Can we talk baby stroller etiquette? For sure, we all understand that strollers are an absolute necessity for many parents on the go with young children in tow. However, some of those likely well-meaning parents either don’t understand or fail to practice basic baby stroller manners in public places. This behavior can of course lead to a lot of glares, stares, and unpleasant exchanges when random folks have a negative encounter/incident involving your child’s stroller. After all, some strollers are plenty big, thereby taking up precious space in places where space and freedom of movement are at a premium.

With that in mind, here are 10 basic rules of baby stroller etiquette you should follow, to both help you comfortably travel on foot with the little ones and avoid ruffling the feathers of random strangers.

1. Stay to the right – Unless you’re in a country where drivers drive on the left side of the road, push your stroller on the right side of walkways and corridors. Your fellow travelers will appreciate it.
2. Don’t stop in the middle of a walkway – If you have to pause or stop for some reason, try to find a spot where you can pull the stroller safely off to the side. Blocking a walkway when people are behind you waiting to pass is considered bad stroller manners.
3. Use the brakes – Some strollers, especially the twin variety, are plenty big already, and with the weight of the children coupled with the bags/accessories on board, can really pick up momentum when they get going. This can make them hard to stop when a person, barrier, or obstacle is in the way, so use the built-in brakes whenever possible.
4. Let people pass – When traversing a narrow corridor/walkway/sidewalk with people walking towards you, be a sweetheart and let them pass. Don’t hastily try to wedge your stroller past them.
5. Don’t use jogging strollers in the mall – Yes, quality strollers are expensive and you might want your one purchase to be an all-purpose rig. But jogging strollers with the big, spoked wheels are long, cumbersome, and hard to navigate tightly in venues like shopping malls.
6. Don’t let the child push the stroller – This is just asking for trouble. It’s simply a matter of time before the child-guided stroller runs into something or someone, be it a display, mannequin, or unsuspecting jogger, for example.
7. Avoid packed, crowded places during peak hours – Most of us want to, or in fact need to, take our kids with us when we’re out about town. That being said, you should definitely avoid large crowds that are so dense, it’s literally like a sea of humanity that you’re trying to cram your stroller through. Some public places will even have “no strollers” hours posted for that express purpose.
8. Don’t use the stroller as a booster seat in a restaurant – Patrons and servers, especially, need to be able to navigate narrow walkways between tables quickly and easily to effectively do their jobs. A big, unwieldy stroller protruding outward into a tight restaurant aisle way is, frankly, obnoxious. Be considerate of others and just use the booster seats that every restaurant should provide.
9. Use judgement when boarding an elevator – If you enter an empty elevator, park your stroller to the front corner, opposite the floor buttons. This way, you’re off to the side and people can enter and exit easily, plus you’re already in the front when you reach your destination floor. If, on the other hand, you’re waiting to board and you see a packed elevator when the doors open, just wait for the next one rather than try and cram your stroller in.
10. Leave yourself ample time – If you’re pressed for time when toting a baby stroller while out, you’ll be tempted to ignore many of the above etiquette rules. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and plan ahead, leaving yourself more than enough time to get where you have to go and do what you have to do, with time to spare.

For more information on baby stroller etiquette, contact CitySelectStrollers.com: 1.800.758.8580. Also browse our selection of affordable, front-to-back baby strollers, including Baby Jogger’s acclaimed City Select Double Stroller line.