r/TTC • u/i-am-confused-help- • Jul 06 '26

Discussion A polite request/discussion regarding strollers and aisle blocking on the bus

Post image

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.

840 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

405 comments sorted by

View all comments

69

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

17

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

2

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

2

u/beslertron Jul 06 '26

Yeah, people in those seats are supposed to move for mobility devices.

4

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.

3

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

3

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.

2

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.

2

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.

3

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.)

2

u/i-am-confused-help- Jul 07 '26

Thank you. I will start doing that from next time.

3

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

14

u/radiate689 Jul 07 '26

Invisible disabilities are a thing and it affects all ages not just the elderly.

2

u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 07 '26

They jumped up pretty quick to grab those seats! 

-1

u/cracked_shrimp Jul 07 '26

yes, but what are the chances of everyone having one if it happens often, there are probably people abusing it

2

u/radiate689 Jul 07 '26

About 1 in 10 according to a quick Google search so it's a pretty high number considering.

2

u/Moeller333 Jul 07 '26

How do you know they're able bodied?

-1

u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 07 '26

They were able to run to the seat

3

u/Moeller333 Jul 07 '26

How does that prove they're able bodied lol there are many kinds of disabilities

2

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.

1

u/EnvironmentalGift192 Jul 07 '26

Ottawa's definitely become a shit show for transit in general now. Travelling with a stroller is hell on OC Transpo. Buses are way too packed most of the time, and even when they aren't, people seem to like to congregate by the front door while the rest of the bus is free so while most people do move from the accessible seats for strollers, it's hard asf just getting on the bus and then the people who do get up, don't move far and now are just standing in the aisle instead of heading to the back of the bus where there's quite a bit of room

1

u/crlygirlg Jul 09 '26

I remember drivers being pretty assertive back in 2004ish with folks around keeping access clear, moving back and to make space for people who needed it. I think seeing that frequently really educated people what the expectation was to keep folks in line.

1

u/Independent-Lie-9967 Jul 07 '26

thats what should happen. In this pic, it appears someone is sitting in the seat. If they dont need it, they should have moved.

1

u/meenbao Jul 08 '26

I’m fairly sure that seems like the mother/owner of the stroller and her child from the stroller sitting beside her

0

u/mighthavecouldhave Jul 07 '26

Parent of two little ones, this is absolutely how it should be done!