AIBU to think a plastic sled is not a substitute for a pushchair

[WittyTitle]

First of all, i apologise if this family are on MN but still....

Given last nights snowfall in London and how Londoners are oh so very dramatic about it all, and given that both my and my partner had a very rare and simultaneous day off we took a trip to the horrendously overpriced, yet obviously favourite hangout of my DD, London Aquarium. As we exit Westminster station, there is a family of four, two young sons preparing the cross the bridge at the same time with their toddlers holding mums hand and dad carrying sleds,

"how quaint thinks I, but where is there to go sledging around here?"

NO,they too are going to the aquarium and after we are both robbed blind by the criminal sales assistant behind the desk, we happened to enter at approx the same time. AT WHICH POINT

Dad of the year decides to lay down the sleds, two boys climb aboard and are consequently pulled around the attraction on sleds, nowwwwwwwwwww...im all for being a bit different, but when Ive paid near enough £80 to get into the place I dont want to be followed around by the near constant noise of du-dunk du-dunk du-dunk, interspersed with the noise of what sounded like a dead body being dragged accross the floor ( I Imagine! ) We tried walking ahead, we tried lagging behind but alas!

It really wound me up, and I know you shouldnt sweat the small things but I did today and I almost let it ruin my day, I really cant belive a family would think that was acceptable and that everyone else wanted to hear that noise, im all for sledging but outdoors, in snow PLEASE!

and no running in the corridors!

Alas indeed.

Were they breathing annoyingly loudly also?

i bet they were having fun too the bastards

Hey if I was looking at turtles on a snowy hill in a park I would expect them to be annoyed at me

£80 to look at some fish? should have gone to pets at home. they have hamsters too.

Yanbu, that would really annoy me too. I've used a sled as a buggy for DS last year as he couldn't walk in the snow, but I didn't drag him about the floor inside shops.

Surely the aquarium people would have said if they weren't allowed to do it?

Is it really worth getting worked up about?

We went to a motor museum when DD1 was 11 months old and you could hire little plastic pushalong cars for a quid. DD1 loved it but it was bloody noisy - you could hear us coming for miles. And people were trying to look at cars.

I know! Shocking!

Yanbu - I agree sledging should be outdoors and on snow, also in a park or field NOT in the town. People have been dragging kids on sleds along pavements and snow is compressed and slippery already.

Outside in the snow, great idea.
Inside, barking.

The aquarium staff asked them to stop three times (that we saw) as they were disturbing others and were worried about damaging their floors, they replied they had paid their entrance and were entitled to move around however they liked. I disagree with that logic, else people would be going around on horseback!

only functions with caffeine thank god! someone else agrees!

I can see the functionality of a sled in parks/streets/open spaces but not a quietish closed space!!!

i took ds out in the snow today, called at asda and carried the sledge round, they are really really noisy when not on snow so yanbu.... yabu a little to pay £80 to look at fish though!

get off about the damaging of floors, they're concrete aren't they?

I agree that the real problem here is that you have happily paid £80 to visit a fishtank.

£80, I KNOW!!!! its the only decent aquarium around here though, it cost similar amount to get into another attraction a few weeks ago, and thats with one child free, when he gets to 3 I think we'll become hermits.

Believe me I didnt pay it happily, and janemare alot of them have things painted on them, plus the rainforest area is spongy

Why is it that some people believe that it's perfectly okay for them to annoy or disturb others just as long as their child is "having fun"?

OP, YANBU.

but it was a plastic sledge, what if people wear steel tipped heels etc?

and if the floor was spongy, how was the sledge making such a noise?

i think you were pissed off at paying such a lot of money out and wanted more than you paid for ie a private visit

JaneMare, only part of the Aquarium has a spongy floor. The majority of it has a hard floor, some of which could be damaged by the over-entitled, rude, thoughtless gits sled-pullers.

Jane Mare while I think the price is alot, I dont mind parting with the money which we are lucky enough to be able to afford if it means my children enjoy themselves and we have a nice and unfortunately rare family day out. The RAINFOREST area is spongy and why would people wear steel tipped heels to an aquarium? Im beginning to think that perhaps you own two small boys and were at a certain aquarium today.

grahamtribe that is my exact point, this family was presumably trying to do the same as us, but it doesnt mean they have the right to think about no one else!

Well I wouldnt do it because I cant imagine it would be that easy to pull, and also you would look like a twat!

But if someone else wanted to look like a twat and make their lives difficult then it doesnt bother me :o

nah, i was out sledging

grahamtribe I think we could be friends

in my stilettoes