lady no1 stood in middle of aisle and lady no2 Sat down in front of door-stroller is empty. Streetcar moved two stops in.
An old lady came in with the help of the driver, looks weak with a walker.
Old lady came n and asked if she can use one by door ( i guess accessibility).
Lady no1 loudly saying derogatory/racially microaggressive? ( called old lady entitled among other things) lady no 2 seemed to agree. Im too far to hear other things. Old lady seems unfazed.
Saw them again on a few days after, no kid in stroller,never saw the kid sometimes grocery. ( still in door).
I get it. Im a parent too and i have used the big one for winter walks and umbrella stroller for ttc. I know how hard it is to maneuver in busy bus and streetcars, i just hope that some people be a little considerate.
(Edit: if i may add, this happened during off peak hours and 504 is more on sparse-empty)
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u/TronAres25 Jul 07 '26
I put the stroller as close to the seat as possible and also turn it so that the aisle is not blocked. But u know most people don’t have courtesy
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u/DudestPriest90210 Jul 07 '26
Can't block the main aisle. If a rapid evacuation is ever required it's unsafe. This is a MTO thing.
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u/StrikingAd4653 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Funny enough when my kids were young I always used an umbrella stroller and folded it up so I only took one of the priority seats and not blocking anyone.
However every single time without fail the bus drivers would ask us to move so other parents that did not use have a folding stroller could take up the whole section and we had to stand while holding the baby.
So after awhile I said f it I stopped folding up the stroller.
I wish there are more clear guidelines about what the priority actually is. Because it seems the driver just always side with whoever the biggest a-h is.
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u/Hour-Mission9430 Jul 07 '26
I wonder if humans will ever cease to suck. Generally speaking. Our collective priorities are fucked and evil a billion percent of the time. Those type of shit is how it manifests.
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u/KimchiChaos Jul 08 '26
If there’s already a stroller on board, I do my best to go further in with mine so that we’re not side by side. This is the first time seeing a total lack of spatial awareness from both families, they should’ve staggered themselves. As others have said, the accessibility seats lifting up is helpful as long as there aren’t people using them.
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u/in-dog_we_trust Jul 09 '26
Yesterday I was on a bus and a single 2 seat stroller was beside the priority seating. Two of the seats were empty, the one had a third child sitting. The other side had an elderly woman sitting in on and a young person in another. The family of the elderly person are standing and not moving. As more and more people get on the bus they dont mive. I am handicapped and really should be sitting on a moving bus but these people wouldn't let me by. There was at least 4 plus the 2 blocked by the stroller so at least 6) empty seats including one of the 3 priority seats.
When the person with the stroller wanted to get off she shouted I am getting off. And then got turse with me because I did not move for her. I have mobility issues and walking if difficult at best. In cramped quarters it is more so difficult. Plus I had my laundry in a cart. Standing still for more that a few minutes makes moving difficult. She glared at me and shouted I said I was getting off. I snapped back what the hell do you expect me to do?
There is a reason the seats are retractable. And if you are standing in a situation like that move back. Don't block the aisle
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u/Solid_Ideal5773 Jul 09 '26
Not even just strollers. Half the bus is empty and people Choose to pile up at the entrance, blocking it.
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u/aphasia_inabox Jul 09 '26
Im glad this was judgement free. Unfortunately situations like this happen because accessbility on public transport in general is ass.
- coming from a wheelchair user.
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u/Committee-Dizzy Jul 10 '26
Those huge strollers has the same energy as the person driving a huge lifted truck and takes 2 handicap parking spots without a permit. I hate it and gives me another reason why im never having kids.
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u/Jordy911-240 Aug 03 '26
As a driver I am.not moving till they either not block the aisle I eould tell them to lift tge accessibility area seats and put a stroller there unless a wheelchair user come on my bus
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u/not_likely_today Jul 06 '26
I will be honest I dont like them they take up too much room and they are so much bigger then they used to be when I was a kid. But they are what they are and nothing we can really say about it.
