The Great Stroll

In the United States status and personalities can be determined by the cars people drive.

A Red Porsche? You're a old guy who finally has enough money to buy the car you wanted when you were 25 and are hoping no one notices that you're really 30 years older?

A Honda Pilot? You have kids but you still want to be cool so you got something that really is a minivan but is disguised as an all-terrain vehicle that could climb a dirt road up a mountain backwards. You don't have time to go off-roading, but it's nice for people to think you do.

A Toyota Echo? You're young and you're making money, so you think you're ready to show off a new car. Then you realize the prices and see that all you can afford is a new Toyota Echo - and you probably would have been better off with a used Camry.

In Scandinavia, we show status by the baby strollers we push. Strollers range from the Porsche-model, which is roughly the size of an actual coupe and has about as many features - to the econo-fold up model that lasts about 3 weeks before the kid sinks through the seat and onto the pavement. People invest a lot in their baby strollers, with the middle-of-the-line models going for about $1000 new. You can get the three-inch thick wheels, the thermo-ventilation system, the suede interior, the combination bed/stroller/seat, a personalized name plate, a rain cover, and a second basement seat for baby's big sister to sit in.

I have many times mumbled four-letter words at Moms and Dads who careen down the sidewalk, taking up three walking lanes, and pushing pedestrians out of the way. It's like Moses parting the Red Sea, with moms and dads pushing their way through to the Promiseland of IKEA. Strollers are so big here that you half expect a 12-year-old to be laying inside. They're ridiculous. They're overpriced. They're obnoxious. They're impractical.

WE HAD TO GET ONE.




Yes, as soon-to-be parents we now have the power to part the seas of Denmark with our Emmaljunga. We couldn't quite afford the deluxe Porsche model, but we were able to get a used luxury sedan complete with a Thermo-ventilation system on the buggy's floor, a shock-desorption system that allows for constant bounce even when the stroller isn't in motion, a combination baby-bed/seat system to accomodate both baby and toddler, 3-inch thick wheels, rain protection, baby warming bag, and bug screens. As the woman who sold it to us said "This is the Volvo. It has it all."

And so Darwina will be riding in style with her EmmaLjunga Kombivagn. I'm sure Karin (my bike) will feel a little jealous at all the attention Emmaljunga gets, but I will love them both the same.

The infant compartment will double as a bassinet (and even has a rocking feature when not attached the the stroller) for the first few months and the seat should last her for a few years. Until then, Emmaljunga will sit covered in the garage - just like the old guy's Porsche - safe from the dings and dents of the road.