PDA

View Full Version : Another Stroller Article makes the News



Pages : [1] 2

Darkbeer
06-06-2006, 12:00 AM
http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/06/05/4483ce7974813





There’s just something about Disneyland that seems to bring out the worst in people.

I flew down to California for a wedding a couple weeks ago. As the old adage says, “When in Anaheim, go to Disneyland and spend all your money.”.....

But we also came up with Disneyland, which essentially negates all positive innovations we have achieved as a species.

twist1980
06-06-2006, 06:15 AM
Again I fail to understand how people fail to feel the magic at Disneyland. At least if you can't enjoy it yourself, enjoy it for your child's sake. Shouldn't seeing them happy in turn make you happy?

Some people need some serious attitude adjustments. I for one will take DL just as it is, strollers and all. :)

Schmetterling
06-06-2006, 06:45 AM
I think there are always those people that have to go against the "norm". I think Disneyland is wonderful. It gives you a unique place to create unique memories with your family. My mom passed away when I was 4 from breast cancer, and that's one of the few things I remember about her, was how much she loved Disney, and Disneyland. I think I really felt a connection between me and her about that. Those are memories I wouldn't trade for anything.
Didn't mean to go into a big sob story....lol. People are very interesting!

hefferdude
06-06-2006, 07:09 AM
Any extremely crowded public venue will create the same conditions. Just waiting to hear the about the crush at the FIFA World cup games to come.

Guess it gives extra meaning to Welcome to Califonia, now go home.

I went to the author's site - the student paper for Oregon State U. - always try to consider the source as I found his demeanor downright Neanderthal :geek:

edit: http://barometer.orst.edu/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/05/08/445eddced3856?in_archive=1

A few more vituporic diatribes by the OSU author;


I’m a man, and as such it is my sole biological purpose to reproduce, which in this case means building a legacy and training a young padawan in the discipline of writing about stupid crap once a week.
:(

or


Of course, finding any humor whatsoever in this column is dependent on some of you having read more than one of my weekly ramblings. Considering the general population’s aversion to reading, that might be a tad arrogant. :rolleyes:

Well, long live freedom of the press, even if it is a college tabloid and particularly in a bordering state that is comprised of a very large number of expatriated Californians.

Next time, try the off season.

The old man
06-06-2006, 09:19 AM
I'm not sure why this was even posted here. I have no idea who Darrin Crescenzi is and it really doesn't matter. You will always find someone is thinks something idiotic no matter what the topic. Searching out this people is a futile exercise.

I think you could find thousands of people who don't like Disneyland or ice cream or sunny days--who cares? It's not us!
David

vmjess
06-06-2006, 10:06 AM
That article sucked. I don't get it- if he hates Dislneyland so much, why go? Keep out- one less person in front of me in line for Splash Mtn!!!

Mommy2NicknMax
06-06-2006, 11:17 AM
I could care less about the author's opinion of Disneyland or the people that go there. What is disturbing is the constant need to repeat that he kicked a baby. What a moron.

Another Dimension
06-06-2006, 11:46 AM
I don't get it- if he hates Dislneyland so much, why go?

I don't get it either.

But then I'll never understand why some Disney park fans on the internet, who do nothing online except express their total hate for California Adventure, ... always seem to be spending a lot more time there than all the people I know or see online, who have expressed their love the young park. :rolleyes:


I for one... absolutely do not frequently hang out at places I don't like. The airport, the DMV, hip hop clubs, tobacco shops, courthouses, crackhouses, SFMM, gang neighborhoods, slaughterhouses... etc.

:D

DianeM
06-06-2006, 12:11 PM
I think it's the same reason that people look at thread with pictures of Nemo being built and then write a thread complaining that they don't want to see any more Nemo in progress pictures. Human beings are funny. What I can't figure out is why he kicked backward without looking first. Complaining is normal. Hitting or kicking without even knowing what you are attacking indicates a serious anger management problem, imo.


That article sucked. I don't get it- if he hates Dislneyland so much, why go?

Opus1guy
06-06-2006, 12:35 PM
I don't get it either.

But then I'll never understand why some Disney park fans on the internet, who do nothing online except express their total hate for California Adventure, ... always seem to be spending a lot more time there than all the people I know or see online, who have expressed their love the young park. :rolleyes:


I for one... absolutely do not frequently hang out at places I don't like. The airport, the DMV, hip hop clubs, tobacco shops, courthouses, crackhouses, SFMM, gang neighborhoods, slaughterhouses... etc.

:D

Oh...that's an easy one. If you care about something...in order to improve things or form educated opinions or do what you can to effect changes or improvements by general public discussion or discussions with management...you often have to dive into places you don't like in their current form.