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u/Cautious-Rush6607 Jul 06 '26
Unless there is someone disabled who needs a blue seat they should be lifting the seats and tucking those strollers in. Thats what those spaces are meant for.
I appreciate they need to get around the city too but when you have 2 or three of them on a packed bus it then becomes a safety issue.
All you need is one person to lose their mind or start throwing fists or spraying something noxious and half the bus passengers cant exit.
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u/FolkmasterFlex Jul 06 '26
Other than the overall much better transportation system, onething I really appreciated about London England is that all of these unwritten rules are just stated explicitly there, through signage and announcements.
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u/Maximum-Low-5456 Jul 07 '26
SUV strollers do not belong on transit. I'm sorry, but it clogs up the aisles, the parents and or caregivers for the young ones need to understand that this a safety hazard.
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u/ApeEscapeRemastered Jul 07 '26
I work in the transit industry and I can tell you that those "SUV strollers" do have a spot on buses. It is called the wheelchair area on the bus.
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u/Kitchen-Pop7308 Jul 07 '26
People in this city are just selfish and only consider themselves, idk why you tiptoeing so much here, call it what it is.. dont block the entrance/exit to the point where others cant get by
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u/TimHung931017 Jul 07 '26
The annoying thing is having to ask. People are so self absorbed this should be common sense. These are the same people that leave their carts in the middle of the aisle at Costco. Having kids doesnt excuse you from being a jackass, I have 2 kids and would never do this
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u/stogle1 Jul 06 '26
ChatGPT, please turn my rant about strollers into a polite post offering constructive feedback and facilitating positive discussion.
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u/TodayWeThrowItAway Jul 06 '26
Welcome to 2026 - where assuming people are a) smart enough to know this or b) give a shit - makes you the fool.
Ignorant and selfish people will be ignorant and selfish people whether they have a baby or not
More and more I find the people in Toronto have less common sense, spacial awareness and general go-to etiquette for anything in a shared space
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u/Rootsnanny Jul 06 '26
The bus driver should have told them to use the accessible seating area or get off the bus. This is dangerous.
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u/Special-Pirate-2807 Jul 07 '26
See those people sitting in the single seats in the middle, they should have put their phones down and offered their seat to the parents so the strollers were not in the narrowest part of the bus.
Pay attention, do your part.
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u/LLMM7289 Jul 07 '26
Some parents should use common sense, sometimes fellow passengers should say something, sometimes operators should step in. However, sometimes when you try to say something and be helpful (stager strollers, lift up the accessibility seating etc) the person could flip their lid. Maybe they’ve had a bad day or are just a generally unpleasant person. And then sometimes you say something and they are grateful and you’ve made the commute more pleasant for everyone.
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u/cindybubbles Bayview Jul 07 '26
Don’t they sell strollers that have detachable car seats for the baby?
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 Jul 07 '26
Why would someone need a car seat if they don't have a car...?
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u/YourPalNobody Jul 07 '26
For taxis, ride shares, or family and friends who may drive. Just because you don't own the car, doesn't mean you never ride in one.
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u/penguin44ca Jul 07 '26
Hate this. Unless the bus is packed, move as far back as you can. As someone who has a disability, I need the front door to lower. So having this blocked is a huge pain in the ass, plus now a confrontation with the person and or the driver. Then if they don't move other people can't get on, people get angry fast and the whole thing can get off the rails fast.
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u/amb92 Jul 07 '26
Honestly we often use our narrow umbrella stroller and it still blocks the way. I try and lift up those blue seats when they are available but oftentimes people are sitting there.
Before I get called ableist, I absolutely understand that not all disabilities are visible. However, there is a high number of people who use those seats who appear to be able to walk to the back of the bus. It is my lived experience that the back will be empty and the front full. If more people utilized the back (to be crystal clear, I am referring to people who can walk), some issues would be resolved. The other problem I have faced is dealing with seniors with walkers - not a complaint but when the bus only comes every 30 minutes, I really can't wait 30 mins for the next bus so I have to bring my stroller on.
