Ever since the girls were very little they had a fascination with transit. I am not really sure how much of that was implements from M and I. I remember before T could talk we would watch videos on YouTube of trains driving by. I would find a video of the TGV or the Bullet train or whatever that someone would stand by the tracks or station and video the train moving by. Either slowing into a station or blasting by at full speed. There were videos where people pieced this footage together for 10 or 20 minutes. T was fascinated with them. It took me way too long to realise why don’t I just show her Thomas the Tank Engine. I thought that would be much more interesting when just train is moving. Oh I was so wrong about that. She insisted in her non speaking way that she wanted the regular videos.
There were other times that I would take either T buy or sell or both kids in the stroller up to the long run railroad station in Forest Hills. We always tried to take them out for a walk even in the winter. With T’s interest in the YouTube videos as well as general fascination when we took the subway I had the idea of going to the railroad station. That consisted of us standing on a platform waiting for trains to go by. Since the station by our house was on the main line not all trains stopped. They got the experience of seeing a train shoot by at full speed. They also got to see the train stop and have the doors open. We stood by the front of the train platform so the motor man or a conductor would inevitably wave and say hi. I don’t know any times or how long we did this for however it felt like several months since I recall doing it in the freezing cold and the heat.
It was at least more than one instance where we decided to take the LIRR from Forest Hills to Penn Station and then just return home so the girls could experience the railroad.
When the girls were slightly older and we moved to London one of the first things they wanted to do was ride at the top of a double-decker bus. As luck would have it one of the local buses with a stop very close to a house was a double-decker bus. M and A were able to do that one day when T was in school shortly after we arrived. We have the picture showing how happy A was on that fateful trip. What’s funny is I think they only travelled about one or two stops. It did not matter since A cup to sit in the front had a panoramic view of the world. T was not at all happy since she wanted to do the same. That meant M again took them a stop at you on the bus. The photo of T on that day shows one happy little kid.
Girls love of sitting on the top preferably on the front of the double-decker bus has not changed in over two years of living here. It almost doesn’t pay sometimes to go to the top for a short ride since you have to get up and down the stairs with little kids. It doesn’t matter the girls insist on being up top.
The Tube trainsbe have a sealed front and back. That means you cannot look out the front or back of the training to look at the tracks. The DLR on the other hand has a class front and back where you can sit since there is no driver typically. The train is usually on full automatic and there is only a conductor. I mentioned this once to the girls and they were eager to check it out. Now whenever we take the TLR they insist on going to the front or back (preferably the front). If they can they sit on the knees looking out for they stand in the middle holding onto the handrail looking out the open glass front/back of the train. It is always adorable to watch and inevitably M or myself take a picture two.
There transit fascinations are not limited to local trains either. Since we do not have a car we have taken several overground trains. As far back as our first big trip to Edinburgh the girls have enjoyed walking around on the big trains exploring. I don’t mind taking them up and down the cars to see what’s going on. It is generally pretty boring with lots of the same looking cars. Every so often you get a different one like a first-class card or a café car. Even if I am not supposed to be in a first-class car if I am not paying for a first-class surprisingly people looked the other way when you’re walking around two adorable children. Actually the don’t look away you get a lot of hellos. I generally do that with the girls on the train since M gets a little motion sick walking around a lot while the train is moving.
With all their love of trains and buses are not that interested about being on an aeroplane. They love to watch planes take off and land especially at one of the lounges in Gatwick that has a perfect view of the runway. Once we get on a plane however all they want to do is sit and use their tablet to watch a video. I don’t blame them since we limit a lot on their screen time except when we got on an aeroplane. Our most recent trip had some promise for about 2 minutes when we took off T wanted to take photos of the lights and city scape before being distracted.
I do hope when they get older they still have some appreciation or curiosity about trains and buses. I know I do even now. That is why it is even more enjoyable to experience it with them.