Transporting six children by bike

[chatnoire]

I grew up in a city that is world reknowned for its relationship with the automobile, and we had one in our family for quite some time. My mother would take all 4 of us kids on transit to visit my grandmother 2-3 miles away (by bus) before heading to work, and I recall walking to the store on occasion.

Now, I live in a top 20 bike friendly city, and I can walk to the grocery, ride my bike to the farmers market, yoga, coffee shop, and mass transit, but that's a matter of a house in a good area, rather than the norm. And I don't have to wrangle anyone other than myself (which is hard enough.)

As far as her choice to have 6 kids, it sounds like it wasn't something she was raised to think about, and she seems to be, at some extent, making the best of that "footprint".

[maryellen]

A year or so ago I saw a man transporting 'just' three kids and I was pretty surprised. One in a trailer, one in a child seat behind dad, and one on the handlebars. A mix of admiration and horror that he was brave enough to travel that way in downtown Manhattan. Alas, I did not have the presence of mind to take a photo.