Moms and Babies

After morning rush out come the moms and babies. Well, sometimes they are on morning rush if the day care center is on your way inbound. But generally, the babes come out from 10 a.m. to noon, or before school gets out around 3 p.m. What a wonder to see a newborns’ face. Or even better, the toddlers who look up with wonder, or climb fast to get first dibs on the best seat. And here is where I believe recruitment begins. Get them to see and observe the bus driver as a friend early on, because you never know what sort of impact it will have down the road.

I usually recall my first experiences on the bus or subway when I was young. I always wanted to sit in the front seat. And sure enough I see boys doing the same thing on my bus: Or on an almost empty bus, the race to the back seat. And the mom’s comments about what not to do. I enjoy the occasional moment of perfect timing when I have a captive audience of young eyes, and mom is distracted by someone or something else and I have them in my grip. “Now I want you to run as fast as you can to the back seat.” And to see their eyes light up as finally they get to do what they wanted to do in the first place. And it’s really fun on a bus that is sixty feet long. This is when mom is busy folding or prepping the stroller or the million and one other things she is carrying, that use of the diversion is a plus. Usually a nice young man helps out the mom with all the items she has to juggle just to get to the steps, much less climb.

But my complacency is sometimes rudely awakened. A senior with a bag was boarding a few stops after I had boarded a stroller. I had asked the mom to move back behind the wheel well which is located under the first two seats. The first two seats are higher off the aisle because of the wheels underneath. And when push comes to shove, there is no space for dangling legs or stroller wheels to go. If someone runs in to a leg or a cart, there is no space under the seat to act as a cushion for extra movement. I had asked her to move back, and she obliged, but not past “no man’s land,” and not to the flip up seats. I should have raised the chairs up for her stroller, because when the wheels are locked, everything is kosher for any new seniors with a load, because there are still other seats available.

Well, my attention was drifting, and when the senior tried to sit, he was blocked by the stroller. The senior became angry at my allowing the stroller to be in the blue zone, or area for seniors. Whoops. Many times, awakening the baby by taking them out of the stroller creates a scene: A scene complete with sound effects. Wailing, screaming, sound effects. Let ‘sleeping dogs’ lie has always been a good call for a child who is seen but not heard, but this can backfire later with more seniors boarding as we get closer to downtown. Making sure the space in the front stays clear is the best defense, and keeps the Zen.