I spend as much or more time looking at my mistakes and trying to understand what went wrong...as I do with my successes. The more I learn and understand about what went wrong, the less mistakes I seem to make going forward.

Acknowledging that something is indeed wrong, is often the first step to solution. And something definitely is wrong with California Adventure. As evidenced by the higher-than-acceptable negative logged opinions of exiting Guests, and as recently publicly acknowledged by top Disney management.

Just because some people like the park, doesn't make it right or up to the high standards of storytelling and theming of what Disney theme parks should be about. Heck...some people actually think Universal Studios or Magic Mountain are better than Disneyland! ;)

Fortunately, there is some new blood in-house that realizes some previous management lost sight of those standards, or just chucked them by the wayside for expedience or the bottom line.

IMHO.

:)

sierranevada
06-06-2006, 01:10 PM
I'm with hefferdude, consider the source!:rolleyes:

kimmybear
06-06-2006, 04:28 PM
I could care less about the author's opinion of Disneyland or the people that go there. What is disturbing is the constant need to repeat that he kicked a baby. What a moron.

amen to that! i don't care if the stroller broke his ankle. you DO NOT under ANY circumstances kick a baby. period.

Nancy
06-06-2006, 08:42 PM
amen to that! i don't care if the stroller broke his ankle. you DO NOT under ANY circumstances kick a baby. period.


The author seemed rather proud of it too!!!
Hopefully he will now boycott Disneyland but all moms pushing strolers in the mall near him, WATCH OUT!!

adriennek
06-06-2006, 09:22 PM
I have to wonder if he really did kick the baby or if he just said he did it to make the story sound good. "Ooh, you better watch out with your strollers because someone's instinct could get into gear and they might kick your baby!"

And let's face it, whether you're a stroller pusher or a stroller hater, I think we can all agree, there's two universal truths:

1- There are two sides to every story: For every clueless stroller pusher who wasn't paying attention and hit someone, there is at least one pedestrian who cut someone off and was hit because the stroller pusher could not stop in time even if he/she wanted to.

2- When re-telling autobiographical stories, sometimes a little embellishment helps justify our righteous indignation and makes our stories a little more interesting. The truth is out there but the real story was probably not interesting enough for a newspaper article, I don't care which side is telling it.

Adrienne

slp87
06-07-2006, 07:52 AM
I'm sure I've been hit in the ankles by a stroller. I'm sure it annoyed me. But I sure don't let it ruin my entire day at the parks!! That whiner needs to get a life!

Marasmama
06-07-2006, 03:14 PM
As one of those stroller pushers, I've come to believe that some people's peripheral vision ends at their bottom eyelid and that strollers generate some abnormal gravitational field... or maybe they're just strollerblind. My stroller attracts the ankles of people that stop in walkways suddenly, small children lacking adaquate parental supervision, roughhousing teenagers etc. no matter how much vigilance I'm using when pushing my one year old through the park. Much of the time hubby walks in front of me so if I have to make a sudden stop at least it's his achilles that takes the impact if someone's walking with their head up their posterior around us. People will see him and avoid him, yet are somehow drawn into the path of the stroller two feet behind him. If hubby's pushing the baby, they avoid me and wander into his path. We're at Disneyland frequently so we're never in a hurry when we're down there, so I'm not part of the rude battering ram individuals that use their child as a weapon and make all stroller users look bad. When in a crowded place, people stop unexpectedly, change directions without looking and cut through families in their rush to beat the crowd. The author of this article wouldn't have survived to post his rant if he'd kicked my child.

Darkbeer
06-07-2006, 06:04 PM
My favorite Stroller story.

I am sitting on one of the benches at the Hub, and have been there at least 15 minutes with friends, just hanging back and relaxing, when suddenly a stroller rolls over my foot, which was in the exact place it was for the last few minutes.

Then I got a dirty look from the person pushing the stroller when I looked up and had the "WTF" look on my face. I didn't say anything, but come on, the person could at least said "I'm Sorry".

GrumpyUTboi
06-07-2006, 08:14 PM
Darkbeer, you should have taken a picture and pasted him/her on the internet, then we could have all made fun of the moron.

I will say that if anyone kicked one of our babies, and my wife or I would have been there, WATCH OUT! (especially if it was Mrs Grumpy I have seen her wrath and it is not fun) :eek:

PKile
06-08-2006, 08:56 AM
I could never condone ANYONE for such a barbaric action as kicking a baby, but as adriennek pointed out, there are two sides to every story.

