Wow. Just wow. [babywearing comment]

Zista · July 2011

I don't post near enough given how much I've learned from lurking on this board... but the absurdity of this is making me nuts, and I figured you folks might understand.

I've never really understood the posts about feeling like a minority for babywearing. It's definitely not the norm in Seattle, but I see enough Ergos and Bjorns, and I've never had a negative comment. Even visiting Michigan I never once got a side-eye.

Then we came to London traveling... and buggies (strollers) everywhere. Which is odd, since this seems like such an unfriendly place for buggies with the narrow sidewalks, tiny public bathrooms, and stairs everywhere. And yes, I've gotten more than a few side-eyes at my son in the woven or Ergo, which I read as sometimes curiosity, and sometimes bewilderment over why someone would do something as crazy as hold their baby.

But to the point... today in line for the Tower of London, the large man in front of us took two giant steps backward into us with a heavy backpack. As I shielded my son's head, I said, "careful of the baby, please!" He stared at me and angrily shouted, "Geez! Geez! Well, MAYBE you shouldn't be CARRYING your baby!" I saw my (very pacifist and not-big-at-all) husband's shoulders tense, his voice lowered two octaves, and he responded, "Ok, now, you don't want to go there," as he moved forward a step.

Luckily the other man's girlfriend, talked him down and they moved on.... but really? Really? Maybe you shouldn't carry your baby? What kind of craziness is that?

Gwyneddlesliegrace · July 2011

Lurker here- wow! I would have flipped, as would my husband. I can't believe some people.

mrs.cam · July 2011

Ouch, what a jerk!

annie357s · July 2011

mrs.cam:
Ouch, what a jerk!

I agree! That is crazy!!

Corbin30 · July 2011

Honestly, I probably would have cracked up laughing and said somthing like "Well, what else am I supposed to do with him?!"

Birdies08 · July 2011

Corbin30:
Honestly, I probably would have cracked up laughing and said somthing like "Well, what else am I supposed to do with him?!"

Seriously! What a ridiculous thing to say. I'm holding my baby now Surprise

Zista · July 2011

My response was an incredulous laugh and a "What?" but it got lost in the male drama. I would like to take him out for a quiet drink and ask him the rationale for why holding a baby was such a negative thing... or alternately if it was just okay to back into babies, and whether if he would have apologized he backed into an "actual" human being instead.

Zista · July 2011

Birdies08:

Corbin30:
Honestly, I probably would have cracked up laughing and said somthing like "Well, what else am I supposed to do with him?!"

Seriously! What a ridiculous thing to say. I'm holding my baby now

That would have been the perfect response! I'm sure he said "carry" because he didn't have the words for what I was doing (LO was in a front carry in the woven).

Zista · July 2011

Dup post

Ardmhs83 · July 2011

Some people are so stupid...he def. is!

ananas19 · July 2011

Obviously he didn't realize that if you had been pushing a stroller he would have probably fallen over if he took a step back over it.

I will say this though, people in the UK are quite serious about their "queuing."

anna7602 · July 2011

Sadly, there are jerka$$es everywhere, aren't there? Sorry this happened to you.

laurakaz13 · July 2011

Why can't people in this day and age just say a simple, "Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry."

andrea922 · July 2011

Was he British or a tourist? Not that it matters, I am just curious. It is a strange comment either way.

My son was born in the UK and we wore him all the time. Actually all my friends there wore their babies because the tube stations are all very, very old and very few have lifts or escalators. I can't imagine you getting weird looks for wearing your baby from people who live there because it is actually quite common.

marissabourgeois · July 2011

Wow. My hubby would have punched him.

Zista · July 2011

andrea922:
Was he British or a tourist? Not that it matters, I am just curious. It is a strange comment either way.
My son was born in the UK and we wore him all the time. Actually all my friends there wore their babies because the tube stations are all very, very old and very few have lifts or escalators. I can't imagine you getting weird looks for wearing your baby from people who live there because it is actually quite common.

Definitely British, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a tourist.

. I really expected more babywearing for those reasons... However, we've here 7 days and have seen thousands of people, hundreds of strollers, and a grand total of 4 people babywearing... 2 Bjorns, an Ergo, and a peanut shell. I was really surprised as I perceive the Brits as being more into this sort of thing (probably due to my participation on a Brit-heavy BLW board). We're staying in a flat in Kensington/Chelsea and taking the Tube everywhere... Not just tourist locations. Maybe it's a neighborhood thing?

The_Spanish_Inquisition · July 2011

My DS was also born in the UK and I wore him all over the place and saw tons of other moms and dads babywearing. It's definitely more mainstream over there than in most places in the US.

Regardless, that guy was rude. He could have just said "excuse me."

LouiseB2001 · July 2011

Zista:
andrea922:
Was he British or a tourist? Not that it matters, I am just curious. It is a strange comment either way.
My son was born in the UK and we wore him all the time. Actually all my friends there wore their babies because the tube stations are all very, very old and very few have lifts or escalators. I can't imagine you getting weird looks for wearing your baby from people who live there because it is actually quite common.
Definitely British, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a tourist. . I really expected more babywearing for those reasons... However, we've here 7 days and have seen thousands of people, hundreds of strollers, and a grand total of 4 people babywearing... 2 Bjorns, an Ergo, and a peanut shell. I was really surprised as I perceive the Brits as being more into this sort of thing (probably due to my participation on a Brit-heavy BLW board). We're staying in a flat in Kensington/Chelsea and taking the Tube everywhere... Not just tourist locations. Maybe it's a neighborhood thing?

This is all very interesting since I will be going to London and live for a month in September with DH and DD. I was preparing myself for a lot of babywearing because I know the tube doesn't have elevators, but I am still bringing the stroller for walks in the park or all day trips with DH. When I lived in Scotland I do remember people bringing in the biggest strollers in all the tiny cafes, and they were quite clingy and nervous about them. I have more than once been asked to look after an empty old buggy while a mother took her baby to the bathroom for 5 minutes. This if of course a big contrast to Scandinavia where I grew up and lived last summer, here everyone leaves their strollers and prams outside the shops, often with a sleeping baby inside. Enough generalization, I should say that my husband is British and would probably also have punched the rude guy :-)

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