To be annoyed that taxi ranks don't let families in first.

[LittleTurtle]

More like a rant really, sorry if it was covered before.

When we came back from holiday with the Eurostar, we went to the taxi rank. I had DC3 on the sling on my front (4 months), a backpack on my back and the babybag on the side, while holding the hands of DC1 and 2 (aged 2 and 4). DH had 2 large suitcases, a backpack and bag. I told DH we will go to the front immediately because priority is given to families and seriously with all our baggage you could tell we were not taking the piss.

When we got there, there were the paralympic guides helping people get into the taxis, when she turned to us and asked : 'Oh sorry, who came first'. There were these Carrie Bradshaw-like fashionistas to go in front of us. I told the guide that we just came in, but usually families with babies usually go first. She told me she never heard of that, and that unless we were disabled or something..........
Then one of the fashionistas took a look at all our baggage and said it's fine we can go, at which her friend said : 'Oh no, are you sure?'. Eventually we were let in, but I could not help but say to my husband, one of the fashionistas look great on the outside, but just cold on the inside. What kind of inconsiderate society have we become?

In France, there are signs all over main taxi ranks, that you let the pregnant, disabled, families with babies and tots, etc. go in before. We even naturally get called to the front by the usher as we arrive.
I realised that people in london are less keen, one day we did that, and some guy rushed to the taxi to go in front of us, and the taxi driver turned him away and told him : 'don't you see those people need more help?'.

Even before I was pregnant and had kids, I always left the lift, seats etc. to the mums and elders, so all this behaviour surprises me.

Is this why France has such a high birth rate?

How silly! I wouldn't expect to go before people just because I have children.

Never heard of that one before

Really? REALLY??

don't you see those people need more help?

what has help got to do with it? you is waiting for a taxi...2 adults + 2 children + 1 baby; I dont see any need for outside help

Do you understand the concept of a queue, OP? I'm sure someone would be happy to explain it to you.

First come, first served in my opinion. Wait like everybody else.

YABU, first come, first served. Yes its lovely if people let you go first but they don't have to.

I've never heard of families going to the front of queues, people have enough problems with P&C places.

I think your attitude to the "fashionistas" is awful, look good on the outside but cold on the inside. Judgey much, looked in the mirror?

I have an obviously disabled child and would be delighted to be allowed to go first in a queue. But would never ask, much less assume.

You are very entitled OP, and nasty to other people who also have every right to get home.

And surely if you've managed to travel on the Eurostar for a foreign holiday you can manage a taxi queue

Oh my.... Perhaps go back to France pet. And to have a dig at the 'fashionista' that let you go in the taxi before them. Nice.

You sound delightful. Not

Yeah does come across a bit jealous or spiteful at least. I always feel a bit flustered and frumpy after a lot of travelling, its not anyone else's fault!

What a ridiculous idea! Wait you're turn like everyone else.

I have 4 children, that was my choice, it doesn't make me more important than anyone else or give me a right to queue jump when I feel like it. Thats a pretty selfish attitude to have imo.

YABU

You decided to travel that way (with alll that luggage) so you have to queue up with everyone else. The fashionistas might have been there all night if families kept pushing in......

You sound positively charming.

How bizarre. I have never heard of this. Having kids doesn't give you priority in a queue. You sound very entitled.

This is all made up, isn't it?

YABU, obviously.

I hope this is made up.

Good God! How arrogant are you?

I cannot for the life of me imagine why it would enter anyone's head that they could queue jump just because they had children.

I can only assume you were jetlagged and your brain wasn't functioning to its fullest capacity.

no usually families do not go in first, maybe you usually barge in first and people are too shocked to say anything

"What kind of inconsiderate society have we become?" if judged by you, very! why is it that a single womans time is less important than yours, it is beyond your comprehension that a well dressed single woman might be on their way to somewhere a bit more important than a hair appointment?

Leave earlier
Plan better if you know you're going to be waiting (snacks for kids)
get more practical luggage
and be more civilised!

Only time I've queue jumped for a taxi is when its DH there although to be fair that was a long time ago have been driving for years.

So, if I've got this right, you pushed to the front, and demanded to be let into a taxi first because you thought you deserved to be (I've never heard of a rule as so quoted in the OP)

You are being massively unreasonable, not to mention entitled, rude and judgemental! (Fashionistas??)

As someone else said, it was your choice to have children, it doesn't give you the right to go around bossing everyone else about wrt public transport.

YABU unless it wasn't clear.

It's not a matter on entitlement, just a view on society behaviour of 'everyone on their own, no matter that they obviously need help'. It's all about empathy, which is why I guess the French do it.

Personally, I wouldn't think it a big deal if some little old lady came to stand in front of me, cause statistically (and when you really count it up when you are there), there were so few disabled, pregnant ladies, people struggling with kids etc. coming at the taxi rank.

As for the fashionistas - I didn't know that word is insult or anything. But my point being that they give off the 'lady like, good manned' impression. Which they just do not really follow - atleast one of them does not.

YABU

I would never expect to jump the queue just becuase I had children and luggage! Sometimes people have very kindly let us go in front but I wouldn't think it was my right to go in front

I thought this was a joke when I first read the OP.
No, of course families with DC shouldn't have an automatic right to push in front of other people in a queue - for what reason?
If people are happy to let you go first, then lovely - but if they're not, it doesn't make them "cold."
The other people in the queue may have had dozens of reasons to want to get to their next destination - job interview, appointment, meeting friends, dinner reservations, connecting further transport - or maybe they'd just had a hard day and wanted to get home after QUEUEING for the privilege. Just because you've got children with you, doesn't make you more important than anyone else - and your attitude might be the reason why more people don't "kindly" let others push in front of them.

I must remember whenever i have my children with me to march straight to the front of any queue

You are totally unreasonable, in Britain we like to queue in an orderly fashion and woe betide anyone who tries to push in.