That sign with the wheelchair

Before June 21, I've never really paid much attention to the sign with the wheelchair in the subway stations...nor did I pay attention to the square structure with the glass walls sticking up from the sidewalks...no, not the fancy apple store in midtown...I'm talking about the elevators that lead you down to the subway stations.

In my anticipation to my June 21 trip out to Chinatown with Ethan in stroller for the very first time on subway, I googled stroller/wheelchair accessibility in the train system. I tried to picture myself carrying the stroller, bumping it up and down the stairs. I even practiced it in our apartment building stairwell. Although my husband and everyone else told me that I will get help from people, I couldn't depend on that. What if I just happened to be the ONLY person in the train station. I mean...that's never happened in my whole entire life, but I'm a what if kind of person. So I needed a plan. I used hopstop app to find wheelchair/stroller accessible ways to get from my home in Queens out to Chinatown. The app gave me some really convoluted ways to get there (one involving hiking half hour to the nearest accessible train station!). I also looked on mta’s website…which actually proved quite handy! Props to the mta! Updated, it showed me that there is an accessible subway entrance MUCH closer than what hopstop told me. So I ventured out…super nervous, but focused and determined!

It actually was like a walk in the park! I did have to go almost totally out of my way to get to those elevators in the subway stations, and some of them didn’t smell the greatest (but they do try to cover up the pee pee stink with some leftover perfume/cologne concoction). I wasn’t going to complain. I just kept my eyeballs on the baby’s hands and feet to make sure he wasn’t touching any part of that elevator! I almost made it all by myself! I was so proud! Just one more elevator up to the street on Canal St, and I’m done! I got out of the train, happily pushing the little boy down the platform, slowing down to let the rush of tourists pass by me…when I saw…THE BIG OUT OF SERVICE SIGN ON THE ELEVATOR!… WHAT THE….I almost made it!!! I actually got a little fumed inside. And I thought about the people who really needed that elevator…people in wheelchairs? People with walkers or canes? 

I stood there dumbfounded. An elderly man looked at me and offered to help but admitted that he really couldn’t do much to assist. Thank goodness there was a nice woman that offered to help, and I so happily accepted! (Hint: when someone is helping you carry the stroller UP the stairs, its best to go first with the handles so you’re going up backwards and let the good samaritan take the front end of the stroller going forwards. I wasn’t very smart. The way I had it, Ethan was at this really strange tilt, but he got up the stairs!) I wanted to give this lady a hug. :)