The 5 Moms You're Bound to Meet on the NYC Subway

2. The Guilt Tripper: She may not have the physical strength of The Hulk Mom, but she makes up for it with her emotional cunning, always waiting at the edge of the stairs.
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Riding the subway with your little one(s) is no small feat, and I'll never forget the feeling after doing it for the first time without my husband. It was equal parts pride and exhaustion!

For me, the toughest part is getting in and out of the station because unfortunately, the MTA is not stroller-friendly. There are a handful of stations with elevators out in Brooklyn and yes, the number of stations with elevators or escalators in Manhattan is much higher. But, overall, mass transit in NYC is still shamefully unaccommodating to parents with strollers. Despite this, many have decided to brave the elements and take their tykes on the subway. If you are one of them, I applaud you, brave parent. But beware, here are the five types of moms that you are bound to encounter during your odyssey. Good luck out there!

1. The Hulk

This no-nonsense mom doesn't have time any time to spare, hoisting her stroller (baby included) onto her hip and carrying it quickly up and down the subway stairs. Passersby are impressed, but it ain't no thang for this Iron Mama!

2. The Guilt Tripper

She may not have the physical strength of The Hulk Mom, but she makes up for it with her emotional cunning, always waiting at the edge of the stairs. Her skills of emitting vibes of desperation until a kind stranger offers to help are unknown to most moms. Another of The Guilt Tripper's skills is to icily stare down seated passengers until one of them offers their seat (as they should!).

3. Miss Bossy Pants

This mom cannot be bothered with attempting to lug her stroller up and down the stairs by herself and is not afraid to ask for -- scratch that -- demand help from strangers. Once on the train, you can rest assured she will procure seats for her and her child(ren) without other riders putting up much of a fight. The subway car is her's and her's alone!

4. The Germophabe

Yes, subways tend to be dirty. Yet this mom takes it to a whole new level. For her, the subway is one giant germ-fest and she is like a ninja in her attempts to keep her baby from touching the grimy poles, subway maps, and possibly flu infected strangers. She may keep her baby in the stroller with canopy up and rain shield on, or in a blanket-covered carrier. A mini hand sanitizer can always be found dangling from her diaper bag.

5. Mrs. Too-Good-For-Mass-Transit

Ok, so technically you won't find her on the subway, but we all know the type. She herself wouldn't be caught dead on the subway or the bus, let alone subject her children to the perils of mass transit. For this mama, it's white-glove treatment all the way.

Did we forget any of the subway archetypes that you've met? Let us know in the comments below! And for more original content, check out the Mommy Nearest Mobile App, free for iPhone and Android

Originally authored by Heather Tomoyasu Wilson in the Mommy Nearest Magazine

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