To want to take my baby on public transport?

[ETUMP]

Just returned from a trip to London with my 3 month old baby. Very busy train on the return journey with a lot of luggage so there wasn't room for my pram (quinny with basinet) in the luggage area as i'd politely hung back to allow others to get on in front.

I put it in the next carriage, as advised by a staff member and then a manager asked (very loudly) whose pram was parked next door and it couldn't stay there etc. He was obviously harrassed, but was quite rude and sarcastic to me. After a very publuc discussion he said 'well these trains are not made for prams really'.

If that's the case - why sell family railcards?

My BJCM was small, light, one-hand fold, lie flat from birth, easy to manoeuver and never got in anyones way. I never had to martyr myself in the rain.

Really?? I actually consider my newborns developing back.. selfish i know

Fuck me, how long is the journey?

Worra 18 years......

OP, did you ask for help folding the pram so that it was less of an obstruction??

If you did, and it was refused, then obviously that is less unreasonable of you and more unreasonable of the train company.

Very old-fashioned prams go back to the days of guard's vans, when such large items were loaded up into a separate part of the train and you could collect that at your destination. Along with any passengers who happened to be wheelchair-bound, who sat in their chairs strapped to the walls of the guard's van for the duration of the journey - heaven forbid that they should need the toilet.... So not necessarily the good old days..

(My grandfather had polio as a child, and suffered many train journeys as described, with my indomitable grandmother perched on a pile of luggage next to his chair, doing indescribable things with urine bottles on long journeys)

YABU -you need to fold the pram or use a sling. Trains aren't even made for suitcases these days let alone prams!

Maclaran Mrs terry

Sorry OP. If you are serious, that was quite unintentionally funny

Unfortunately you are BU. I know it seems unfair but rush hour trains and buses are simply not designed to take prams. When I lived in London I had to do school run on public transport with 4 & a half yr old in reception, 2 yr old and a baby. If I had tried to take a push chair of any sort (even a small one) I would never have been allowed on a single bus, so 2 yr old had to walk and baby in sling. Rush hour travel on public transport always = baby in a sling. If you want to have a pram plan your journey time away from rush hour. With the baby in a sling people were unfailingly nice to me as I dragged 3 small children after me, however crowded I was almost always offered a seat or people helped to hold the 2 yr old to make sure she didn't fall. If a had a pram or buggy, even when it wasn't rush hour I tended to get death stares! I think people do just get very grumpy when confronted with prams!

yy MrsTerry. Some of the MacClarens go from birth, AFAIK (will look)

MrsTerry there are loads of them. Shops full of the things. McLaren are perfect, and inexpensive, and suitable from birth.

This is why I bought the Bee+ instead of the larger Bugaboo that I wanted and invested in a really good baby carrier, the Beco Gemini. Living in London I always have to think ahead when travelling on public transport. I try and use my carrier whenever possible if going at peak time because it is just easier on everyone including myself. I only use my buggy if it is not peak time and/ or I need the extra space underneath.

Even as a mum with a PFB, as a Londoner I hate when other mothers impose their large travel systems on the rest of the public. It happened to me twice on the bus yesterday and was not fun and inconvenienced me and another mother.

Just think ahead in the future OP. I try not to take trips like that without my DH if I want to take the buggy too. Failing that, a good baby carrier will help you massively.

I had a brief look at MacLarens but the cheaper ones seemed not to fold flat or not be from birth. I will admit, I was very sleep deprived at the time and had a cheap travel system that I would happily burn that I had to use.

i've had problems all weekend with bloody trains not being made for prams and buggies.

a massive sign at my home station said make sure your baby is strapped into the pram or buggy when you get on and off the train for their safety.
all of the trains had really high steps that it was impossible to get the buggy up and down without throwing it, but i didn't dare take her out because of the safety poster.

i was talking to a guard on my way home and he agreed with me that steps should be hydraulic like the doors and buses, that drop to the station level in a ramp.

YANBU
there is nothing wrong with what you did - you were polite and tried to make room, and did what you were asked by another member of staff.
the manager was rude to you and there was no need. just because the trains aren't made for prams doesn't mean you should have to get another pram to accommodate them!
the ones i've been on are all brand spanking new - they could have thought about it i their designs.

Looked. Yes they do. £235 for a Techno

We used a Graco with both DDs when they were tiny. It was advertised as suitable from birth, it didn't go completely flat but very close to it. It was cheap, easy to fold and chosen so we could use it on public transport.

I never really understood why lie-flat is so important in a pushchair, as the baby isn't in there for very long at a time. Even on a day out they'll be taken out a lot, and if you went somewhere in a car the baby wouldn't be lying flat.

having to use public transport with a big pram is a right ball ache, i'd move to a light, foldable push chair asap if you have to do it a lot.
In the meantime, you should have been selfish! get on the train first, push your pram to the end of the aisle , fold it down etc and shove it in the seat next to you so it's not blocking the aisle

The OP hasn't given a single example yet of how the man was rude to her

Why didn't I ask the vipers of MN when I needed this information? WHY? Where were you? Stupid travel system

MrsTerry - yes I did that too. It was beautiful, very comfy for the baby, very heavy for me, a right PITa. The truth is, I don't think there's a pram/buggy that is great for everything. They are all a compromise. The brakes on the MacClaren were v annoying (9 years ago). Wonder if they are better now

Why sell railcards? They've given you discounted travel so probably think they've done their bit

i didn't buy a quinny pasha, my (much cheaper model) pram is being mended and mothercare lent this model to me..

Ah well, i guess this website and it's users are not for me

TTFN X

Families don't always include babies. Unless you count big babies.

Why? Because we don't all agree with you?

Aaaw OP. Don't get all huffy.

Xpost. The "big babies" comment was not aimed at the OP. I was talking about my sons

Oi ETUMP don't get the hump. And, please don't flounce. MN is great. However, you chose a really contentious subject and posted on AIBU. Get thee to Bottle and breast feeding or Sleep for a while. Get to know the wonderful, supportive, kind MNers there. Don't come back to AIBU until you have got your amour on.