Pushchairs on escalators

[Orissiah]

Excuse the stupid question but I am going on the London Underground on Monday for the first time (alone) with my six week old baby in her pram (she faces me in her Bugaboo Bee).

How should I balance the pram on the escalators (this question would apply to a shopping mall with escalators too!)?

Also, I'm expecting to ask a random person to help me carry the buggy down the stairs into the Tube station itself. But how do you negotiate stairs?

Thanks,
O

I have a Bugaboo Frog and have done 2 babies/toddlers in it up multiple escalators far and wide and never had an issue. there is a knack to it, just start slowly and on a quiet escaltor it will be fine. If you are worried get off at a station that has a disabled access on the map as these all have lifts. I occasionally get a jobsworth security guard in the local shopping centre pointing at the no buggies sign but I just say oh it is a special European design ceryified for escalator use and breeze past them.

I am also currently a londoner and much prefer using the tube to the bus - with the bus you are constantly having to move the pushchair, take child out and put in sling because there are too many pushchairs allowed on and someone will be thrown off the bus.. a wheelchair user needs it etc...

Anyway, I used a Maclaren techno which was very simple. Make sure DD was strapped in. To go down, observe escalator, push pushchair onto escalator and put the back wheels against the next step. Hold it there very nice and easy.

Going up, might be more difficult with your baby facing you - I walked slowlly backwards towards the escalator, again stopped and observed, got myself on pulling the pushchair and again resting back wheels against the back of the step so no big stretch. You need to be a bit careful with timings but both eminently doable and perfectly safe.

I am also currently a londoner and much prefer using the tube to the bus - with the bus you are constantly having to move the pushchair, take child out and put in sling because there are too many pushchairs allowed on and someone will be thrown off the bus.. a wheelchair user needs it etc...

Anyway, I used a Maclaren techno which was very simple. Make sure DD was strapped in. To go down, observe escalator, push pushchair onto escalator and put the back wheels against the next step. Hold it there very nice and easy.

Going up, might be more difficult with your baby facing you - I walked slowlly backwards towards the escalator, again stopped and observed, got myself on pulling the pushchair and again resting back wheels against the back of the step so no big stretch. You need to be a bit careful with timings but both eminently doable and perfectly safe.

Sorry for the double post

On my first venture out on the tube, I asked the station guard what to do and he gave me a very good demo and accompanied me down the escalators on our first trip. Since then we've never looked back - just avoid rush hour and don't write off buses, I really think they are easier and in 3 years of commuting, I've only had to fold it once or twice. and as others have said, I've never had to ask people for help on stairs, people have always offered. Good luck!

I've just skimmed the thread, so sorry if this has been said before, but if you have a weak back, you should think about whether you will have the strength to bend down and balance the buggy going down. It is hard going as the wheels have to be a step or two below your feet so you have to hold on bent over.

I hate doing it, but have a few times (it's best with the Stokke Xplory in 2 wheel mode btw ). I found it helpful with a more conventional buggy to lock the front wheels so that you were sure of a smooth transition from escalator to floor too. Your travelling fairly quickly and if the front wheels aren't facing forwards you might tip. Fixing them helps avoid this.

Hope this helps!

Yes, I can see that if the alternative is struggling with pram and holding baby that could be worse, but escalator steps are pretty deep, and with a bigish buggy you may need to be 2 steps away from the back wheels, which means you are bending a long way down. I find it very hard on my back.

I agree that buses are a good option if you can't avoid escalator stations, although I often manage to plan my journeys around the district and circle lines!

I go down backwards.

It's much easier. There's no balancing involved then. All 4 wheels are usually on the steps.

The only thing is be prepared to step up and down a few steps when starting and ending. I am usually a few steps down if the escalator is steep. But as it evens out I get closer to the pram.

If I am not clear, then what I actually mean is that the buggy is facing the same way going down as it did going up.

(Going up, I just step on it).

most tube stn have internal stairs and escalator, some have lifts and stairs.

only jubilee line is full accessible (as newly built)

sometimes people help you

most times not

not gender differentiation,as many women waft past as men. people can develop selective blindness

you do need to be bold and ask people to vacate the allocated buggy space the two fold up seats. passengers dont routinely offer

hold onto hand rail

i take bugaboo on tube a lot

Sweet Grapes, the going down the escalator but backwards does seem more stable, though I need to practice as I can't imagine negotating the escalators, myself and the buggy backwards.

Phew, Monday will be interesting - I will let you all know how I do (husband is coming with me just in case).

