Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to be annoyed, or was she right?

46 replies

Samedi · 21/04/2011 00:04

I was walking along a busy pavement in town- crowded, people in and out of shops etc. I had baby in the front of a Phil and Teds, which is obviously quite a long buggy. A couple walked out of a shop and started walking next to the buggy, and gradually head more towards the road, next to the buggy pushing me out more and more. I can't slow or stop as there are lots of people behind me. The man of the couple suddenly steps toward the road to avoid people in opposite direction, the woman does too as he is 'forcing' her out, I try to keep buggy on the path but the wheels fall off the pavement! Heart stops, a van was heading my way but fortunately very slowly and stopped straitaway.

The thing was she never touched the buggy- she stepped sideways suddenly after gradually moving out, and I reacted instinctively. My heart is thudding now thinking of it, the buggy going off onto a very busy road. I reacted, I'm sure I shouldn't have but I just said 'Do you mind not pushing my buggy off the path' and she said 'I didn't touch it, you were trying to rush round me'. No I wasn't, I was walking! She stopped so I went around her and yes then I did run a bit cos I wanted to be past her and I was pretty upset.

Anyway. I know I'm the one in charge of the buggy, if I had just stopped dead I'd have a had a ton of people pushing into my back or being pissed off but baby would have been safe. I just did what I did automatically. I don't know, she did not touch the buggy in any way yet still I feel she was at fault. But I don't know! If there had been fewer people behind me I would have slowed or stopped but at the time it wasn't an option.

OP posts:

Tee2072 · 21/04/2011 07:56

I am not sure why you didn't say 'Excuse me, you're crowding my buggy, can you please step around?'

Or even stop short. So what if people run into you?

I think you were being very PA and U.

RitaMorgan · 21/04/2011 07:57

I don't understand what was happening either - people were walking behind you and to the side of you, no one touched you but they got a bit closer than you'd like and you panicked and went into the road?

I've never been on a pavement that was so busy I couldn't have slowed my pace! Was this Oxford Street on Christmas Eve? If not YABU!

TheSecondComing · 21/04/2011 08:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

weegiemum · 21/04/2011 08:12

The best thing is when you have a buggy with an articulate child! My dd2 spent a couple of years in a Major buggy due to a hip problem and when she wasn't sitting reading a book in the buggy (freakd paople out) she was a running commentary on people's rudeness ("Doesn't that lady know her bag is hitting me in the face", "no, I'm, not lazy I have Perthes disease, didn't you hear me, lady" etc).

I'm so glad she is mobile again but it was fun while it lasted, and if this summer she is back in a wheelchair (surgery looming!) then I expect her 7 year-old self to be even more bolshy than she was at 5!.

IThinkNot · 21/04/2011 08:13

yabu This was a bit of a non-event surely? Are you ok in yourself? this really isn't something to get stressed over.

JustCallMeGrouchy · 21/04/2011 08:15

Rusty I may look into one thank you .Need option for ds as no voice to ask people to move out his way though being typical 5 yo he occasional forgets though when he needs to he can stop fast but he forgets

Me well I have a foghorn voice anyway but will need to work some to catch up on his propelling skills

NestaFiesta · 21/04/2011 08:16

exoticfruit- like Diddl said- not every can use a sling! my son weighs 26lbs and I'm asthmatic. Can't breathe with that weight on my chest and a lot of people who use pushchairs have toddlers who are 2 or 3 years old. I know some people are marvellous and use slings with 4 year olds, but it's rare and most of us just can't. if you are pregnant and have a toddler, a pushchair is your friend, not a sling!

OP- YANBU. There's a traffic flow etiquette on pavements as sure as there is on roads.

JustCallMeGrouchy · 21/04/2011 08:20

Weegie

ds can't articulate but his sister will for him and will often ask people to move their bags

And since I'm joing the wheeled brigade I dam well can articulate and will do so.But on the whole people when asked politley do move .it's the sudden dart in frontera that get me .Then they complain when their ankles get hit

When self propelling it gets knackering starting and stopping when you lose rhythm

exoticfruits · 21/04/2011 09:22

Sorry-agreed- not everyone can use a sling, but really should you be out in a crowded shopping place if you can't slow down or stop? These huge contraptions are OK for wide open spaces but if you are in towns you need something small that you can nip in and out of small spaces. If you really want a huge thing you could pick up a small one really cheap- second hand.
If you insist one you can't control then you have to put up with passers by who have no idea of the difficulty.

Animation · 21/04/2011 09:30

I'm also visualising Oxford Street at peek Christmas shopping time.

cory · 21/04/2011 09:36

Having just pushed a wheelchair through the Alhambra I too find it difficult to visualise a place that is so crowded that you cannot slow down or stop. Why not just turn and smile at the people behind you and say "excuse me"?

You panicked, you had a scare, nobody came to any harm, end of story.

exoticfruits · 21/04/2011 09:37

It sounds like a giant tanker-perhaps you need a sign saying 'keep clear I need half a mile to change course'!!

exoticfruits · 21/04/2011 09:38

Or perhaps you could spend some time practising and learning to turn!

exoticfruits · 21/04/2011 09:40

With the wheelchair I kept apologising and telling people that I was a learner and they were all really nice and helpful.

ayeayecapn · 21/04/2011 09:48

What Guitargirl said. No-one pushed you, no problem except of your own making. Just stop and wait next time, of course you can stop when there are people behind you, there's no legal stopping distance for pedestrians. Take charge!

vintageteacups · 21/04/2011 09:48

I have to say, I do think people should be far more courteous to people with buggies/prams/small children.

She was obviously oblivious to you and the buggy and she should have been more aware that she was pushing you (albeit not physically) towards the road.

In future, I'd make sure I was completley away from the road and to be honest, just stop and stand still - unlike you imagine, the people behind would have just had to stop and go around you.

They were BU in that they were two grown adults who had no buggy; they should have neem more aware and not walked in your way but people are rude.

Quenelle · 21/04/2011 09:48

Sounds to me like you've a bit overreacted because you had a fright. These things happen on busy pavements, no point in apportioning blame.

hocuspontas · 21/04/2011 09:53

I think you have to be aware that most 'older' people don't realise that buggys have practically doubled in length and the front is below eye level. I have been caught unawares and have stepped backwards into a long buggy behind me in a queue although I was aware of a mother with a buggy I instinctively imagined a normal buggy and thought I had enough room to shuffle back. She gave me a filthy look even after profuse apologies on my part.

DuelingFanjo · 21/04/2011 09:57

sounds to me like you can't win. If you had stopped then the people behind would have been pissed off. IMO they, as the 'traffic' joining the hustle and bustle, should have given way.

yanbu

cat64 · 21/04/2011 13:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

firstsupermum · 21/04/2011 20:47

oh, i heat the people who stoped in the middle of the paivment its really not nice, even if i'm not with the pram, i realy dont understand how people think, they just stop and keep talking or deciding what to do, whitout relizing they are bloking the way

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread