SUV Baby Strollers

anonymous

I've lived in the neighborhood for almost 5 years now. Up until recently there seemed to be some sort of undefined line between 7th and 5th Aves in the Slope. 7th was more family oriented, a lot of people with babies and strollers. Fine, if that's your thing. A common topic of conversation amongst those of us on the lower part of the slope is how we don't go to 7th because the restaurants and stores are full of babies and strollers. Recently, while walking into my favorite coffee spot on 5th, I've noticed an increase in the amount of SUV-sized babystrollers crowding the very little space there is. They recently made room for more tables because there wasn't enough space to begin with. First of all, if you're just going out for coffee, do you have to bring along the SUV? Can you just strap the kid to your body in a Bjorn type thing. If you have to bring the vehicle (whatever happened to rainbow strollers???) please be curteous and park it out of the way of the seating so other people can occupy those seats. It is NOT ok to put your stroller next to you at a table so that it's blocking 3-4 seats. You don't see people bringing their bikes in and parking them along tables. If I put my feet and bags up on empty seats, I'd be asked to put them down. So please be aware of your surroundings. Better yet, why don't you leave it outside like people with bikes do so that there is room for people to walk through the small and crowded stores and cafes in NYC. It's crowded enough without having to deal with you bringing those things into the mix. As a non-parent, I like to be able to go and have adult conversations with friends in places like Tea Lounge, Gorilla, Mule, etc.. A lot of people use these places to work and study, too. If you have to bring your children along, all we're asking is that you don't crowd the space with the oversized Hummer-like strollers and be conscious of your child's noise level. Basically be aware of the world around you and the fact that we all have to share this very crowded space.

pitu

or someone venting, whatever
seemed legit to me!

you might be interested in this thread...

http://dailyheights.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=679

The SUV stroller thing has come to many dead ends in discussion on this site. And many are irritated with guest posters, especially on inflammatory subjects...

anonymous

I'm not sure what the problem is with Guest posters. I'll try posting as a guest. If anyone has a problem with that, I'll gladly register.

Anyway, just wanted to relate what happened to me, though I want to emphasize immediately that (1) the event I'm about to describe is really exceptional and atypical of Park Slope. Hence, (2) I am NOT saying this in order to fuel the fire of some debate here about kids, strollers, etc. This incident is unusual and can in no way be used to support ANY general conclusion about kids, strollers, Park Slope, etc.

Anyway, here's what happened. I occasionally like to visit dive bars. I don't know why....the 'grundge' aspect must appeal to me. Anyway, not long ago I was in Jackie's Fifth Amendment on 5th Ave. It's a pretty seedy place. Definitely not upscale and not at all the sort of place where you'd normally see kids.

I was sitting at the bar. To my right was a couple who walked in off the street with a baby and a toddler. It was weird that they came into Jackie's and they didn't seem too familiar with their surroudings. I just thought "Hey, if Mom and Dad want to have a beer, what's the harm?"

To my left were a couple of guys who were pretty lit. They were having conversation about some....well, lets just say some indelicate subjects that occasioned the use of some very foul language. They weren't yelling or anything, but Jackie's is small and if you were sitting at the bar you were likely to hear everything these guys said.

Anyway, the father to my right didn't much care for the language of the guys to my left. He told them it was inappropriate to speak that way in front of his children. The guys were unapologetic, and said that Jackie's was not for children and was the one place where they should be able to make off color comments.

The back and forth continued....and quickly escalated. Eventually the father and one of the guys were standing behind me, yelling at each other. I actually thought there'd be a fight, but fortunately that didn't happen. However, I gasped when the father actually SPAT on one of these guys. As soon as it happened I thought the father was toast, since no one in this place was going to be particularly sympathetic. However, the guy he spat on seemed almost paralyzed by surprise and didn't do anything except continue his 'grumbling'. The family left shortly thereafter.

I don't have much to say about this incident. Looking back on it, I just find it depressing. It's clear that the whole baby/stroller debate is a heated one, but jeez people....is it worth (almost) coming to blows over? I don't think so!

jack krohn

Wow, that's quite a story. I must say, I'm on the side of the guys using the colorful language. IMO, no bar is suitable for children. Restaurants, yes, but not bars. To me, it's a sign of poor parenting. The sense of entitlement amongst SOME parents is amazing.

dan.h

I have a very good mental picture of the father. And it irritates me. I think I would be in jail by now.

whyfi

Yeah, salty language around his kid is unacceptable, but having his kid see him spit in the face of someone else is kosher...

bigbubba

Count me in the club that thinks it is perfectly acceptable to bring a kid into a bar so long as the time is appropriate (ie not after 7pm) and the place is appropriate (ie the patio at the Gate and not Jackie's Fifth Amendment), but this father sounds like a true ass hole. His type give the rest of us parents a bad rap.

anonymous

Oh my god do I dare post--I seem to be a lightening rod in this topic.

Those parents are total idiots who are teaching their children to treat other people by literally spitting on them! I would rather my kid swore up a blue streak than to treat someone else in such a disgusting manner.

As a mother of two children, I am not a big proponent of the kids in bars thing. But if someone has a baby and they aren't disruptive, really what do I care? Parents should be ablet to get out and it is NOT easy getting a night time sitter. But if I am out with friends, I really don't want to see kids running around. If I did, I would have my friends over for drinks and watch my own two kids run around. Hence, I often go out with friends and my husband can put the kids to bed. But that being said, the minute I feel hostility towards me because I am a mother--or more specifically lumped into a stereotypical parent group, I feel defensive towards the enemy, (the privileged parents who think their children rule the world) .

amyskittysitting

I grew up in bars... I knew the best bar food in a 10 mile radius of Janesville by the age of 5. But it's a bit different coming from the sticks. Bars there are much more of a "daycare" than anything else.