Dissertation

[Fionaedinburghresearch]

hello,

I am a 4th student at Edinburgh University and am conducting my research on usage and interaction on the Glasgow Underground. I would be interested to know how mothers with children access/use the subway - whether it is on a daily basis - and how they find it in accessibility/safety etc. Comments in response to this thread would be extremely helpful to my research. Thank you,

Fiona

Hi,

I don't find the subway particularly child friendly at all. No lift access for buggies. Tend to use it as a treat for children as am always exhausted by the time I reach the platform.

Recently a nice subway staff member told me to ask for the glass gate to be opened to let the buggy through. This was after 4-5 years of taking babies out of buggies and hoiking the folded pushchair over the barrier with one hand while holding wriggly child in other hand and older child by the hood. Wish someone had told me sooner.

Even with the gate open still have to fold the buggy before reaching escalator though, so all in all a bit of a faff and then have to do it all again at the other end. Prefer the train.

HTH. [hsmile]

I agree with MintChoc. I didn't start using the subway until ds was out of a buggy because of the lack of lifts and there are rarely any staff outside the ticket office to offer any help.

It's also not like a city like London where it's a fairly comprehensive network. Great if you want to go from Merkland St to Buchanan St, but if you're outside the circle, or between stops like I am, you're likely to have a bus or train service that suits you better.

As far as safety goes - I know it's irrational but I do hate standing on the platform with ds. Far more than standing at the side of the road or at a regular train station. Totally irrational, but I can't help the fear of him falling onto the tracks

In the 7 years I have lived in Glasgow I have never used the subway

I've not really used it since having kids as it is totally un-child friendly. Our local station doesn't have any lift so you have to either carry the pram or bump it down lots of stairs. When you get to the bottom the platform is in the middle which is a nightmare as there are no barriers (esp if you have collapsed your toddlers pram to carry it down the stairs and are then trying to put it back up whilst ensuring that they don't fall onto the rails.

I don't know anyone who uses the subway with children under the age of 5. I would probably consider taking my dd now as she is a sensible 5 year old but wouldn't risk it with my not-so-sensible 3 year old ds.

Should add -I use it and love it when without the children especially when I'm heading into town to meet friends for drinks.
DH and DC drive me to Shields Rd and 10 mins later I've got a drink in my hand. Fab! [hwink]
A whole different experience.
[hshock] at Geordie. Do you live quite far away from a station then? I find it a bit annoying that it doesn't go further into the Southside so have to get a lift or pay parking to use it.

I don't go near it with buggy because a) the stairs etc would be a nightmare and b) I can walk to the destination I want to reach (west end) within an hour and not be half as stressed out by it all.

I do use it when not with children though. It's very handy.

Mintchoc, I stay in Uddingston so not really "proper" Glasgow