Buggies must be folded by law, if a wheelchair user wishes to board

[BerniceBroadside]

I know this can be a hot topic so thought I'd share that stagecoach have new signs on their buses stating that buggies must be folded by law if a wheelchair user wishes to board. Let's hope it's actually enforced.

Actually all I ask of MNHQ is that if it'd be deleted if you change 'disabled' to 'black person' then it needs deleting.

Well said, Jaded. Although sadly has been said before to no avail.

Would they allow heated debate on a racist issue? I highly doubt it.

They will no doubt be busy again Jaded .

When I originally posted this I expected a handful of posts along the lines of 'jolly good, well done stagecoach'.

Never expected 700 and odd posts. Most definitely didn't expect that people would be arguing that buggy users were just as entitled to the wc space and that they wouldn't be getting off EVEN THOUGH THAT HASN'T HAPPENED TO ANYONE ON THIS THREAD EVER!

This has been discussed on fb recently... Pushchair trader is a fb page who asked for opinions amd fuck me I was asked by the amount of ignorant fools who seemed to think their pushchair had more right to the space than a wheelchair user. T was blood depressingto read :(

I say ignorant, thats me being charitable and hoping they just hadn't thought it through... Of course they could just be selfish entitled fuckwits...

Once again the "can't be bothered - it doesn't affect me" attitude of society today.

People are dying because of that attitude.

Very sad.

I'm don't use a wheelchair but I was out there campaigning for access to public buildings and public transport. You don't have to benefit from something to campaign for it.

The fact that you are unwilling to campaign for it suggests that you just came on the thread to poke a stick at the parents and carers of people with disabilities and tell them that other people have it hard too. I expect people to comply with the law no matter how difficult they find it.

In fact, we should do a bloody survey. Has anyone on mumsnet ever had to leave a bus so that a wheelchair can board?

Hardly worth campaigning for something that's probably happened once in a blue moon.

Gobby - quite.

Thing is, you just don't know what your kids will benefit from in the future. I personally will be forever grateful for people like Spikey for making it possible for me to leave my house every day, access public transport to get to work, socialise, hospital appointments, ya know, have a life. Because that's what it means, having accessible transport. Not just for a few years, while the kids are small, but for my whole life.

So to Spikey and all the other campaigners!

Never left a bus, have had to fold my pushchair up a few times, bit of a pita but not a big deal, asked for help if I needed it, thankfully in RL I have always found most people to be happy to help if asked. Including lifting pushchair on and off the bus for me when I couldn't due to SPD.

You don't need to thank me, Bears, I just tagged along as a teenager and stood around awkwardly with a sign, and occasionally posed with in the local newspaper next to my dad!

There was a woman on my bus this afternoon complaining to Stagecoach that they wouldn't let her on unless she folded her pram as a wheelchair user might need it. This happened to me when I was by myself with newborn twins - this particular woman had one baby in a pram and her mum with her so wouldn't have been a problem.

I think it's right that the spaces are for wheelchairs primarily and buggies must vacate if they need one, I think it's a bit harsh to deny a buggy user access to an empty bus!

(This bus in particular runs Arriva and Stagecoach along the same route every 5-10 minutes so it's not generally a problem)

And re a campaign give it a rest.I don't want to or have to.

Priorities,I have other priorities if I was the slightest big inclined to start a campaign for the benefit of my dc which I'm not atm.

I don't have to answer to you so quit with questioning my priorities.

Retropear - I have multiples and four years ago when they were newborns they had this policy! It was hard, to be told I wasn't allowed on a bus with my newborns unless I folded my buggy. I wasn't really happy to hand them over to strangers.

I guess they have to over compensate for the idiots that won't fold their buggies.

Snatchoo wonder if you live anywhere near me? Our buses have a policy of if the wheelchair can't get on the bus then they radio through to the next one and they keep that one clear for when they arrive at the bus stop so they can get on? Maybe that's what's happened? I'm just digressing now though. As you were .

I had 3 under 18months.I couldn't have folded my double buggy complete with clunky buggy board and bag of crap,held my newborn and 15 month old babies not quite walking and staggered to the back whilst the bus was moving.

My 15 month old twin boys simply wouldn't have tolerated being plonked on any Tom,Dick or Harry who may or may not have wanted them.

Sorry but that is the fact.

If this is now law,buses will need to provide alternatives.