to think these were old lady bitches?

[deliakate]

on the bus yesterday. So glad I don't live in London - this was only DS's second ever bus journey. He's 21 months, I'm 8 months preg.

So lugged the pushchair on, and went to the area you park them in. Bus was virtually empty, but there were two semi-rotund old ladies sitting on the flip up seats. I politely asked them "excuse me, do those seats flip up so that I can put the pushchair there?". They both said "nooo, dearie". (old means around 65/70 - not doddery 80s in this case)

So everyone else getting on had to squeeze past me, bump, pushchair and a poor guide dog sitting opposite, whose owner was getting very unsettled. Freaking annoying. I got off two stops up the hill, as did the old ladies, at which point the seats flipped up behind them. I shouldn't have, but said to one of them "those seats DO flip up", and she said "I know!". Basically, I asked her why she hadn't moved, and she said the space was for wheelchairs and elderly people as well as pushchairs. I pointed out there were other seats for elderly people too, but nowhere else for a pushchair, and she said I was getting shirty. I just walked off.

It was more amusing than anything, but seriously, can't some people remember what it was like to be pregnant/ have a toddler?

[deliakate]

This wasn't in London. That was just an aside, as I've read so many complaints from actual London dwellers re. prams/pushchairs on the bus. I would do as the poster below if I did, and work out a walk to avoid that. It used to be bad enough with just my work bag.

[HipHopOpotomus]

I'm 39 weeks pg - been on 5 buses last few days with 3 year old. Not one seat offered though usually I've got one right at the back - with dd, scooter, picnic bag etc. One up the front wld have been appreciated.

Nevermind - every shop, cafe etc I go into the ladies serving me make a huge fuss - so all balances out at the end! :)

[slowshow]

I think they were mean. Can't understand why they would choose to sit on the flip-up seats instead of a normal seat - they're usually MUCH more uncomfortable. Pretending that the seats didn't flip up was just malicious.

[olderandwider]

Pensioner + seat = immoveable object.


Newton's First Law of Public Transport

[doley]

This story is why I gave up using buses in London .

I walked regularly from Wimbledon to Putney Heath ~just to avoid the hassle ~even when pregnant !

Not suggesting OP should have done that ,but I decided to be done with bus politics many years ago

[whomovedmychocolate]

I read that as she stayed on a bit further than she paid for Bucharest - actually I don't care one way or another. Another example of both parties managing to reinforce the others stereotype though

But hey at least they were riding the bus and not parks in P&T spaces

[MissBetsyTrotwood]

Yes, Peachy I think you're right. I'm just being stroppy!

Am off for a and to survey the state of my trashed easter holiday house that a herd of buffalo 5 yos rioted through today. My and my friend's 'trash and leave' policy for each other's homes has come home to roost.

[BugsnBites]

OP YANBU. And if anyone qualifies for priority seating, it's a heavily pregnant woman with a toddler. They were bitches, you called it right.

[worraliberty]

You don't have to use the Oyster card on London buses...it just costs a lot more if you don't.

[HipHopOpotomus]

Old beeches indeed! As there were loads of other seats you should have just said "excuse mr I need to get the buggy in there, thanks" in loud clear voice with a smile.

You sure you were on London though / it's been years since I've seen anyone fiddle with change on a London bus. :)

[PeachyAndTheArghoNauts]

Didn't she mean that people in London tend to use buses / tube a lot more due to the combination of congestion and the existence of decent public transport (what? rural, moi? never )

That's all I read it as, anyway.

IME bus drivers these days are simply programmed to avoid confrontation. here you chuck money in a box, there's no change or anything, they don't help, tell you anything even if you ask, even ackknowledge you, and they simply punch a ticket button and you get on.
They would't tell anyone to move or even pretend they'd seen. And after being left to walk 7 miles one december night many yearas ago (heck before I was pregnant with ds3 and he's 7.5 now!) with 2 todlers and a single buggy, alongside a main road with no paths, it's quite good in some ways that drivers don;t pay attention and just drive past assuming full like they used to.

[RunAwayWife]

She was being a bitch and should have moved those are wheelchair spaces that can be used by buggies if not needed by a wheelchair, they are not for fat old ladies to sit on.

IT IS NOTHING TO DO WITH LIVING IN LONDON THOUGH

[worraliberty]

What the actual fuck does that have to do with living in London?

And to be fair, if you were causing an obstruction the bus should never have moved. It's down to the driver to make sure passengers are travelling properly.

[MissBetsyTrotwood]

Oh fabulous, another London basher. Because people are never rude anywhere else in the country, are they?

You don't get buses much. You've been unlucky. I get the bus with the DSs plus pushchair every day and, generally, people are more accommodating than that.

It is hard to be out when heavily pregnant with a lo though. While I don't think they were being 'bitches', (they were right, they did have as much right to sit there as you did to put the pushchair there) I do think people soon forget how hard it is. I hope the rest of your day was less stressful.

[GandTiceandaslice]

TYPOS.
GAH.

[GandTiceandaslice]

Excuse my tyops.

[GandTiceandaslice]

I remember once oh a half empty bus, a person refused to move. So I got my pushchair in. The baby kicked him for the entire journey. And I dodn't stop him.
If there is space, people who don't need those seats should move.

[PeachesandStrawberry]

Oh dear LyingWitch

Chill.

OP YANBU

[deliakate]

They were kinda calling themselves old by saying they should sit there due to their elderly status. I certainly didn't call them bitches to their faces, but I still think that's what they were.

[hmmSleep]

My Dad always calls pushchairs trolleys, I always thought he was a bit odd, but it would seem it's just that he is Mancunian.

Oh, and YANBU, they were rude.

[FlamingJamie]

BTW - I talked to her about what she was holding and about her shoes (the toddler, not the mum). I did not merely tell her to shut up.

[FlamingJamie]

Spoc - nah - smack round the chops. Ackchewly I got down to her eye level and spoke in my best Joyce Grenfell posh-and-animated voice and she magically desisted. I would have looked aright banana if it hadn't worked as the whole bus was listening in. And then I had a lovely conversation with her harassed mum.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

You're unreasonable, OP and your first post stinks.

You assume that ladies between x and y age are not doddery - how would you know?
You assume that because the bus was stationery that the ladies would have felt confident and limber enough to move, not knowing when the bus suddenly would move. I've seen elderly people start and/or fall when buses move suddenly and they break bones easily.
You assume that you have a right to the flip up space because of your buggy - you don't. What about people with large suitcases/backpacks or wheelchairs. Would you have moved if somebody with a non self-limiting condition had needed the flip up space?

You're pregnant, with a toddler, people should have consideration for others who might need the special area/seats, but you're the one with the unbelievable sense of entitlement and you have the affrontery to refer to elderly women as 'bitches' so anything you said after that means not a lot really.

[TallulahBetty]

That is so rude! YADNBU!

[PeachyAndTheArghoNauts]

And yes- parents would be well annoyed to be called old LOL! Dad would have cheerfully helped fold buggy and then carried shopping whilst entertaining baby..... at almost 70 he is far fitter than me, even with a dodgy leg he managed to cycle to his manual (inustrial cleaning) job.

The age at which you can be old, it seems to me, is somewhere between about 27 and 91 (coz Grandad is 91 next month and pretty adept- driving, independent, although Aunt is miffed he has let his agrden go a bit ), personality driven more than number of accrued years!