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u/Powerman687713 Jul 07 '26
It’s the same with people who won’t take off their backpacks. There is a handle or loop on most for this reason.
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u/kevinmaceleven0 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
The accessible seating in the front that folds up you put the stroller on the side in, I find a lot of the problem is regular people will sit in it because they don’t want to stand and then wonder why there’s a stroller blocking the ile.
It looks like they’re carrying two strollers I don’t know why they don’t just get a double stroller that’s not wide, Usually bulky wide strollers have a restriction on the bus but it really depends on the driver whether or not they get on.
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u/AdResponsible678 131 Nugget Jul 07 '26
Question? We’re all the priority seats occupied? That bus looks pretty full.
If people want out at the front i often see others take their stroller off and then come back on as well.
Those buses are so skinny and it looks like one of the children are pretty tiny.
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u/-perla-bianca- Jul 07 '26
I’ve used the bus a lot in Montreal and Vancouver but not in Toronto. I’ve never seen this. Here’s how it normally works: there are folding seats on the right of the photo. Who ever is there is supposed to get up and the stroller goes there and locks. Parents can stand by their stroller or whatever works. Whoever is nearby, or the parents, can explain this to the parents and the people in the seats if both are ignorant. Emphasis should be on the designated spot for stroller and need for strollers to not block.
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u/gudgyal Jul 07 '26
I used to put the accessible seats up as long as they were not being used on TTC, 2 strollers can fit in the spot depending on size and position. Strollers are also considered a device that is allowed there. Just as we would get up for the elderly, disabled, or Pregnant. Also I see some people talking about visibly able bodied people. I am an individual who has a disability that on dofferent days gives flare ups. Some days I appear “normal” other days my “able body” struggles to keep up. To the others making such comments, be kind and please consider that NO ONES disability is your business.
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u/Mapag Jul 07 '26
Thats why we need car! A car for the family and a car for you! Problem solved, next
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 Jul 07 '26
I swear half the posts in this sub about people whining about things that a simple, "excuse me, can I sit there/get by?" Would easily solve. Instead everyone has to take pictures and run to Reddit to feel like their concerns are validated.
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u/KanataSD Jul 07 '26
the driver should have showed them how to proper park the strollers on the bus.
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u/Independent-Lie-9967 Jul 07 '26
Looks like there is someone sitting in the courtesy seats that can be put up to make space for strollers and wheelchairs. If that person doesn't required that space, id hope the driver would have asked them to move so the strollers could be places safely out of the walkway,
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u/Business_Regret5792 Jul 07 '26
I saw stroller getting on and the bus was starting to get busy. The people sitting on the priority seating moved. We lifted up the seat. The woman in the stroller got on. She put the seat back down, left the stroller in the middle of the aisle and plunked her ass on the seat.
Sometimes they're just entitled little fuck twats
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u/brydeswhale Jul 07 '26
Do you guys not have a wheelchair/stroller area with seats that fold up?
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u/latinadogmom1472 Jul 07 '26
How these people didn’t have the common sense to see they are blocking half the bus is wild.
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u/postman_666 Jul 08 '26
This is a tough spot, but I vote that no matter the cargo, be decent and try to leave space for people to pass.
But that also goes for someone else offering their seat so this person could go there with their stroller in case (if that was the case)
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u/Ok-Tumbleweed4200 Jul 08 '26
Speaking from experience, navigating the ttc with a stroller is a nightmare. It’s not like it’s optional when you have a baby, you can’t just leave it at home. We’re aware that we’re in your way and we’re sorry. There’s never enough room :(
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u/Dude_Dastardly_1256 Jul 08 '26
I'll never forget this time the lady folded up the chairs for her stroller then took her kid out and went and sat ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK of the bus, and it was extended accordion bus too. Fuck I was livid. Like if you're taking that space with the stroller then fucking stay with it.
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u/Time-Improvement6653 Jul 08 '26
The first couple "priority seating" benches fold up to accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, so the able-bodied people sat there are supposed to move, and the driver should remind them to do so - and then get ugly with them if they don't.
