To want to take my baby on public transport?

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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?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1566683-to-think-40-years-old-is-too-young-to-become-a-miserable-old-git

come over here, rude intolerant ladies!

Yanbu about rude staff. I had nightmare with london bus drivers.
have bought great light foldable pushchair for use in London but have carrycot for tiny babytime. I figured first 3 or 4 months wouldn't use public transport that much.

dr appointment with 2 wo after a c section. Sling for long periods not an option so soon after c section.

Booked a cab but they called to say would be 45 mins late, so would have been late for appointment.

Decided bus was the only option. 2 changes and 45 mins journey. Had 4 buses refuse me entry because 2 prams already. Finally driver lets me on empty bus with wheelchair in wheelchair section. I have no issue with wheelchairs using the section they are allocated and was just grateful the bus was empty. At this stage i realise i don't actually know how to Remove the bloody carrycot! Needless to say i do now, but it had slipped off the to do list with newborn.

2 stops later the bus starts filling up. 3 stops later the driver announces over the tannoy 'could the pushchair please get off the bus'. I couldn't even manouvre the pram for all the people and so he starts shouting at me.
finally i get off the bus and manage to board another going in the same direction. Driver shouts at me to get on at the back door with a pram, really arsey. Then starts shouting for me to come and pay. At this point i explain that i already paid the previous bus to go three stops. He insists i still have to pay and refuses to move the bus until i do, and everyone is staring and shouting at me.

I had really bad baby blues so the drivers were lucky not to have me burst into tears on them. I hope they really fucking itchy crabs and it's really obvious they have crabs so no one will ever shag them again (but that they don't then infect innocent partners)

I'm already on that thread

I got a momping silvercross travel system for DS1

I then bought a mothercare xoob for under £50 as it was eaier to push when I was pregnant, and folded nicely on the train (it lies flat)

Guess which one DS2 has been in since birth...

Am I alone in wondering what happened to the Op's original pram? Requiring repair after three months is terrible. OP - you should ask for your money back!

Jeez its like people don't remember having a small baby on here. Sometimes I think MN is anti children. Small babies come with a lot of stuff for a day out so not always possible to manage a baby in a sling and a big bag of nappies, milk, toys, wipes and all the stuff the mum comes with. Also when a child can't stand or walk not exactly easy to fold down a pram. You should however travel at less busy times as you will find life a lot easier with a little one and all the stuff they come with.

Of course they remember, ffs, they are all saying how they managed it.

I don't think that's a fair comment kelly

People do remember - get a foldable buggy, sling and don't travel in rush hour - all sound advice.

Ive got a small baby kelly

Yes, I recognise your good miserable self valium of course; i meant t'others

Kelly - no that is perfectly possible. Baby in sling on front, back pack on back, pocket in coat, very small shoulder bag or even pocket in sling for purse/keys/phone. It is very hard to fold a pram if the child can't sit or stand but it's not hard to fold a pram with a seperate carry cot. Take off cot, place on floor, fold pram, pick up carry cot and proceed to seat - or in the Op's case insist the guard moved people from a table seat so you have space for the baby.

I don't think mumsnet is anti child at all. It's anti being a wuss though. There are ways around most things - you just have to be a bit flexible. People who are not flexible and expect to inconvenience others, whilst making feck all effort to compromise themselves, will get very little sympathy.

The problem (for me anyway) is that the OP hasn't said anything that makes me think what happened to her was 'bad'.

Of course it was inconvenient and for that reason I sympathise but...

She was advised to put the pram in the next carriage and she did.

A manager pointed out she can't do that (she didn't tell us why)

She then claims he was rude and sarcastic but does not give any expamples.

And then she said he stated that trains are not really made for prams.

He's right, most of the trains here in London are ancient and built to get as many seats in as possible.

Yes, of course they remember and they are going to remind everyone forever more of their acts of mummy martyrdom!

I live in London and have travelled thousands of times on the train and tube with a buggy.

You really need to avoid peak times, when going into town we leave at 10.00 and leave town by 16.00 if we want to avoid the madness that is rush hour.

You are being unreasonable to think you can take a buggy on in rush hour without folding it. Take a sling with you, transfer baby into sling on platform, fold buggy and get on train. It makes things much less stressful.

It is not about being a wuss it's the principle of the situation. Why should she travel off peak,syne this is hugely inconvenient to her? Maybe people should be a bit more helpful and tolerant.

People should be more helpful and tolerant you're right. But quite often when they are trying to get into work or home from work they're not.

And i speak as someone who commuted into London Bridge until 8 months pregnant so know how unhelpful people can be!

Ive got a small baby and a toddler

I don't think we were rude. I said what I found helpful

I wonder how the Manager could have helped?

Years ago he probably would have offered to fold the buggy or hold the baby.

These days he's probably scared of breaking a couple of hundred pounds worth of travel system and being sued.

Or worried about a Mother's reaction to him offering to hold the baby, considering how PFB some people are about strangers and their kids.

This should learn you to charter a helicopter next time you take your newborn out!

Sorry, I am not being helpful.

I should not have said I thought it was a windup. That was not very nice. Unless it is a wind-up.

Yes I commuted from Brighton to London at 8 months pregnant and it wasn't unusual for me to stand all the way to London during the last month when I was visibly showing. Commuters are often selfish IME so why when you're a new mum with a baby to transport are you expected to not inconvenience others and be very selfless, this is often not demonstrated by other people using public transport.

Baby, toddler and other children, all on trains.

you just need to be organisef with sling, foldable pushchair and backpack. it is a bit of a pita but plan your trip, dont be shy in asking for help if you need it. i travel.on buses and trains often and in london on the tube and if you ask politely then ime most people are willing to help, even.commuters and i dont always avoid busy times. i do often book tickets and seats! in advance and will ask people to move if they are in mine/my childs seats. and re railcard you can buy a ticket fir an under five, i often do as then i get discount on my ticket, the child pruces are really cheap and it means my toddler has a seat or u have a seat to put carseat with baby in etc if necessary.

"their acts of mummy martyrdom"

Why is it 'martyrdom' to actually think through the reality of having a small baby and making entirely reasonable plans (e.g. buying a suitable pushchair or sling) to do the things that yoiu will need to do with that baby??

If the OP was travelling with a pram which could not be folded down, then that's not 'people not being helpful and tolerant', that's an entirely reasonable H&S concern about keeping the doors and aisles of a train free when the train is busy.

If she asked politely for help from other passengers or a train company employee to fold down the pram, and it was refused, then that is indeed 'not helpful and tolerant' - but that is not the situation as described, is it?

All the 'stuff' a baby requires can be carried, easily and hands-free and entirely compatiby with a decent lightweight folding buggy or a sling (done both) in a rucksack - hiking daypacks are ideal, and have the advantage that they can be used forever [11 years and going strong] once the baby is older.

It just requires a little planning, and a little flexibility of thought - no martyrdom, in fact life is much easier and much more fun if you're properly prepared for it, martyrdom is struggling with the wrong equipment for the occasion as the OP did. Just because a HUGE pram is marketed as 'best for baby' doesn't mean it is best for your baby and your situation, and just because a bag is marketed as 'a baby bag' doesn't mean that a different kind of bag can't be much better at the job...

i travel with all five children. my littlest is now 21mths but travelled when they were babies and with.toddler and pre-school and school aged children. i think i am used to it tbh. be organised and ask for help if you need it.