I don't need to use the Tube during rush hour (at the moment) and as I mentioned before buses still seem to be much more packed with people than the Tube during the non-peak hours so the Tube is infinitely a better option for me (less people leaning into and over my little baby in the buggy).

And I always always strap my baby into her Bee whenever she is in it - even if safely at home while she's still napping in it.

Good idea about asking a station guard.

if you honestly cant manage with sling, then take all advice given about techniques (i push buggy on going up, rest it on front wheels on step with rear wheels hanging in air, and reverse this for going down) BUT two other important things

• get ready for getting off at top or bottom long before you think you need to, it is upon you before you know it
• put the buggy in the MIDDLE of the step the first few times you do it (unless so busy that people would go mad if they couldnt get past you) - most accidents are caused by people getting the wheel caught at the side, especially getting off, and this spinning the buggy round. we've done it ourselves on a narrow airport escalator and it was terrifying.
• dont fgs go in the rush hour. not just the escalators but finding room to park the buggy in the carriage

most of all dont worry about it.i do tube daily with buggy, sometimes VVBusy so be bold shuve on

it is do-able and frankly imo jammed in a tube not great but is preferable to a prolonged busy bus journey.trapped in sitting traffic etc

Was up in London yesterday and though none of the stops we used had escalators we found lots of nice friendly men would help my husband lift the bottom of pram and carry (I can't in my present condition)

Only time we used an escalator was in the NHM and we were told to take baby out of pram and we added to the atmosphere with 5 yr old panicking about the escalatos going up through the planet

I ditched the pushchair as soon as ds1 could walk sufficiently and had binned his nap (about 20 months?). IMO going everywhere VERY SLOWLY INDEED was better than lugging a pushchair up and down the stairs/escalators and in and out of trains. The pushchair was great for carrying shopping, though - really missed it when ds1 left the buggy...

Lol mybabywakesupsinging I still use the buggy for my shopping!!

I ditched the buggy long ago for escalators also - I got vertigo when I was pg and haven't got rid of it yet. I use lifts if I have the buggy.

I live in London, and have had two babies here. I have used the tube extensively with both of them. I know you SHOULDN'T use a buggy on an escalator, but life isn't like that.

I have always found that young men are the most likely to offer help, and that young women, who obviously haven't had their babies yet, are the ones most likely to tut-tut (wait your turn, I say to myself!).

I have carried the buggy up and downs stairs myself (had a Graco with DS1, and a McLaren for DS2) and have had no worries. It's easier going up than down, and luckily going down most tube stations, that have escalators, have a long "ramp" at the top. If I don't like the look of the slope, I try to find an alternative, like the stairs into Bond Street.

The DLR and Jubilee Line are the best, west London is the worst for accessibility-challenged people.

Good luck, it is nerve-wracking the first few times, and it may be hard with a Buggaboo, you need a smaller buggy ;-)

I should say too that it's not always possible to avoid peak hour - heck, why put yourself through that stress unless you have to? I have had many appointments at GOSH that start at nine, so of course you have to go when everyone else is too.

If you have to go when it's busy, try the front or back of the train, generally less crowded.

The London Underground has symbols on the map to show which stations are barrier free, but this doesn't include stations which only have a few stairs which obviously buggy-users can manage.

For example: Goodge Street and Russell Square both have lifts after a short staircase but are not strictly barrier free. And I discovered that you can access the Jubilee Line lift at Waterloo from the Northern Line after a few stairs.

I am OBSESSED with this topic - being too afraid to use escalators myself!

Anyone know any other stations which have lifts or just a few stairs? (apart from the obvious ones like London Bridge which is barrier free)

IF there's two of you, it's a breeze. If there's one of you, it's not. My advice is to go to nearest shopping centre with dp and practice on their escalators until you're feeling confident.

Reading the OP, when I had a pushchair and lived in London with both dd and ds, I always found that someone offered to help with the pushchair down the stairs/escalators, never a problem.

shooper
Hammersmith has a lift, no stairs needed
Westminster I believe
Caledonian Road
Basically not nearly enough, grrr x

shooper - it's annoying I agree. They lump all stations together as either accessible (ie no stairs or escalators) or not. I'm fine on escalators, don't mind a few steps (or one flight) but yesterday had to drag buggy up 4 separate flights of steps because I had to change somewhere stupid because of engineering work

A friend of mine says In Glasgow they don't let you take anything other than a little stroller on the tube for safety reasons. Because apparnetly should you have to get off the tube in tunnel you couldnt push it though.

sorry only read half of thread so apologies if repeating but IMO baby bjorn type sling load of rubbish and will hurt your back, loads of others that are miles better. Agree with SD that for a 6 week old I'd definitely go with the Coorie.