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.

I haven't read this thread further than the first page, but I bet there are lots of responses that use the word 'entitled'. YAWN.

PPS

When my DCs were tiny, I did occasionally ask of we could jump a long toilet queue. Every time I did, all the British women, of whatever category you'd like to put them in OP let me. Bitches

on the bus i do think that i should be allowed to get on first with the push chair as it is easier for me to get on first then get on last and run over all the toes of the people who are standing in the gangway as i go to the "Pushchair space", , i mean easier for the people who end up having their toes run over and trying to squeeze against the walls and everything, not easier for me.

if we could jump a queue

Also,

When I went to Puy de Fou in France we (2 small children ) were repeatedly elbowed out of the way by French people, some of them fashionable, some of them wearing rock-chick type jeans, some of them headscarves

du Fou

Tethers

Raspberry

Summary: OMFG how unreasonable and stereotyping is she????

3monkeys, yes the word has been used a lot, but persevere. It's quite entertaining.

Well there's a very interesting points-system-for-queues somewhere way back Raspberry.
I am way ahead as I have Oscar Pistorius, Sirzy's toddler and a fat dog in a pram

I have something in the oven (literal, not metaphorical), one very tantrummy toddler, and another with the fidgets because of worms, and it is early evening

Hah! beat that

OP, you're spectacularly missing the point with French queues.

The French really aren't known for their queuing etiquette. Indeed they positively shun queues given the chance. Therefore I can easily imagine that what you saw was other entitled cunts pushing their way to the front of the queue with their children or similar disabling afflictions (as you seem to see the status of being a parent).

I used to live in France and we still have a home there so I feel entitled (not as entitled as you, though, OP) to comment on queuing across the Channel.

OMG this has made me feel all stabby.
Your children, your bags, your method of travel - your choice, all of it.

So when was this rule introduced? Traveled lots of times through major train stations, in and out of London as a child, and later with my own children. Never been given priority. Not even with 3 under 5's on my own..
Traveled through airports, never been given priority there either at any point from arriving to leaving, regardless of the airline. Only been allowed on first when I have paid extra for priority.

Also seems very strange that the majority of taxis in France will only take 3 passengers. They will take 4 at a push... Instead you need an estate or minivan.. Bet this is THE only reason you were given special treatment

Tethers, love your French dp saying the answer is that French people should go to the front of the queue. Vive Les Francais! (I've probably got that wrong, I did O-level and that's a long time ago... and I only scraped a C.)

Prob already been said but what if I'm waiting in the queue to get back to my little DS after his first day of childcare, what if the gentleman behind me in the queue is trying to see his aged mother in hospital before close of visiting time? We all (well nearly all) have families, why should anyone get preferential treatment because they are travelling with their family?

Tethers

But personally I'm staying in the queue with the cast of SATC, Girdon Gecko and One Direction!

It was worth reading every bit of this for MrsRobertDuvall's:

"We don't want your fancy French ways here thankyou"

I am tittering like a loon over that

Thought I'd add a little clarification (sorry if this has been covered further up the thread, but I've committed the cardinal sin of reading the first 5 pages and skipping the next 18...). OP is correct in saying that this is "the rule" in France. Next time you're in the massive queue for free entry to the Louvre on the first Sunday of the month, take a child in a buggy with you. You can go to the front.

However, unless called by an official I wouldn't try doing that here! Yes...we do do queues....and it drives us mad when others don't. Yes travelling with kids can be a pain sometimes but I have had good and bad experiences with queues or the lack of them on both sides of the Channel and elsewhere.

On the Paris métro a woman once nearly stepped ON my ds in his buggy as she rushed to barge in front of us and get on the train. I was mightily pissed off and followed her onto the train, ramming a wheel into her ankle and yelling loudly at her for all the train to hear " Do you usually put yourself in front of children like that?" (I am older now and possibly wouldn't go quite that far again). She didn't really know where to look. I did do it in French, so she clearly got the message.

In airports both in France and particularly in the Uk, Ryanair have done away with automatically prioritising passengers with children...so you have to queue with a toddler asleep on your shoulder when flying at their antisocial hours. The plane leaves at the same time for everyone, so unless you are carrying something heavy (ie. a child) I don't know why you'd need to get on first. Choosing seats doesn't seem to be a priority as they make people move so that children can sit with a parent anyway.

In Spain I was swept to the front of an airport queue with ds (then 10months) and the whole crowd seemed to think this was perfectly normal.

However, the best experience was the most unexpected. Here in Glasgow I would expect to queue like anyone else. But on a particularly cold, wet, Saturday night we (DH, DS and I) were sent to the front of the taxi queue at Central station. It was late and the taxi organisers had decided this was no place for a 9 year old!

The short version is this: no matter how annoying, local customs are local customs and you kind of have to live with that. OP YANBU to feel fed-up but YABU to EXPECT to jump the queue.

Erm not aware of this rule, although I did think it was daft at the taxi rank at Palma airport. You had big families squeezing into a car whilst singles were in people carriers because they stuck rigidly to the queuing system, needed a taxi rank queue manager!

Having travelled through Paris on my own pregnant and had no help whatsoever and actually made to feel like an inconvenience. Yabu. And I would of not let you I front of me. Teach your kids to que. you sound ridiculous

I'm Scottish for a start, not English, but I have 2 children who I've taught to queue and I am disabled and therefore will still queue. I think you are being extremely unreasonable.