to write a letter of complaint

[GingerLa]

Im not one for complaining, never have been and to be honest am not even sure If complains are taken seriously at big companies so really is there much point?

Got the bus this morning to meet my sister and take our 2 lo's to playgroup anyway Im sure those of us who use public transport know how difficult it can be travelling by bus with a lo.

The bus driver had been particularly grumpy and rude up to this point but some are so I didnt take much notice until he turned n shouted 'Oi, put your push chair down' I didnt reply immediately as I didnt expect him to speak to me like that. Id already moved into the aisle with my 'quite small' pushchair and was talking with the lady who had been sat near me as we had moved to make room for the wheel chair to manouver in and there was still room for my pushchair.... He shouted again and said will you fold your pushchair down.. my immediate reaction was no, (not out of being selfish or awkward but there were no seats I wouldnt be able to hold my pushchair, toddler ds who was already fed up, bags, coats etc on a bus that had no seats and with a driver who had been going quite fast, n we were still far from where I needed to b)

Anyway with that e looked at me in disgust and turned to the person in the wheelchair n ppl with her and said sorry, I cant let you on, she (nodding at me) wont even put her pushchair down for you to get on!!! he repeated that to the others waiting alongside the person in the wheelchair when they protested. I was still baffeled, as were ppl around me so the next I knew one of the women who had been waiting had got on the bus and walked up to me (still stood in the aisle) and said.. well move then, what am i meant to do with you stood there.. move now!! clearly influenced by the way the driver had spoken about me.....

Now I moved back where I had been and the bus driver drove on an continued being an idiot but he made me feel horrible and even worse made me look this way infront of my ds who understood everything.. I know this may be small fish for some but I do all I can to help ppl n would never ever be so insensitive! Others on the bus were shocked by the drivers actions and the annoying fact is Ive been on buses with a wheelchair and pushchair on them and they fit ok... dependant on type of wheelchair and as I work in a hospice I know the wheelchair that wanted to get on was small enough to fit!

So do I complain or is it not worth it?

I didn't think you were allowed to block the aisle on a bus? (other than with stood people obviously!) so really you should have put the pram down.

The driver does sound like he was rude though!

I would have only blocked the aisle while the wheelchair manouvered on to the bus and then have been in the space for prams.

Wheelchair ALWAYS has priority over pushchairs, whatever the size of either.

You should always be prepared to fold your buggy, and bear that in mind when deciding to use public transport.

However he should not have spoken to you in that way.

I think you should have put the pushchair down and made room for the wheelchair.

i think it was awful behaviour on your part, not putting a buggy down for a disabled person

Refusing to folld your pushchair does mean that someone in a wheelchair will not be allowed on.

YABVVVVU

When I'm on the bus and a someone in a wheelchair is about to get on I always fold it down, even if I think there is room for both, so that they have all the room they need to manouevre. The bus driver probably spoke rudely to you because he thought you were being selfish.

When the bus driver (who, lets face it, is in charge of the bus) told you to put the pushchair down you should have done it.

It's not just about the w/chair being safe. From experience, a buggy can be squashed if it's been put between the wheelchair user and the seats.

I think you were both at fault. Nobody should have been rude though.

However, I remember a thread from Riven a while ago about how someone wouldn't fold down their buggy for her DD in a wheelchair, and I think everyone really did think the mother with the buggy should have been more obliging.

Wheelchair trumps buggy every time. YABU. I have a toddler, two when I am working and still would put down the buggy if a wheelchair user needed to get on the bus - either that, or get off (mid journey if necessary) and wait for the next bus.

Your 'quite small' pushchair was big enough to mean the wheelchair user couldn't get on in the eyes of the driver, if he tells you to put the buggy down, you put the buggy down.

Wow so when the bus driver said the disabled person couldn't get on, you still didn't fold down your pushchair? That's shocking behaviour tbh.

If you 'knew' there would have been space then surely you could have put your buggy down, let the wheelchair on and then if there was space put it back up? I very much doubt the driver was as much of an 'expert' on these things as you and was correctly trying to give the wheelchair priority.

IF you had done the right thing I would have hoped someone else on the bus would have given up there seat so you didn't have to stand.

seriously??? You stayed on the bus while the driver drove off leaving a wheelchair user on the pavement waiting for another bus??? Honestly????
I use public transport with a buggy and always take this into consideration when I get on the bus. When DS2 was tiny I would have got off the bus and waited for the next one and now he is older I would never leave myself in a position where it was impossible for me to fold the buggy down. That space you were using is a wheelchair space first and foremost and a buggy space as a convenience if it is not required by a wheelchair user.

Yes maybe the driver should not have been so rude but I am absolutely stunned that any sensible person could hold their head up and move back into that apce leaving the person with priority on the pavement.

And some drivers do allow a small pushchair to stay up when a wheelchair comes on but they really aren't supposed to for safety reasons.

It is surprising (to some) that to get even a medium size chair on, you need to use all available floor space in order to get to the right place - usually you can't lift the back of a wheelchair round like you would with a buggy.

So, you were happy to have a disabled person wait for another bus on the basis someone was rude to you?
Yes, the busdriver was rude but is that a good enough excuse for you to not put the pushchair down?

Actually would someone really do this?? Is this serious?

anyway Im sure those of us who use public transport know how difficult it can be travelling by bus with a lo.
Surely someone wouldn't really think like this would they?

YABU.

Why didn't you fold your pushchair down when you realised the person in the wheelchair was not going to be allowed on the bus?? Because your pride principles were at stake, hmm?

How awful being expected to go to the great lengths of putting a buggy down, of course the disabled person could have waited another 30 minutes for the next bus, and the next if there was another unreasonable parent on that one refusing to allow access for the disabled. [seriously sarcastic emoticon]

Write your letter of complaint -complete with your address on to identify yourself--

Whilst his attitude was a tad aggressive, you should have folded your pushchair down.

If you are blocking the aisle on a bus, you are causing a fire hazard!

Having to hold your coats/bags etc should, quite frankly, be something you do without question.

Wheelchairs take priority, for OBVIOUS reasons and the signage on buses indicates this clearly.

Shame on you!