Tightslot, unless some posts have been deleted here, I'm not sure what you are talking about. Nobody in this thread has shown any "callous disregard" for the safety of others (with the possible exception of the chloroform proposal, which I admit gave me a chuckle). I'm new here and no doubt it's not my place to criticise moderators, but your last post struck me as a rather unwarranted and unjustified interjection into what has so far been a lively and informative discussion of the pros and cons of various practices for managing buggies and travel with small children. We have had perspectives from those with children and those without, and some strong opinions have been aired, but all in the spirit of courteous debate and respect for others.
Nobody has suggested that airline staff be put at risk of injury for their own personal convenience. A number of posters, myself included, have questioned whether there is a genuine safety risk involved in delivering buggies at the gate. There are three reasons for doubt on this:
1. Many perfectly respectable airlines do it, with no trouble, at the same airports as the ones that do not. Why do they not perceive the same risk to their staff?
2. Most parents carry buggies up and down stairs daily, in all weathers, for years without injury. Buggies are designed to be carried easily and safely when folded - that's the whole idea.
3. Some airlines (BA was mentioned above) collect buggies at the aircraft door on boarding, but deliver at the carousel. Why is it not dangerous to carry buggies down the stairs, but is dangerous to carry them up?
If, as another poster mentioned, the stairs are metal, narrow, steep, wobbly, etc, then the safety problem is with the stairs, regardless of what is being carried on them. This should certainly be fixed, but has nothing to do with the buggy issue. If the stairs can be safely negotiated carrying a sportsbag, tool box or flightcase, they can be safely negotiated carrying a buggy.
But in the end it comes down to this: no airline is forced to offer a delivery-at-gate service for buggies, just as no airline is forced to offer reclining seats, meals, in-flight entertainment, or any other service for the convenience of their passengers. They choose to do so because they believe it is what passengers want, and will therefore help win their custom. (It is interesting that my own best buggy service experiences have been with a top-shelf traditional airline (SQ) and a famously stingy low-cost carrier (EZY).) Whenever I travel with my baby daughter, I will choose an airline that offers the delivery-at-gate service - and it would take quite a steep price difference to overcome the value (to me) of this convenience.
The only thing I ask is that airlines make their buggy policies clear at time of booking. Would it be so hard for a message to pop up when you book an infant ticket saying "We regret that buggies will have to be checked in" or whatever?