To want to go into London on public transport?

[Lovecat]

I'm interested to know the MN take on this dilemma -

I live 5 mins walk away from a mainline station that takes me straight into London. There are lifts at the other end so no probs with pushchair etc. However, the local station has no facilities (apart from a v. dodgy-looking stannah arrangement that is definitely not for pushchairs!) and a long, steep flight of stairs to all platforms.

When DD was a wee thing and carriable, I used to go with her sling already strapped to me and put her in it whilst I folded the pushchair at the top of the stairs (or not bother with the pushchair at all, it depended on weather etc) and carried it down. Invariably some kind person would offer to help whilst I was manoeuvring dd into the sling, and I often didn't have to take her out of the pushchair at all.

Now, however, she's 2.2 and must have some sort of extra gravity deal going on, because despite being a shortarse she feels like several tons of lead in my arms. So as the babycarrier is out of the question, and she's not yet at a stage where I could trust her to stand still on a train platform (not without gripping her so hard I'd cut off the circulation to her wrist), my only option is the pushchair. Plus, as we're going to be doing a lot of walking about, I'd like to have it with me in case she gets tired.

Which leads me to my dilemma - if I set off for town tomorrow morning, AIBU to assume that people will offer to help me take it down the stairs?

In the past people always have done, but I feel it's a horrible imposition to expect them to help me, and I'd like to have some other way of managing it if possible...

What do you guys do?

My alternative is to drive 3 miles out of my way to the nearest walk-on tube station, pay a fortune for the car park (providing I can find a space), and have the hassle of getting back again in the evening.

Quite apart from the ridiculousness of having to drive to get to use public transport, the last time I did this, the tube went tits-up and what was supposed to be a casual early dinner in the city with friends, getting home for 7.30pm bedtime, turned into a nightmare of not only trying to get home but having to then go rescue the car before it got clamped... we eventually got home at 11pm (and she still woke up at 6.30am, bless her little cotton socks...grrrr...).

So.......?

I got accosted in Munich the other week by a woman with a buggy - I couldn't understand her German but I guessed that she needed help getting it down the metro steps (the escalator wasn't working) as I've been there, bought the t-shirt etc with steps, buggies and babies.

So I volunteered bf to help her .

I'm another single mum with no car and huge great 2.6 DS. I recommend reins and a light buggy (we have a McLaren) which you can bump up and down - and get your LO to walk on the reins. Boots do good, sturdy reins for about a tenner - DS has had his for about 18 months now.

why didn't you ask for help? am sure that someone would have been glad , or at least, obliging....!
glad you had a nice day though

Which station do you hit London ?
If you go via Stratford there are tube routes you can take that have few stairs.

Just typed a huge long message and it booted me out! Grrr...

Short version - only had to negotiate steps at Ilford and South Ken on the outward journey, then a few at Queensway and an escalator at Gants Hill on the return trip (Mainline's turn to die this afternoon!).

Not many men around, mainly seemed to be old ladies, who I wouldn't have asked anyway. THe men that were about either blanked me or pushed past in a big hurry (I'm not brave enough to shout 'bastards!' after them like TeeCee).

The OH suggested that possibly I looked very capable and they all thought I was not in need of help - which, to be fair, I wasn't really, it just would have been nice to be offered some! I shall obviously have to practise my helpless female look....