to feel absolutely disgusted by what just happened on the bus?

[BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte]

On the bus with DH, toddler DD (19 months) in pushchair and newborn DS (17 days) in sling. Travelling through bog standard, middle class suburbia.

As we board, bus driver snaps that we'll either have to fold the pushchair or get off now. As we're fumbling to fold the pushchair whilst clinging onto a tired and wailing DD, other passangers are elbowing past and paying no attention to DS whom I'm trying to protect, and the bus driver is shouting at me to hurry up.

Nobody at all offers DH or DD a seat, and the only person to offer me one is a woman of at least 70.

Having an ashamed-to-be-British moment.

I thought most people gave up a seat for a toddler + parent, obv if they were able bodied.

Also forgot about the time i was denied a place on a bus with a sick newborn as someone had an elctric scooter in the pram bay. The driver refused to ask him to move so i waited for the next bus. Pram bays are a nightmare. They should not provide them if people are unable to use them. It makes me laugh 'dedicated easy access bus' then you cant get on as the driver has no rights to ask people to move.

What's all this struggling with folding buggies? If you're a public transport user do you not make it your business to have a simple fold buggy?

I drive everywhere but when we went to London for a week we made sure we got the easiest folding, lightest buggy for hopping about on trains and buses. Was therefore very easy and no hassle at all.

Obviously a lot of women on here can hold onto three small kids, 14 bags of shopping and fold a double buggy all by themselves whole juggling, but I'd have got all stressed with the faff too. And a bloke standing carrying a toddler while having to hold on as the bus driver swerved and braked ( on purpose)? Come on, someone should have offered him a seat!

I used to be able to fold a double pushchair with my foot and my elbow while holding a baby and a toddler.

But NOT in the first 17 days. It takes time. The early days are overwhelming.

Fab - you are knackered and you have just had a baby so your hormones will be all over the place. I hope you are ok.

I do think there is a point, especially in London, about people choosing the wrong type of buggy for the kind of journeys they will be making. But that's nothing to do with the OP. And I'd still help someone. Even simple fold buggies can be a bugger when you are being hassled.Mine always used to have brake failure on buses and the wheels would suddenly take on a life of their own

Puppy - I can hold onto 5 kids whilst knitting with my toes and juggling falming torches.

Where I live - in the North - women with young children or pregnant do get offered seats. However I would hesitate before offering help to fold a buggy. My children are grown up so I would feel out of my depth if I tried to fold a buggy these days.

I would be happy to hold someone else's child, but I wouldn't offer to unless the parent looked very friendly which is unlikely when someone was harassed.

I'm not saying this is you OP - but I think some mothers don't want interference e.g. strangers offering "helpful hints", strangers touching their baby, etc; but want help from strangers when they are struggling. I don't think this is realistic.

Either you see your baby/child as part of a community and accept that strangers will interact with your child without your permission and offer help. Or you see your child as belonging to you and strangers should mind their own business. In which case people will be reluctant to help.

flaming torches

YANBU - people should have given you a bit of space to do what you were asked to do (rather than josling). And no one should shout at another adult, especially one who is paying for their employer's services.

It is of course reasonable to ask you to fold the pushchair on a busy bus. You should have held DD's hand whilst you DH did that. But pushing and shoving and shouting not very considerate at all.

No, I don't agree, worra

I do not think there is ever any excuse for rudeness. Although it is much harder for the bus driver to deal with than a member of the public who can ring and complain.

I just don't see why we should 'accept' rudeness on any level. Unfortunately, if you do work within the public service, anywhere, it seems today that anyone can talk to you any way they like, and get away with it. "The customer is always right" taken slightly out of context, methinks.

Well, these days it seems as if everytime you go OUT in public you can expect to be abused by someone........

Anyway......get over to my Happy thread, I think lots of people must have forgotten on Wednesday ?

Amateur.

If you were really good, you'd juggle the babies while knitting with flaming torches.

I thought you couldnt use lightweight puschairs for a newborn. Its not as easy as just folding the pram. Theres the baby, the pram, the shopping and the other kids.

Stottiecakes, where was someone meant to move the electric scooter to exactly? Those things are usually fairly big and not easily manuverable. Unlike small babies and pushchairs.

Also, the reason someone needed a scooter in the first place might make it quite difficult for them to move something as big and heavy as a scooter on a confined space like a bus.

Fifis, what did you expect the man to do with his mobility scooter? I didn't think they were 'pram bays', the buses I go on say that you are welcome to use your buggy in this space, but if a disabled or elderly person needs the space please fold it down.

The buggy is for the 19m old not the newborn who was in a sling.

x posted with bubblecoral!

It was a kids electric scooter with a 10 year old