First of all, American vehicles (including strollers) have undergone a bulking process over the last 30 years that is astounding. Look at things like SUVs and the beefy mountain bikes that have all but replaced the sleek and trim 10-speeds of the late 1970s. Strollers are the same. I have fond memories of riding around in my Taylor Tot in the early 1950s, with its skinny little teacart wheels and diminutive seat. Such a conveyance would be dwarfed by the strollers of today.

Second, most Americans have developed a pretty big "spatial comfort zone" around them in comparison to other countries. This zone has to expand to beyond the bulk of whatever they are driving/pushing/or riding in as well.

Couple these two trends with the fact that Disneyland is still the same size it was back in 1955, and you have a recipe for disaster. Two possible solutions - first, Disney should design a "retro" stroller for the park that goes back to the trim size of yesteryear. It could have a neat Jetsons/Tomorrowland look. And second, why not take a page from Native American culture and reintroduce the papoose for babies? The baby could be held on the parent's back or chest, and would take up much less space than in a stroller.
Of course, Americans would never stand for this because they would have to exert themselves and actually CARRY the child - we are way too lazy for that!
Cheers,
Paul Kile

mkraemer
06-08-2006, 09:29 AM
The worst gridlock I've ever experienced at DL was the evening of 12/31/99. We were trying to get through Main Street, and we were stuck by the doors of the Blue Ribbon Bakery for an hour. I am NOT kidding. It took two hours to get from the castle to the front gates. It was horrible and is about the only time I can remember hating being at DL.

At the time, we had our three little kids in strollers (a double and a single). Because of the congestion, the smart adults around us would see 'a space' where the strollers were stuck and then try to step there so they could get through. I can't tell you HOW many people I had to physically block from stepping directly on my children. And I can't tell you how many of them argued with me about it!

Unfortunately, sometimes, people will collide with a stroller. Oh heaven help the mother who is pushing a stroller, perhaps with a fussy child in it, or is a little distracted by keeping track of the child who is supposed to be walking with her when somebody decides that they need to go from Point A to Point B RIGHT NOW and that route just happens to be directly in front of that stroller with millimeters to spare (or not). Is it the stroller's fault? Seems like that's always the case.

Perhaps it's Darwinian, but I learned (a looong time ago), when I'm in a crowded place that provides danger to my Achilles Heels (um, like theme parks or grocery stores), whenever I stop, I place one of my feet slightly behind me, raise that foot onto the ball of the foot and leave my heel in the air (in a physical approximation of wearing high heels, which I don't do). That way, if somebody isn't paying attention or hasn't yet figured out how to drive (and stop) a shopping cart (or stroller), it hits my foot, not my Achilles Heel. Hurts a LOT less.

mkraemer
06-08-2006, 09:35 AM
Of course, Americans would never stand for this because they would have to exert themselves and actually CARRY the child - we are way too lazy for that!
Cheers,
Paul Kile

Except for the incredibly popular Baby Bjorn carriers, right?

DianeM
06-08-2006, 10:27 AM
I wouldn't rush to take out a patent on an effective baby carrier. Every parent in our office has requested one of these for their baby shower gift. It's only good up to 25 lbs, though. After that, you're on your own. Of course, I can't really imagine carrying a 30 lb child on my back all day.

http://www.babybjorn.com/


And second, why not take a page from Native American culture and reintroduce the papoose for babies? The baby could be held on the parent's back or chest, and would take up much less space than in a stroller.
Of course, Americans would never stand for this because they would have to exert themselves and actually CARRY the child - we are way too lazy for that!
Cheers,
Paul Kile

adriennek
06-08-2006, 07:00 PM
Of course, Americans would never stand for this because they would have to exert themselves and actually CARRY the child - we are way too lazy for that!
Cheers,
Paul Kile

Well, let's see... Right now I have two in a stroller. One is about 30 lbs and one is 45 lbs. You are totally welcome to come with me to the park and carry around my 45 lb child for me. Tell me how it works for you by the end of a day at Disneyland?

Adrienne

WITron
06-08-2006, 09:46 PM
Well, let's see... Right now I have two in a stroller. One is about 30 lbs and one is 45 lbs. You are totally welcome to come with me to the park and carry around my 45 lb child for me. Tell me how it works for you by the end of a day at Disneyland?

Adrienne

I have to totally agree with you. We have two kids and we used both the Baby Bjorn and a stroller.

darph nader
06-08-2006, 10:13 PM
This Darren Whatshisname is a jerk.Sorry,attack the post not the poster.What a jerk!You can't put that many people in that size of space and "not" expect something to happen.
p.s. if it had been my g-kid he had kicked,he'd be writing his article in the hospital and i'd be in jail!

pp.s. a million years ago i don't think homosapiens were "civilized" enough to worry about such things.