Priority for wheelchair when with a buggy

[Hshuznw]

I’m just wondering what the etiquette is when you’re queuing for something and someone in a wheelchair arrives.

I was queuing to use a lift at a train station earlier today and a man in a wheelchair arrived to join the queue, which is what got me thinking. Do I keep my place in the queue, or let the wheelchair user go ahead?

I remember another incident when DS was an infant. I had been using the baby changing table at a coffee shop, which was in the disabled toilets. Whilst I was in there, someone kept trying to get in even though I kept shouting out it’s in use. I leave and there’s an elderly lady waiting to use the loo, with who I assume was her daughter giving me evils, and continued to give me stares until we left.

I’m not talking about priority for the wheelchair space on the bus, but priority in a queue to use a service.

@Goldbar

On public transport the buggy should be collapsed and baby on your knee.

That's fine if the bus driver waits while you do this. At least on London buses, the baby would be rolling around on the floor while you tried desperately to keep your balance and take everything out of the buggy basket in order to fold the buggy. I tended just to walk or wait for the next bus.

Oh give over I folded my pushchair all the time and live in London!

When Ds was a baby without thought I would let wheelchair users go first, often they need more space to manoeuvre into a lift. If there was space we would get in too otherwise we would wait. If it was a long wait I could carry Ds and his buggy down the stairs if push came to shove. A wheelchair user doesn’t have that privilege.

Ds is now 12 and a part time wheelchair user, I am always grateful when someone lets us into the lift first and will do all we can to make sure they can fit in too

@Sirzy Exactly; I think some people imagine a wheelchair user gloating and rubbing their hands together!

In reality, 99.9% of the time, everyone tries to help fit the people who need the lift most into it together, and it's friendly not competitive.

@Innocenta I think you miss understood my post.

@DaisyDeli

I love reading these disabled threads because they are so laughable.

Some very selfish people who are adamant they 'are a special case'. Never mind the people who completely forget the not all disabled people are in a wheelchair.

I don't think I've read anyone saying that they're a special case and so shouldn't give an appropriate priority to someone in a wheelchair, just that not in all circumstances does a need for that priority d dizzy ie bits space vs waiting for the lift in Primak

For the lift I’d usually offer the wheelchair user to go on first as they tend to be bigger and more awkward. On most occasional plenty of room for me to get on after.

For buses etc of course I would move and either fold or wait. I can’t imagine how tough life is for someone in a wheelchair so why make it harder.

Toilets - if I am already changing not much I can do but if a wheelchair user (or someone else who looked desperate) was waiting I would happily offer them to go first. I’ve got a older child (4) and kind people let us queue jump when she was first toilet trained (could get very desperate!)

I'm a wheelchair user and queue like anyone else. If people say that I can go first I point out that I have a seat while waiting and they don't.

Exactly this. As a sometimes mobility aid user I hate it when the baby change is lumped in with the accessible toilet, We deserve one each, not a hodge podge of both ( and the baby change should have a toilet and be big enough to hold a pram < bangs gavel>)

Why just a wheelchair though? And not a mobility scooter or walking stick? Or someone with a hidden disability lanyard? SoMeone with a walking stick or scooter et C doesn't have the choice either ?

As someone with a hidden disability which causes me pain,, irregular movements and loss of balance I cannot stAnd for long, I'm grateful for this courtesy. Thanks so much.

I would let someone who wasn’t a wheelchair user but clearly had mobility problems, either elderly or using other mobility aids, go ahead as standing and waiting can be very difficult for them.

It's really simple. There are two of you. Are you both queuing for something you need? Then it's in order of arrival.

Is one of you queuing for something you'd like to have, but don't need? Does the other person need it? Well, give them your place.

Common courtesy, isn't it?

Out of interest, would people let a person using a walking aid go ahead? Particularly if you could clearly see they were in pain or exhausted?
I can't walk much but I do sometimes like to try and use a crutch. I usually end up in pain and often breathless, but very few people have ever let me go ahead of them.
Sorry to derail slightly, OP. I hadn't thought about it much until reading some of the replies you've had.

This is a really good way of looking at it thanks

The wheelchair goes ahead.

in theory, you don’t need the buggy. You could just use a sling. In practice this isn’t always realistic, but a wheelchair user doesn’t have options.

if it is a particularly wheelchair heavy day, just talk to the next person who is entering the queue and explain with good humor so that you aren’t stuck in an endless purgatory of deferring for the next person in a chair.

Well if you're a decent human being, I assume you'd let the wheelchair go no matter what the 'rules' are anyway? 🤷‍♀️

True I think a decent person would let any disabled person with a mobility need go first.

If I were able bodied then yes I would let anyone using any mobility aid or with any mobility need to first.

with public transport then I think wheelchairs should always have priority. Usually
I can find a bus or book a train seat with priority seating for my non Wc disabilty. But people in wheelchairs the space is so limited, only one WC user at a time can go usually sometimes those in WC are left for hours. So I'm glad for the priority rule there.

but for some of us, non-wheelchair users, a lift is still a necessity, not a choice, and you can't tell by looking if someone needs the lift or not

you cant possible tell that someone can use stairs just because you see them walking about or running

You can actually have a pretty good idea, don't be so obtuse

Have you ever used the tube? It's only recently that lifts are being installed.

The stations that had lifts when built had huge lifts because everyone needed to use them, the newly installed lifts are tiny by comparison.

Section 24 of the public passenger vehicle act states
Bus drivers refusing to allow wheelchair users onto buses where the wheel chair space is either unoccupied or occupied by people who can readily and easily move are committing a crime. They can be prosecuted, be given a fine and three penalty points.