The ghostly nature of the modified stroller seems to reference bicycle memorials that have appeared in recent years in various cities, but according to a  NYT article about the spectral stroller, there’s no evidence that any babies died at this particular intersection.

“Every day my kids say, ‘What does that mean? Did a baby die?’ ” said Lauren Abrams, a midwife who lives on Union Street and was chatting with Mr. Rudnick and Ms. Bernstein. “Usually I cop out and say I don’t know what it is.”

“We don’t know what it is!” Mr. Rudnick reminded her.

Well, we at Pram Watch most certainly know “what it is”.  “It” is an Inglesina Zippy, an excellent stroller by any measure.

What does it mean symbolically?  The NYT article speculates:

.  .  .  the ghost stroller, in its bulk, feels more like an assault, possibly a deliberate upending of the Park Slope dream of better parenting through good taste.

Pram Watch does not hesitate to point out how misguided this sentence is.  It is not possible to associate “bulk” with an Inglesina Zippy; it is the leanest possible machine.  “Upending” of parental good taste?  Nonsense; if anything this piece immortalizes the good taste and sensible consumerism manifest in the choice of the practical Zippy as an infant cart.

Pram Watch does not claim to comprehend any greater symbolism incarnated here, but we humbly suggest that perhaps it’s the stroller, itself, that has died, and the flowers simply a tribute to a beloved workhorse, now removed forever from service.

Or maybe it’s just “art”.  For sure, deep colors look cool against matte white.  However, we disapprove; destruction of a fine pushchair in the name of art is never acceptable.  The “assault” here is upon a fine, wholly innocent, stroller.

Via daddytypes, who rightfully calls out the NYT for its reporter’s exemplary use of the word  “etiolated”

Image from Fucked in Park Slope (“Serving Park Slope since the great depression of 2008″), which credits @aboutmattlaw (but offers no link)

And special thanks to Cully

Update:  NYT gets the story on the 16th, Gothamist reports the stroller trashed — trashed!!!! — on the 17th.  Sic transit gloria.

Yes, that is a cute little baby skull.  Adorned with Swarovski “crystals” if I am not mistaken.  The Rock Stars in question?  Bon Jovi and Tico Torres.  And you thought I was odd.

Image from Rock Star Baby

The website’s a bit of a mess, scripting errors show up in the browser, there’s no product description, and this item (number CK412) is listed at 17.99 USD and at 21.99 USD, but the idea is kind of fun.  The watch face is a little oversized, but it hints at Inglesina’s former pram body:

I’m guessing this is made of plastic or resin, perhaps with a cloth hood.  The detail on the hood, and the traditionally-designed dual-sized wheels (which allegedly turn!) are nice touches.

Although product and shipping prices are given in US dollars, repairs and replacements require returning items to Vancouver, Canada, which is a bit odd – and not really a reasonable option for a $20 or so item if you’re posting from the US.   Nonetheless, it might be a nice little conversation piece, whether it turns out to be a useful timepiece or not.

This can get quite amusing if you happen to hit the wrong button when requesting the translation.  After entering Bebe Confort’s Italian site into the URL box on Babelfish, I accidentally hit the button for ‘translate from French to English’.  (“Poussette” is French for pushchair/stroller;  I was thinking in French, even though I was actually looking at Italian, probably because “poussette” actually  appears in the Italian URL.)  Here’s what turned up:

“Idiot you, the vita E bleated.” Got my comeuppance, didn’t I? (I’m keeping a much closer eye on my vitamins now, just in case.)

Part of the problem, of course, is that advertising is inherently idiomatic, and automatic translators can’t quite get that right.  Here’s Babelfish’s translation if you push the correct ‘Italian to English’ button:

I like this one a lot better, but it’s not nearly as funny.

Here’s the original Italian, for those of you who read it:

In English, that sentence would better translate as “With you, life is beautiful.” But that phrase is a bit of a minefield itself, since, in English at least, it can’t help but recall the Roberto Benigni film about the Holocaust.  Which is perhaps not exactly the association you want if you’re selling a stroller.  Especially if you’re trying to sell it to people who might have found Benigni’s film offensive or insensitive.

