# Subway/train safe for babies?



## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

Okay I need some big help and kind of fast. Is the subway train safe for a 3 year old and a 10 month old or is it crazy to even entertain the idea? I can't seem to find any info on this.


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## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

great! and thanks for the heads up about the stroller.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

If you do do a stroller for the 3yo (carrying a tired 3yo while wearing a 10 mo can be exhausting) do an umbrella stroller, a cheap one. Easy on and easy off of the subway with those and they are small.


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## choli (Jun 20, 2002)

Babies and small children are about 1000 times safer on public transportation than in a car, no matter how gigantic and expensive the carseat you have installed in the car.


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## heathermarie73 (Mar 13, 2006)

thanks to those whose helped. Things went smoothly with baby in sling and 3 year old in umbrella. I should have been more worried about my BIL walking out in front of cars on the streets of the city while pushing 3 year old DS







, but we are home safely and in one piece.


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## LDSmomma (May 11, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoC* 
I use public transport everyday. I have no problems with my five month old on the subway --- he's an urban baby and rides the subway and city buses all the time. We don't even own a car. Why wouldn't the subway be safe? It's certainly safer than a car.

My advice, ditch any strollers --- use a carrier for the ten month old and let the three year old walk. Seriously. Strollers are nothing but obnoxious and in the way on the subway. I speak both as a mother --- finangling a stroller on and off --- and as a passenger --- annoyed by the big huge SVU parked in the middle of the aisle. Stroller is not worth the hassle.

That's a great suggestion. I've been planning to get on public transportation with my 4 month old DS, but wasn't sure about whether to have a stroller. Another poster suggested I have the stroller to hold the diaper bag & water, etc. but I felt like it might be too cumbersome!


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## Devaskyla (Oct 5, 2003)

Strollers are a pita on transit. If you do need to have one, try to travel when it isn't rush hour. It's incredibly annoying having people try to jam 3 or 4 big strollers on the bus at the same time.


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## MeepyCat (Oct 11, 2006)

Yeah, the first time I took DS on the subway, I took the stroller... The second time, I took a big padded sling with pockets. It was a much better trip. We're back to taking strollers now, so that we can strap the toddler into something and not worry about what he gets up to, but as soon as he can be trusted to stick with us and not to running off to examine the third rail up close, we will be ditching it again.


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Yep yep... I was a transit user before I was a mom, and I had never heard the term "babywearing" the day I decided for absolute CERTAIN, watching a mom wrestle a folded stroller onto the bus while holding a child in one arm, that I'd get... something... to hold the baby on my body and would never, ever bother with a stroller. ;-) We didn't buy one until DS1 was three, and I was pregnant, which made the Ergo belt just a bit too uncomfy for the mile walk home from his preschool. We almost never use it.

Though if I'd seen this earlier, I would have mentioned, if the three-year-old is the type to bolt, DEFINITELY have a harness of some kind for him. We don't use the subway much, but I was always sooooo paranoid standing on the platform with DS1. Granted, by the time he was three, we'd moved and now we only use it for fun ;-), but... still. He's not a runner, either.


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## gigismom (Nov 26, 2001)

we just did this yesterday... see thread above. we had no problem with my kids (9y, 4 1/2y and 19 months) definitely don't take a stroller though. too many stairs in and out of the subways to lug the stroller around and not worth looking for the elevator. the above suggestions about a harness is a good idea though. i have always disliked those things but... my ds (19 months) who spends the majority of his life wrapped on my body anyway, was ready to bolt a few times yesterday. i guess he got tired of being carried and just wanted to stretch his legs. but he is soooo fast and i was a nervous wreck trying to keep up with him at these times. otherwise, i just carried him in my wrap. next time we go to the city we will add a nice safe park to our itinerary so he can run around safely.

jen


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## luv_my_babes (Dec 8, 2008)

My kids and I have ridden the subway since they were infants. I've never had any problems, although I would put the 10 month old in a carrier and let the 3year old walk. If you NEED a stroller for the 3 year old I would suggest something that you can fold up quickly and easily. I use the Maclaren Volo, as my dd is not to keen on walking long distances yet. It folds up quickly for when we use the subway/streetcars and it out of everyone's way. There is nothing worse than someone riding public transit with their SUV stroller blocking everyone







:
My kids (ages 4 and 5 now) have never had any sorts of problems on the subway, they know to hold my hand tight and to stand well away from the edge of the platform.
Actually we ride the subway so often now that my ds, who is 5 years old, can get around the city, tells me what subway line to take and tells me directions to places now


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