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?

YABU there are health and safetly rules for bus drivers to follow and the buggy/wheelchair has to be in its designated area in order to be safe in an accident. The driver would not be allowed to transport you unsafely in case you sued the bus company if your LO was hurt in an accident. Sorry you should have folded your buggy to make way for the wheelchair. Did you ask the driver "why?" becuase I'm sure he would have explained this to you?!

Our buses don't allow buggies/prams on if a wheelchair user wishes to use the bus ( though if it is an easy foldable buggy then they will).

Are you really going to complain?

nailak Gotcha that makes sense now. That's a bit off, they are only tiny for a little while, then you get a cheaper umbrella fold, they must realise that? and it's a daft policy to only let doubles on the back if the bus is empty, sounds like you got mr / mrs Jobsworth on a bad day

sorry that should be if the bus is empty what does it matter?

nailak Wed 21-Sep-11 17:50:21

"what if you run out of hands and noone else is on the bus? would you put your 6 week old on seat/floor?"

I always found that the driver came equipped with two hands. And handing him a squirming baby was a good way of ensuring that he didn't drive off before I had got myself organised.

Don't blame the bus driver for being exasperated with you. You sound like a selfish cow with a massive sense of entitlement.

Cory I've done that too , and I got the ticket collector on the train to hold ds whilst I load my pushchair and luggage on the train.

A note of caution. A bus driver offered to hold my newborn while I folded my pushchair. I folded it and looked up to find the driver empty handed. 'His sisters got him' he said. He was on her knee on the back of the bus. She had just turned 3 and I had only let her hold her brother under very careful supervision on the floor!

The easiest solution for people who need to use buses a lot but want to use a pram rather than a carrier full time is to get one of the cheaper, simpler-to-use carriers - something like a cheap ring-sling for example. My friend had a Baby Bjorn when her first baby was small and whenever she was waiting for a bus that was usually busy she would take him out, stick him in the carrier and fold the pram. That way she knew she would almost always be able to get on the bus. It took a lot of the stress out of bus travel for us - you didn't have that "is there space, isn't there space?" moment as the bus pulled up, and we didn't have to get into the "who was here first" pram wars in the bus queue - she had a folded pram and we both had babies in carriers so could get on the bus easily.

There is no way my son would have gone in a carrier - he hated being held full stop the complete opposite of his sister who wouldn't be put down.

cory i think you didnt read the thread, the bus driver refused to help and was behind screen, and noone else on the bus.

so would you put your baby on seat/floor?

kung fu panda, slings are not suitable for everyone, like me since i have a shoulder that is weak and often dislocates.