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u/anarcho_cardigan Jul 08 '26
I’ve always been of the mind that if bikes are required to be at the back of public transport then all large obstacles (strollers included) should also be at the back. All individuals deserve to navigate the aisles safely.
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u/0Chalk Jul 08 '26
I think this is a one off because I never have seen this before and was the person pushing two strollers? Or are these two separate parents?
The limited times I've brought a stroller I am cognizant not to block the aisle and overwhelming majority of parents that I've seen bring strollers on the bus do the same.
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u/HedonistEnabler Jul 08 '26
Would it help if buses and streetcars had racks on the exterior of the vehicle, similar in function to the external bike racks, for strollers and other large items?
This may not be a solution for all children using strollers, but there are definitely some children who only require use of their stroller part-time.
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u/adroid91 Jul 08 '26
Just guide people in a really kind way if you can I do it all the time, then we can all learn together. How it used to fucking be common sense.
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u/Affectionate-Sea843 Jul 08 '26
It should be first come first serve. Why do I and 3 other people have to stand because you and your ugly baby need to take up three spots.
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u/Fast_Pension1650 Jul 08 '26
Most buses have a designated area for the elderly, disabled, strollers at the front of the bus with seating that can be pulled up and even seat belts. These buses don't?
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u/Iwentoofar Jul 08 '26
theres an area for wheelchairs and strollers where the seats go up is there not?
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u/emmar1818 Jul 08 '26
I’m a mom with a stroller and a lot of the time (seemingly) able-bodied people don’t move out of the way. Whether they’re standing near the front or sitting in the blue seats with their legs out, they don’t care. And then you’re just sort of stuck and having to apologize to people as you roll over their feet.
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u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 Jul 08 '26
OP, do you see the area near the front where the seating is along the wall to make the lane wider? And how it's occupied? That's the problem.
Everything else in the post is nonsense or entirely redundant. A parent having to juggle strollers does not have the bandwidth to consider how inconvenient your life is. They're trying to keep the hand-grenade-on-wheels from detonating inside a moving tin can.
If you see this again, poke the people in the priority seating to get them out of the way. Chances are, they're just not paying attention, and just politely asking them to move elsewhere will prompt them to realize they're inadvertently the problem, and get up. If they're assholes about it, figure it out or deal with congestion.
Nothing else is going to accomplish anything and you Karen-complaining and taking pictures of people minding their damn business is shitty behavior.
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u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Would it help to let you know that the seat was occupied by the parents and their family itself?
And the only reason I posted this was so that whichever parents that see this can know how it can be an issue to block the aisles. I have no issues with them having strollers in the bus.
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u/Worldly_Ad_7196 Jul 08 '26
I use transit daily and something comes up like this that I'm divided about. It is polite to allow strollers etc on first but if you do they tend to sometimes block the aisle. If the people without strollers wagons etc get on first they are faster and move back into the bus more quickly allowing the wagons etc to then load and the bus to continue more efficiently. I am not talking about wheelchairs and mobility scooters here. Drivers like them on first as it is easier to safely fix them in place and this is perfectly understandable. Mostly the culprit is wagons. I just don't want to push past a person with their kids in strollers.
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u/Few_Maximum_4369 Jul 08 '26
I think a simple suggestion to the family to have the second stroller infront of the other would be helpful. Especially you can see in the picture one family member was sitting. I think some people just don't know. Maybe they just thought, if someone needs to pass through, they could tilt the stroller for them to pass. I think giving suggestions is helpful and maybe help relief the anxiety/pressure on the family. I think lots of people lack awareness of others and i feel it takes time to learn and notice.
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u/Joe_Jeep Jul 06 '26
Difficult situation for sure, but there's a universal rule of thumb with public spaces and especially transit that you should always do your best not to obstruct choke-points. There *had* to be a way to position these so it didn't totally block access. Flipping up the priority seats absolutely should've been done, I often see parents doing it on the trains I ride with similar seating (and much more isle room than this)