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.

'these people'?

But having children doesn't make you one of 'these' people.

wow my dd is in a wheelchair and I still wouldn't expect to que jump.
just wow

Yabu

Oh and also my French SIL takes Eurostar quite a lot. She did it a couple of weeks ago...with bags, 2 children and a 7 month baby bump. She didn't queue jump or expect special treatment.

You were brought up this way? :(

My gast is flabbered.

This has (probably irrationally) really annoyed me.

By 'These people' - did not want to go type everything again again, as I have already typed several times : Pregnant, disabled, elderly, holding babies and tots.

Sorry, what is the politically correct word for them? Less able to stand?

I even let people with loads of buggage in before me. How bad am I?

You need to provide us with a sliding scale op, I mean what if a fashionista is standing in the queue being pointless and a man with three children, a couple with two (one in a wheelchair) and an elderly blind man with a guide dog all rock up at the same time. One taxi approaches the rank. Who you gonna let go first? Eh? EH??

Wow, what a sense of entitlement you have.

Ooh I can reproduce I get priority. No wrong on so many levels.

what groups of people?

I let disabled go first

I would probably let an adult on their own with 3 kids and lots of bags go first

but 2 adults with 3 kids?????

what if there are multiple families waiting? How do you assess priority? is it a complicated adult/child/bag ratio?

still think this is a wind up

sod that, i would be furious if i had been queuing (as is the norm in this country) and some upstart thought she could bunk in just because she had loads of sprogs with her.

she would get short shrift from me and no mistake

Have been to gare du nord many times when pregnant and with kids, seen no such sign (waited like a normal person) . There is a priority system on metro for seats.

Yabu. Plus if you are in queue and say someone else with 3 kids how do you decide who goes first? Whose kids are youngest, throwing best tantrum although would have to go some to beat op and rage at fashionistas

YABU, just because people have children doesn't mean they can jump queues.

Why should other people wait just because you chose to have three children and go on holiday.

I would never have expected to queue jump when pregnant

I think you are correct re disabled and elderly

but since when did having a family make you less able to stand??//

how are you less able to stand? was your choice to go with backbacks rather than bigger wheelies, but y'know you can put them on the ground/on top of your suitcase while you que, and are there not luggage trollies at waterloo? Your choice to pick sling over buggy for the trip, then you wouldn't be carrying a change bag either

I'm pregnant and I'm not gonna que jump tomorrow, I'm not less able to stand, some pregnant people are, I am in a wobbly train where I might fall over because the bump makes me less balanced, but not ON THE SOLID GROUND in a taxi que

noone agrees with you OP
you are the one lacking manners and empathy

"people struggling with kids" - but you weren't "struggling with kids"

You have three children and two adults, all able bodied. One in a sling and four of you quite capable of standing. Luggage doesn't need to be "struggled" with - just left on the edge of the pavement until you get to the front of the queue. Perhaps you need to travel lighter?

WHat happens if there are lots of families at end of the holidays do those with no childrne just have to wait for hours behind anyone who turns up with a child? Totally baffled by that attitude.

If I was in a queue when it was (perhaps) very hot and someone who had children who were obviously getting distressed by the wait or who were struggling to stand with no seats available then I might offer them my place depending on how tired/hot/distressed I was myself.

Are you sure you're English?

Yawn.

Op if youwant to get home quickly from the airport pre book a taxi. If people without families let those with kids first tan they would never get home. How do you know that ther needs are not greater than yours.

Would always let tantrumming child go first for my own sanity

I'm disabled, I walk, but badly, and I get hip pain if I have to stand too long (such as in a taxi queue). So OP, who gets priority ? Me with my gammy hip, you with your 3 kids and luggage ?

Nope, the next person in line.

If I can't manage the queue, I make some arrangement that means I don't have to queue. If you can't manage to travel with your 3 children, stay at home until they are older. It isn't everyone else's responsibility to let you or me go first.
Which isn't to say that I don't appreciate it if some kind person does make some sort of allowance for me - but it isn't a right !

Lived in London for years and never heard of this. In fact when we arrived back from a 24 hour flight with a baby and toddler every taxi driver on the rank at T5 refused to take us at all as we only lived about 15 mins from the airport. We had to find a local minicab to come and pick us up.

Since that day I have NEVER caught a black cab! I would rather walk and this is coming from someone who used to cab home from work a couple times a week.