To ask to use the mobility lane exiting the paralympics?

[MaybeMabel]

At work the opinions have ranged from 'YES, you're pregnant not disabled, get over yourself' or 'well you shouldn't have gone' to 'no, of course not'.

I (possibly stupidly) decided to go to the Paralympic football large and pregnant with a two year old in tow. It was amazingly hot and I struggled, swelled up like a balloon, my feet hurt to walk on which in turn made my hips hurt. The Riverbank arena turned out to be about 25min walk from the entrance and after public transport too I was limped and felt a little like crying by the end! I'm normally a bounce around in pregnancy person but the heat, crowds, distances caught me out. I was 3kg heavier that night with fluid retention and it hurt to stand. The park is shade free!

On the way out the crowd was awful, it was flowing and I couldn't keep up. People would tread on my heels and I was in the way waddling. I felt pretty faint and sick with the heat and probably stress. Then I realised there was a mobility lane (hadn't noticed it as it was empty until I saw someone using it). My brain though 'yay, I'm not very mobile/ in the way' and I politely asked if I could use it. I was obviously limping and heavily pregnant and started trying to explain why I'd like to walk on the quiet path. I was cut off like a real scummy chancer and I was really embarrassed at the way they looked at me for the cheek of it and their loud replies for the benefit of those around.

So I went over the narrower bridge with the crowd, getting in the way, managed to vomit halfway across (sorry to the poor sod trying to clean it up in that crowd/ whoever stepped in it). I then had to cut across the flow if people to get to the lift sectioned off at the end of the mobility lane at the top of steep steps with the buggy.

So AIBU?

Who was 'they'?

We were stopped from using the mobility lane with our buggies too, at the weekend. Not pregnant, but we definitely still slowed up the flow of people.

During the Olympics we were directed towards that lane with a buggy.

There were a lot more spectators with mobility needs during the Paralympics, but I think a wider lane should have been created, so that the buggies (and slow walkers such as yourself) could have been kept separate.

Hope you have your feet up now x

THe people in uniforms standing at the entrance to the lane directing people away from it

Purple, thank you I'm fine. Just caught out at that moment by heat, I'm generally lucky in pregnancy thank God with only a little hip pain in the late stages after a lot of walking.

They were security/steward staff when we went past both times, not the lovely volunteers - I was a volunteer so was looking carefully.

You poor thing I think you should have been allowed to roll walk at your own pace. Sounds like jobsworths

As you were sick, and obviously not very well, YANBU to have asked.

YABU to think that your having a two year old an a buggy is in any way relevant.

You should probably have left earlier than you did.

YANBU

we were also stopped from using it (2 toddlers in pushchairs and 1 baby in sling). also had to cut across flow of people at the end of the bridge. we were asked by police there why we hadn't used the mobility lane once explained, they went to speak to the jobsworth at the other end, as there were a lot of pushchairs cutting across the flow and causing a delay, and everyone of us was being told we should have used the special lane.

so YANBU at all.

There were announcements to make people walk to the right side of the flow of people to stop anyone having to cut right the way across it. But maybe that didn't happen until after problems had been identified, as I didn't go until towards the end of the games.

Outraged I was there at the weekend.

I suspect it was just a jobs worth. We were also directed very forcefully towards the lift and the massive queue, which was cutting across the walking lanes. We went and used the escalator instead.

There were loads of buggies and small children though. If every one of them had used the mobility lane then it wouldn't have been any more mobile than the regular lane.

Yes, I think they should have made the lane wider, or had a separate route!

I'm disabled and think asking is fine if your feeling that unwell, especially as they could of taken you there on the buggy thing for people with mobility problems. Even from their side a passed out pregnant lady would slow things don an awful lot more and mess up your day

YANBU. The rules are there for a reason but should be broken for reasons of human compassion and common sense.

yanbu, it was the one thing about our day the paralympics that annoyed me. We were told to walk over the main bridge with ds (disabled, but in buggy rather than wheelchair), then when we got to the end to use lift we had to walk all the way back across and queue at the top of the mobility lane. In the meantime my dd1 (who won't go in lifts because of claustrophobia) and dh had gone down the escalator and had to wait for 20 minutes for me, dd1 and ds to come down in the lift. it was a right pain in the arse.

we were told we could use the mobility lane halfway across, just with a buggy...but not at the start of the bridge.

generally i thought it was a great day out and fairly easy to manage with a buggy and small children. Once in a lifetime experience!

It was a once in a lifetime experience and on the whole everyone was so helpful and smiley. Like I say it was the only real niggle of the day, it was frustrating because the guy at the front of the bridge said that despite ds being disabled he was in a buggy so couldn't go in the mobility lane, then when we were over the other side we were told off for not being in the mobility lane!

oh what a shame they spoiled your day like that. I agree with everyone else. You were not being unreasonable at all. Honestly, you asked politely and at the very least they could have replied no in kind instead of making you feel humilitated.

My son has walking issues that I cope with using a micro scooter (I pull him along). They were happy to let me use it in the park, and on the mobility lanes (but when we went to the actual Olympics I was not allowed to use it in the park.) or at least no-one said no or told me otherwise.

YANBU to ask as you are are feeling unwell. But YABU to use the buggy/ 2 yr old as part of that. But it would have been nice if them to let you use it if you felt so ill.

Aw that sounds horrible. I dont think YWBU at all.

Like you I was a get up and bound-about-like-normal pregnant woman right uo til the end but I can quite imagine that flooring me too.

Im glad you're feeling better.