Stroller and wheelchair boarding

Day 60: Stroller and wheelchair boarding. A focused 1-day micro-lesson covering technique, signals, and split-second decisions. Week 9 of the year-long curriculum. Here are the rules for this one. Walk through it with me: a quiet Brooklyn side street after dark. What you do next is the whole lesson. Use the service gate, the bus's kneeling feature, or the elevator. Allow extra time and let the operator know you need the ramp. Carry this into the next intersection you cross. Three things to do. Do 1: Ask the bus driver to deploy the ramp at the curb. Do 2: Use the service gate at subway stations. Do 3: Plan routes around stations with working elevators. Three things to avoid. Avoid 1: Lifting a stroller down subway stairs in a rush. Avoid 2: Boarding before the ramp is fully extended. Avoid 3: Trusting that every station's elevator is in service. Why this matters: Stroller and wheelchair injuries on transit are almost always about hurried boarding without the proper equipment. Risky move: Crossing diagonally through an intersection to save time. Diagonal crossings double your exposure to turning vehicles from every direction. Safe move: Carrying or wearing something reflective on a dark walk home. Reflective gear can double or triple the distance at which drivers see you. Risky move: Crossing while looking down at your phone. You miss turning vehicles, cyclists, and silent EVs. Heads up for the whole crossing. Safe move: Walking on the building side of the sidewalk on a rainy day. Puts more distance between you and splashing or sliding vehicles. Risky move: Assuming a driver sees you because their headlights are pointed your way. Headlights illuminate the road, not driver attention. Confirm with eye contact. Safe move: Stepping back from the platform edge as the train pulls in. Gives you margin against sway, wind, and accidental bumps. Risky move: Stepping into the street to walk around a construction shed. The shed is narrow for a reason. Stay inside it even if it's slower. Safe move: Waiting a full beat after the light changes before stepping off. Late-runners and last-second turners clear the box in that beat. Risky move: Stepping off the curb the moment the hand starts flashing. The flashing hand means do not start a new crossing. Wait for the next steady walker. Safe move: Pausing before a turning SUV until the driver makes eye contact. Confirming the driver sees you is the single best habit at a corner. Risky move: Crossing mid-block in dark clothing at night. You are nearly invisible. Walk to the lit corner and use the signal. Safe move: Looking both ways on a one-way street every single time. Covers the wrong-way cyclist, scooter, or driver you did not plan for. Risky move: Following a runner who crosses against the light. Their gap is not your gap. Decide for yourself at every crossing. Safe move: Using the push button at intersections that have one. It often extends the walk phase — more time to finish the crossing safely. Risky move: Crossing a wide avenue without checking the median for turning traffic. Medians hide left-turning cars accelerating across your second half of the crossing. Safe move: Pulling out one earbud as you approach an intersection. Restoring your hearing restores most of your situational awareness. Risky move: Walking behind a stopped bus to flag a cab. Buses pull out without warning and the next vehicle is often right behind. Safe move: Standing behind the tactile strip until the train fully stops. Keeps you outside the danger zone for sway, suction, and the platform gap. Risky move: Wearing both earbuds at full volume through a busy intersection. You lose horns, sirens, and bike bells. Pause audio at the curb. Risky move: Stepping into a crosswalk while a driver is staring at their phone. If their eyes aren't up, treat the car as if it has no driver. Wait. Watch the clip, then decide which of these reads is the safer call for stroller and wheelchair boarding.