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Death on Wheels...

     Reading this article totally reminds me of how scared to death I am to see children on CTA trains. I cannot even begin to recall how many times I've been on the train and have seen mothers get on the train with their toddlers in strollers and have been nervous the duration of their ride. At least on CTA buses there is a space for strollers to be snapped in securely (but even then there are only about 2 of those available on each city bus). Reading and hearing about this incident really makes me question how much consideration is given to the safety of young children on public transportation.
     I have seen it all. There have been times when a mother has gotten on the bus or train and she is struggling to carry bags and a child, either in her arms or in a stroller and it does nothing but remind me how inaccessible public transportation is to mothers with small children. In this article, a mother is boarding a L Train the stroller she's pushing with the baby inside, gets stuck in the doors of the train. The baby falls out and onto the tracks in some gravel, and the stroller is then dragged along a few more stops until it is removed. This is OUTRAGEOUS!
     One thing in particular that I've noticed is the big space between the train and the boarding station. I mean, I have to be really care so I won't step in the open space and sprain my ankle...or worse. All in all, it's just really dangerous, in my opinion, for young children to ride public transportation due to the lack of secure riding situations. I don't know what could be done to solve the problem, but until there are some actions taken towards this unfortunate issue, then children will remain at risk.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/11/toddler-falls-fro m-stroller-and-off-train-platform.html?obref=obinsite

Posted by luvlyflower on 2009-11-05 11:10:45 | Rating: