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 can't help thinking this is a wind up. But in case it is not - YUABVVVVVVVU. I live in London and I have never seen this rule applied anywhere. What you were doing was pushing in. And doing it really rudely as well - sometimes you can get away with it if you do with with charm and grace but this was neither. The people whose clothes you were judging were actually really kind and nice to let you in considering how rude you were. They sounds rather nice on the inside to me even if they do wear nice clothes (bitches) Don't think I would have done. Maybe if you had asked politely I would have done but but to just walk up with a sense of entitlement would have got my back up totally. You managed on holiday - you manged on the train - you can wait your turn. If you can't wait in line for a taxi with your own family then that is your problem. Blimey.

"Maybe we should all have details of our medical conditions in us when queuing?" - I have excruciating tendinopathy in my right foot and currently have low iron - the thought of standing for an extra 15 minutes for someone who chose to take children and luggage on holiday would be enough to make this grown woman weep.

It's a taxi rank at a major station.... how long would you have had to wait for - 5 mins at the most? if you could make it all the way from France I'm sure you could manage that.

The only queue that small children get you to the front of is the one for the toilet!

And if nothing else YABU for suggesting that the French know more about queuing than the British.

Wow! I never knew that!

Anyone fancy a field trip to Paris tomorrow, just to test the theory?

Being a short-star, I generally wear high heels, if I have a tot with me, where does that place me in the hierarchy?

Short arse not star.

I have never, never heard of this!

If I'm getting a taxi, I generally need to be somewhere quickly so unless someone is disabled, I can't see me giving my place to someone else. It wouldn't cross my mind to be honest.

May I suggest OP that next time you plan a bit better instead of trying to be a human game of Buckaroo

I live in Paris and I know that in Gare de Nord pregnant women are given priority in the taxi queue. My friend was the first time she was propelled to the front of the queue I don't know about any signs though or if families are priority.

I have to say that my experience of being pregnant in Paris was actually surprisingly good. I almost always got offered seats on the metro/bus (although I did sometimes have to ask but was never refused).

In the supermarket I was very because I was never allowed to queue (I was at the prioriy checkout) and was pushed forward to the front, even when I tried to refuse. But they are lovely at my local supermarket and were so chuffed when I came back several weeks later with a newborn - they all wanted to coo at him

I never expect it though and am just pleased when it happens naturally. I would never ask either (except in the metro).

Haha, hilarious.

I am full of admiration at Maria and Captain Von Trapp hiking across the mountains to escape the Nazis with seven children and all the worldly goods they could carry. If only someone had told them they could jump the taxi queue, they could have saved themselves the bother

I do know this didn't actually happen

I need a like for B0F

For those people who keep saying they are in Paris and never been moved to the front at the major stations, find another way to discredit me. I even remember the first few times, I came to those stations and waited with the rest of the people, that the usher specifically came over and called me to go on a separate exit and catch the taxi first. So, what I say is true. Maybe you should go on that excursion just to see.

Usually there is not enough people to do a totem pole on who takes priority first, but I guess it would have been the same as what they do on the London buses. It's just common sense, you can see who needs the most help.

There are usually not that many people that need help from the major stations anyway. Infact, at those major Paris stations, at a time there are so few, less than two at a time, and a lot of the times no one at all at the designated point for those needing help.

Here is something just to wind you up even more MNs, I am glad that Parisian mothers did not have the same view as you if they were consulted on this issue. It's mostly mothers who suffer in this - other times DH was not there and I had to carry all on my own, so glad they have this. Do you think if men where in the same situation they would argue againts it? Really?

"It's just common sense, you can see who needs the most help."

Of course you can't! That's the whole point, that's why it's polite to wait for priority to be offered! For all you know the non-disabled young adult at the front of the queue might be on their way to donate bone marrow to their kid sister.

And, as others have pointed out, I still don't see why successfully carrying some fertilised eggs to term means you are more in need of help than the next person anyway.

don't bother pulling the sisterhood card now when you've shown such contempt and disregard for women without children or travelling without their children

You sound a little too feeble to travel, frankly my dear!

I just don't see why you can't wait like everyone else? You only have to stand for 5 or so minutes. Why is your need to get somewhere any greater than anyone else?

Surely men are in the same situation - don't men have children too? Or is it just the helpless little mummies who can't possibly be expected to 'suffer' waiting a few minutes for their taxi?

You are making no sense.

"but I guess it would have been the same as what they do on the London buses. It's just common sense, you can see who needs the most help. "

here's some common sense for ya: a bus is much harder to stand on than a busy fast moving SOLID GROUND taxi rank

"You sound a little too feeble to travel, frankly my dear!" - that was my thought QS!

If you want to push in a queue, you should ask EVERYONE in the queue if they mind, not just the people at the front. You would be pushing everyone down a place in the queue, after all.
I stood for 30 mins in the queue at WhSmith at Stansted when a woman tried to queue jump to buy a paper, saying she must go first as she had a plane to catch, ffs. What did she think everyone else was there for? She started at the top of the queue and worked down, everyone said no, but if the guy in front of me had said yes, I'd have complained because it'd make me wait longer.
Join the back of the queue in the proper way or prebook

Hello

Please don't troll-hunt on threads.

There are about 10 calls of 'troll' on here and one - ONE - report to MNHQ.

Is hitting the button really so hard?

How odd, in a decade of living in Paris I've never seen a pg woman or a family with DCs ushered to the front of the taxi rank queue And I travel a lot so stand in queues at Orly and CDG and Gare du Nord/de Lyon.

YY to priority checkouts at supermarkets, though.

Never heard of this - not UK norm.

It is galling though when 1 or two people jump in the next taxi which is an extra large one then the next load of taxis are small cars which can't take more than four.

Recent holiday took 20 minutes to get to front of the queue then another 30 plus minutes for a taxi that could take five and cases. On way back we tried ringing so we could get a larger taxi more quickly - but no we just had to wait as all the large taxis were doing the taxi rank runs. We the watched as all the larger taxis were filled by 2 or 3 people went.

We took a bus in the end - and just caught our train as waiting for the larger taxis to come back probably would have meant missing train.

Don't see a way round it other than start driving.