The crowd, the pram and a domino of tumbling bodies

Number one daughter and I ventured into iconic Glebe markets yesterday, located in the inner west of Sydney. We wanted to catch up with some old friends who sell their wares there. Having been marketeers for many years and a part of the Glebe market hub for a few of them, we know how congested it always is. Aisles at one metre wide at the most, people are generally walking through shoulder to shoulder with strangers. Its no place for 2 things, prams and dogs walking on leads.
Generally people are sensible and hold their little canine pal in their arms and parents use slings. Yesterday that didn't happen when both of the two no no's collided that set off a chain reaction. Thankfully no one was badly injured, some beautiful handcrafted stock was destroyed which left one marketeer in tears and another customer with a badly twisted ankle. It could have been avoided.
So what actually happened?
Mum was pushing pram, with screaming baby that was about nine months old. For most babies around this age, the onslaught of the sea of legs is distressing and overwhelming. The pram was blocking access for most people, trying to side step and silently curse around it. Man with dog squeezes through, woman with pram decides no more queue jumping and pushes through, wheels catch the leash. Another person trips on the leash, falling against the owner, who falls against the woman with the pram, who stumbles backwards into the person behind her, who in turn stumbles onto the next person, who is pushed onto a stand. That stand knocks onto another stand that crashes onto a stall of hand crafted ceramic items. The sounds of crashing pottery and cries could be heard through out the market, and some yelling, screaming and cursing promptly followed suit.

Regardless of who's at fault, whether its the man with the dog or the woman pushing the pram, this doesn't help the distraught marketeer who just lost considerable property and income, nor to the poor woman who twisted her ankle and couldn't drive themselves home. Thankfully a couple of marketeers came to the rescue and managed to get both the woman and her car home.

If you are going to a crowded event, do bub a favour, leave the pram in the car and sling it. You'll be more mobile, less frustrated and bub will feel less anxious too, and you might just avert a catastrophe.