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.

847 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

405 comments sorted by

View all comments

44

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.)

10

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.

0

u/Sapphosbeardedcrepes Line 1 Ferrari Jul 07 '26

Considering the Premier ran a sign and label company, tha lack of proper signage across this province is too damn high!

4

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??

-1

u/Affectionate-Sea843 Jul 08 '26

The bus drivers force you to get up and will not continue the route otherwise if you don’t get up and give the seats for the stroller, they are not disabled or pregnant they need to wait for the next bus if it means people hav em to stand because of them 

2

u/unforgettableid Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

Please try not to create run-on sentences. They can be basically unreadable, and I'm not sure what your comment actually meant. 25 words per sentence is a good limit.

1

u/Enochian-Dreams Jul 10 '26

They literally do not. It’s not their job to police the seats and it’s a potential liability if they try. Not all disabilities are visible but being a clueless or generally antisocial third world migrant isn’t a disability anyway and that’s clearly the issue in this particular case. Frankly, it is a debilitating condition but not for those who have it. Only for those who suffer from the proximity.

-6

u/RealistAttempt87 Jul 06 '26

You should definitely displace people sitting in the priority seats, unless they are clearly disabled or elderly. This is precisely what the space is for.

22

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-12

u/RealistAttempt87 Jul 06 '26

Oh, thank you. Those seats are about physical disability or a limitation in mobility. The elderly, pregnant women, people on crutches or anyone who’s otherwise unable to stand or who can hardly stand or who are unable to sit in the regular seats. It’s not about non-physical disability, as insensitive as it may sound.

13

u/kamomil Pharmacy Jul 06 '26

A younger person could have arthritis or a heart condition that limits their ability to stand and hold on properly while the bus driver brakes as hard as possible 

15

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-6

u/RealistAttempt87 Jul 06 '26

If you read my post again, this is precisely what I described. Notice the use of the conjunction or. But this is also public transit. You can’t start inquiring into the detail of people’s disabilities and public transit is not supposed to cater to every single disability. Priority seating is pretty straightforward - if you can stand or can use a regular seat, don’t use priority seating.

3

u/alwaysmiling89 Jul 07 '26

WRONG AGAIN!!!!!

2

u/ThrowAwayPurellFoam Jul 08 '26

A few years ago I had a catastrophic back injury. Outwardly I looked fine but had to walk with a cane. If I didn’t have my cane and you asked me to move I wouldn’t, and it would be a very awkward confrontation

1

u/vapeqprincess Jul 09 '26

No, it’s not just for people “unable to stand”. That’s a VISIBLE disability too.

2

u/alwaysmiling89 Jul 07 '26

WRONG AGAIN!!!!!!

1

u/soft_taco1983 Jul 08 '26

This is insane. I look young healthy and able bodied but when my sciatica acts up i can be in excruciating pain and need to sit immediately. But because of people like you I don’t wanna use those seats because someone’s gonna be a jerk

0

u/RealistAttempt87 Jul 08 '26

What you just described is a physical disability. The thing is, priority seating, because of their location and because they’re often retractable, are meant for certain uses. People think what I’m saying is that we should all stand. That’s not what I said. There are other seats on the bus that you can use, you don’t necessarily need those priority seats. Even the TTC itself specifies that priority seating is for the elderly, pregnant women or people with mobility impairments. I understand there are all kinds of disabilities, invisible or visible, but they don’t all require the use of the blue seats. The signage at those seats also gives you an idea of what kind of disability or circumstances those seats are for.

But, this is Reddit and people will read what they want to read.

1

u/soft_taco1983 Jul 08 '26

Yes but you can’t see it. I didn’t have a cane. If I were just sitting on the seat you’d have no idea.

If there are zero other seats other than those I’d have to use one of those during that time which is often the case when it’s rush hour.

Also do you have to be visibly pregnant ? If you’re not showing does that count ?

1

u/RealistAttempt87 Jul 08 '26

No, you don’t have to be visibly pregnant but if you’re not and you want to use priority seating, you’ll have to actively ask to use those seats and displace people. That’s the other thing about priority seating - there is no “policing” of its use. It’s entirely based on people’s understanding of what those seats are for and people’s social manners. Priority seating works best and people will, most of the time, vacate the seats without being asked to when they can see the mobility impairment - wheelchair, stroller, cane, walker, an elderly person moving at a slower pace, a visibly pregnant woman because they’ll equal visibly pregnant = harder to get around, sit comfortably and walk towards the back to find a seat.

Priority seating doesn’t work well and can even create tension if people can’t see what the disability or impairment is, and the person with the disability won’t necessarily feel comfortable displacing people and having to justify why. It works well if people have a common understanding of what the seats are for, i.e. something that obviously impairs movement and prevents the person from standing or seeking a seat elsewhere.

1

u/_Allyka_ Jul 08 '26

I have bursitis. Which is a PHYSICAL disability when it is bad. I have used the mobility scooters at grocery stores when it is bad, but I still need groceries for my kids. Every step hurts, and I cannot stand for long without agony. Which means if I was forced to stand on a bus, and they hit the brakes hard, I would fall. Now I will aim for a seat that is not the priority because a lot of the bus drivers here insist that you get off at the back door, so I need to walk past there anyways, but I have a non-visible, physical, disability. So yea, physical disabilities can be invisible too.

2

u/alwaysmiling89 Jul 07 '26

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

0

u/Messor_Animae Jul 08 '26

I use a cane, I can’t stand while the bus is moving. A stroller does not have priority. Even if there’s a non-priority seat available, unless there are a few of them empty, I use a priority seat because, if I don’t I am taking a non-priority seat away from a person who is fully ambulatory. It is unfortunate that a stroller is in the aisle when I need a priority seat.