I’m not sure it works even in Italian, cultural references aside, since it appears that the “you” referred to is the stroller, as in “With you, Loola, life is beautiful”.  Even I don’t talk to my strollers like this — but hey, that’s advertising.   I’m sure it looked good at the agency meeting. As it happens, the English site is completely different.  It’s just as well.

Conflating several languages is, of course, problematic in general.  For another example, check out this image of a power-mad infant.

I thought so.  I recognized its Combi-wonderfulness from across the room.  (Asian art museum, San Francisco, if you must know.)    Identifying it was another matter, but diligent web sleuthing turned up everything I needed to know.  Combi makes Savvy-like walkers/carts for the Asian market.  This one’s the Konbikyarisurun N (a version of the “Surun” or “Silver Car”):

Combi claims that it’s not necessary to remove the shopping when folding or carrying the cart; you can easily attach a cane or umbrella, and the front wheels can be fixed or remain in the swivel position, depending on the terrain.  See the little side bars below the storage pouch?  That’s where the seat rests if you need a break, are at a sporting event, or waiting for the bus.  Oh, and the handle height is adjustable.

It’s yours for 20,790 yen, which translates out to something over 200 USD, plus shipping from Japan, if you’re paying in USD.  For 27,090 yen, you can get it with “oil dampers braking”.

The front tires are curious:

They’re designed to go over curbs, hoses and miscellaneous bumps without causing a tumble.  Other models include variations on the shopping bag, including a thermal cooler under the seat.  You can see all the variations on this page.  (You may want a web translator, or the assistance of a Japanese friend while checking it out.)

The sad news is that it’s not available in the USA, and there are no plans, at least at the moment, to market them here.  (I emailed, and got a charming Engrish reply.  I can only hope my Japrish was half as good.)

So why am I posting this on a pram blog?  I’m glad you asked. Call it “industry trend-watching”.  Combi has historically made very compact, very portable strollers with a clever (and distinctive) fold, which are widely available in the US.  The international company acquired a “wellness” division, from whence these walkers/carts have sprung.  It’s not much of a stretch from strollers to walkers, when you think about it.  It’s all mobility, of one kind or another.

Combi is not the only corporation to hop on this particular bandwagon:  According to The Guardian (UK), Dutch stroller maker Bugaboo is also entering the disability market.  Target date for what The Guardian calls Bugaboo’s “pimped-up version of a walking frame” is 2012.  (It could have been worse; The Guardian could have called it a “Frog Walker”, which would have been REALLY unkind.)

It will be interesting to see how this develops; healthcare delivery is an economic sector that grows and grows as populations age; baby making tends to slow during economic downturns.  (Parental willingness to spend $1000 on a stroller does, too.)  Manufacturing strollers and walkers together looks like the same kind of business plan an enterprising small business owner might develop:   Lawn mowing, say,  in the summer, combined with snow blowing in the winter.  Smart.

The car is a Renault Clio, a cute little electric hatchback from 1996, and, yes, tiny battery-powered vehicles have been around in Europe for quite a while.   The barnvagn (it may be a stroller, rather than an actual pram) is on a bike rack.     This would work very nicely with that Golf  GTI you gave up (though you’d still be buying gas). Perhaps you can solace yourself by noting that you now have definitive proof that no one needs a minivan to parent.

Source:  Renault Clio Electrique – 96

This thing’s a tank!  Get a look at those tires!  And yes, folks, this stroller runs on clean, rechargeable batteries:

A Swedish SME has developed an electrical motor drive for twin baby carriages so that the effort for the parent to move the carriage is reduced. The motor drive operates on the front wheel pairs and the speed is controlled with a handle that is conveniently placed on the carriage.

I don’t know that they’re looking for investment capital, but the page, not to mention the site name – “Invenia” (doesn’t that mean “invention” in some non-English language?) – seems to hint in that direction.  Contact information right on the page, should you require it.

Source: Motor-assisted carriage eases the parents [sic] work on Invenia.es

It’s got a nice proto-alien look going for it, doesn’t it?

Peekaru for two.

Convenient, no?

Credit: Flickr, The Pramman

Life magazine reported that, in 1949, this cycle shop’s inventory was nearly 50% greater than in 1948.  Yes, a cycle shop was probably where you’d go to buy your pushchair or pram.  Now it’s where you go to get your Bugaboo tires re-inflated.  What goes around, comes around, eh?

Source: Life archives