to think that wheelchairs should be priority on buses?

[mamadivazback]

My DS and I were on the bus today coming home from the town when I noticed a woman I vaguely know to speak to in the queue behind about 8 people with her 6YO DD who is in a narrow childs wheelchair and her DP with 2 year old son in small stroller so we waved, as you do.

Now the bus was about half full and 2 girls got on with their children in pushchairs, one with a very large Emmaljunga type and the other with a stroller and both children were happily sitting up by themselves and looked to be about 18 months old but neither thought to fold their pushchair when the lady tried to get her DD on, she had taken her DS out so she could fold pushchair and all sit together but the bus driver told her she could not get on as there were already 2 pushchairs onboard so she had to wait behind in the rain for the next bus.

I know pushchairs are entitled to use the bus but I thought you had to fold them if a wheelchair user was getting on and was quite shocked when the bus driver refused her a ticket, I spoke to her later on and she said it has happened a few times and it's just bad luck but I really don't think it's fair.

mumof2, if you were that stressed/ill/indisposed, why didnt hubby go out and get the food to keep you from starving?

i used to walk everywhere with two babies, was good for me and good for the babies.

I was single

Well done bananasplitz.

You can't walk to a hospital that's 2 bus rides away though.

2 wheelchairs here. We have to take seperate buses. Dh takes dd (severe quadriplegic) on one bus and i wait 20 mins for thenext. Sadly the mobility dla covers the cost of my powerchair (6k) and batteries (£400). Its not free money. Dds coversemergency taxis and getti g to hospital.
Many times ive been told 'take your spastic off the bus' or 'people like that shouldnt be out' by women with prams. My sympathy went years ago. Especially as i had 3 under 3, multiple sclerosis and managed on busesfor years.
I win

In case you are wondering, a powerchair costs about 8k and lasts only 4 or 5 years before its knackered. And you have to buy them yourself.

OIC.
Would be nice for their job description to be changed.
I remember when the driver holding the baby while mum folded pram was the done thing.

That's awful Riveninside, not all women with prams are like that.

I think you do win for getting through all that :L

You're saying pregnant women CAN walk 12 miles with their pram for their weekly scan? lol

I am actually a fan of walking, will walk 5 miles in the best circumstances.

I could say a wheelchair user could wheel themselves down the street rather than take the bus I suppose? No such thing as can't

Rivenside - I would have flipped at anyone showing that attitude people should think themselves lucky they aren't in the same situation.

Buses should be more accomodating for the disabled. Buses here will fit 2 wheelchairs at a push - and if parents with prams do the decent thing and put them down.

If I was on a bus and saw a mother struggling to put her pram down and hold the baby I would happily offer to help her and I am sure many others would to, it shouldn't take bus driver to do it

Top trumps, Riven

mum0ftw0, the reason other passengers don't get asked to get off is that they've paid their fare; they'd have to be refunded if they got off and then you'd get fights about which passenger would get picked.

Whereas someone with a buggy has only paid the fare for herself, not for the buggy. She's not being told to get off, she's being asked to fold up her buggy - it's up to her if she decides (as I usually do) that it's less hassle to get off and walk.

And yes, I think there would be situations in which a gracious wheelchair user might decide that someone needs the space more than them - but that is about individual courtesy and consideration. The general rule is that social harmony is preserved by a consensus over the hierarchy of need: generally, most of the time, wheelchair users need that space more than parents with buggies, a very elderly person needs that seat more than the pregnant woman, my dc should sit on my lap if any adult needs the seat etc. General observation of the conventions, with a little flexibility and plenty of thank yous, make the world go round.

why what?

Can you just remind me what the other choices were other than getting the bus?
Cause the only one I remember is not going and missing out on medical treatment.
I remember having to get several buses in one day to get a chemist that had my iron medicine while being faint and 8 months pregnant and sporting a 2 yr old around, in a pram that wouldn't fold.

Where's the choice?

atinkum is 38 weeks pregnant, is reguarily doing walks of 12 miles, and it takes 2 hours tops.

Bwahahahaha :D Thanks for the laugh.

BTW getting to the hospital for anemia treatment (which causes a lot of tiredness) IS addressing ones' health needs.

I agree hester.

I'm just arguing against those who don't consider the needs of some pram users and think they can just walk or get a sling.

12 miles in two hours at 9months of pregnancy.

That's one mile per 5 minutes, twelve times in a row, that's incredible :)

Altinkum is the most amazing person I know.

I think she wins, sorry guys.

The transport office at the hospital refunded my bus tickets, they only paid for taxis when buses werent available.
I sadly couldn't afford to take taxis all the time.

I'm sorry but it is not possible to walk 12 miles in 3 hours.
I think you must have a different defenition of what a mile is.

Again, getting to the hospital and doctors over my high risk pregnancy which caused exhaustion WAS addressing health issues.

Try having haemoglobin levels of 9.0 while heavily pregnant and come back and tell me a 2 hour walk isn't hard.

I would say you're talking crap, but that's a bit mean, you're really misinformed.

Whatever the rest of the argument altinkum, that's bullshit.

alkinkum you need to think outside of the box, I was in a refuge for DV in a brand new city while in that situation. I had no friends, family or neighbours who I could ask. I was completely alone during pregnancy, because of an ex that caused me to have to leave my home with threats.
I had support workers who were kind enough to come with me sometimes, but they had to use the bus with me, as they werent liscensed to give us a lift in the car.
The bus was the only option.

My limit is walking 5 miles when healthy, and I think that that is a lot.