19 month old won't walk where i go?..tantrums!?

My son is 2 and a half and is not allowed out of his stroller in public. I just don't see why a child needs that kind of freedom when they just want to explore. He could care less what you have to say about where you're going. Do you have a stroller? They sell very inexpensive umbrella strollers that he can sit in and you can do all the walking you want with him.