A Sad Day for Stefanie

After our Buggy Board's universal connectors broke while attached to our Maclaren Easy Traveler Car Seat Carrier while venturing out on the Upper West Side two weeks ago, I came to the tough conclusion that the time had come: I need to quit putting off the inevitable and buy a double stroller. 

Finding one equipped for city life is a big deal, and takes months upon months of research (as I like to see it... but it's more like procrastination), considering I put 4-miles on it every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday just taking Gabe back and forth to school in the mornings and afternoons, and then countless more on the weekends when we usually venture to Central Park. 

So, in order to defray the cost of a double stroller (they ain't cheap, folks), I am taking to the city's online yard sale: Craigslist.org in the NYC section of Baby+Kids. 

I have absolutely no emotional attachment to the Buggy Board, pictured above. This piece of crap ---- I mean this contraption ---- has given me countless stubbed toes, made my stroller a fishtailing-hard-to-steer bull, and causes me to lean so far over that my vertebrae beg for me to detach the board within a 1/2-miles walk. It does give my arms a good work-out, I must say, but the anger it causes me is just so not worth it. 

So I'm selling it. Composing the post was easy as pie. Now getting $30 out of what cost me $90 will be the hard part, especially considering the "universal connectors" broke on me. I told the people on Craigslist my dog ate them so they wouldn't realize what a piece of crap this is. (Nevermind the fact we don't have a dog...)

The second ad was the emotional one. It came when I posted a picture of our very first "city" stroller, the Mercedes-Benz of the playgrounds here: Our Maclaren Techno XL, which we have had since October 2006. (Isn't it mentally sick I remember that?) 

With this stroller came acceptance by the parents at the playgrounds, a genuine feeling of "I'm a parent in NYC now" and an even greater sense of pride that we were able to afford its $250 price tag (on sale). The only other somewhat city-friendly stroller we had when we moved here was the $14 Wal*Mart umbrella stroller with a tacky pattern back in Ohio when the nice one we had for Gabe was so big we couldn't get it in our trunk to take back when we visited. 

The Maclaren was well worth it when I look back and realize it has made it through miles of city blocks, countless plane rides and a few vacations... Keeping Gabe comfy and secure. (And my back comfortable.) 

Alas, the time came to post that it was for sale. Here it is, in all of its sad glory... Tears not included.

Maclaren Techno - $35 - NYC

Very sad to see our stroller go... Had a second baby and now need a double stroller. Would love to hang on to this but no room for it in our apartment on top of new stroller. Paid over $200 for this, have had it for two years, cleaned up well and in excellent condition. Maclaren is the best brand... Can't believe I have to get rid of this... Will spare you my emotional posting about a stroller, but this one is worth. E-mail if interested for pick up. Going to go cry now. 

So far, I've gotten 5 replies about this stroller, and I can't bear the thought of getting rid of it... Perhaps I'll sleep on it... One of the interested e-mails told me their wife cried when she had to get rid of their full-size stroller and look into a more city-friendly stroller... I know that feeling.

They must be new here.