Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU re bus?

103 replies

prettypleasewithsugarontop · 21/03/2014 22:25

Every day after school we have to get bus home. It is normally a busy bus but as we get on at start we always get a seat. There are not normally seating issues when the bus is running to time.My children are at an age where I have to pay for them both.

Today the bus is 15mins late at the first stop, so by the time we get midway home and to the stop at local secondary there is a large queue of pupils waiting to get on. There are approx 5 seats free with all standing room available. bus driver let's pupils on then proceeds to try to arrange everyone imho he had let too many people on at this stop. He comes up to where I am sitting with dd2 (dd1 is on seat infront of us with a pupil beside her) and asks me to put dd2 onto my lap. I say 'will I get a refund for her fare?' he says no. I refuse to have her on my lap on the principle that I paid for that seat.

WIBU? Grin

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 21/03/2014 22:26

A bit mardy for no reason tbh

LadyMaryLikesCake · 21/03/2014 22:27

Yup, YWU. You didn't pay for a seat, you paid for her to travel on the bus. You should have plonked her on your lap unless she was too heavy. Sorry.

MoominIsWaitingToMeetHerMiniMe · 21/03/2014 22:27

Do you pay extra for the seat; more than those who stand?

supergreenuk · 21/03/2014 22:27

Kinda think that if you were at the bus stop wanting to go home that the someone would be kind enough to put a child on their lap so you can get on.

Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme · 21/03/2014 22:28

YA probably a bit U as you paid to travel on the bus, not necessarily have a seat. People pay to use the tube and sometimes it's standing room only.

trappedinsuburbia · 21/03/2014 22:28

Yabu

CannyBagOfTudor · 21/03/2014 22:30

You don't pay for a seat on the bus. If the bus can take 70 and there are 40 seats you are admitted on the basis that you sit or stand. You aren't guaranteed a seat.

YABU.

JRmumma · 21/03/2014 22:31

Do you have a reason for not wanting her on your lap? Or were you just in a mood?

Sirzy · 21/03/2014 22:31

Yabu.

If there aren't enough seats and a child is small enough to sit on a knee then they should IMO

Jollyphonics · 21/03/2014 22:31

Very unreasonable of you. I'm astounded you showed such lack of community spirit. Would you have done same if an elderly frail person had wanted to sit down? Actually is this a reverse AIBU?

LadyBeagleEyes · 21/03/2014 22:33

Well no, you didn't have to but it would have been a nice thing to do. If it was the other way around I'm sure you'd be grateful for a seat.

Garcia10 · 21/03/2014 22:33

When I was young half fare meant you had to stand up for a full paying passenger which was absolutely right in my opinion. Same applies. You were being unreasonable.

Original poster
prettypleasewithsugarontop · 21/03/2014 22:35

If it was an elderly person of course I would have moved for them. It was an influx of able bodied teenagers. my dd is 6 and very heavy for me. The seat I was on I had my legs to the side anyway as there want enough leg room so not really feasible for me to have her on lap even if she wasn't heavy

OP posts:
LadyMaryLikesCake · 21/03/2014 22:36

You know what, I take my 14 year old to school on the bus every day because he's disabled and he can't always get a seat because adults (and sometimes their children) are sitting in them by the time the bus gets to us. He's unable to walk to one of the earlier stops so we're stuck. He isn't in a wheelchair and it isn't a visual disability so adults think he's capable of standing. He isn't. He'll fall over as his balance is crap or he'll spend the whole day (and the next one) in pain and exhausted. If your child can sit on your knee, then put them on your knee, and let someone who needs the seat sit down.

Cheers!

WorraLiberty · 21/03/2014 22:36

YABU

Being a bit more thoughtful makes everyone's journey that bit easier.

And has others have said, you pay to travel on the bus and not for the seat.

SergeantJarhead · 21/03/2014 22:36

YANBU.

Moreisnnogedag · 21/03/2014 22:36

Yip YABU. I didn't realise that I could ask for a reduction because I had to stand on the bus Hmm. Honestly why would you be so mardy over a simple request? You almost seem chuffed with yourself over it.

CannyBagOfTudor · 21/03/2014 22:37

How come you didn't you put any of that stuff about how heavy she is and how little leg room there was in your OP?

greenfolder · 21/03/2014 22:37

ah well in that case yanbu.

BobPatSamandIgglePiggle · 21/03/2014 22:38

Seriously? You were stroppy and unpleasant to refuse. Not sure why you wouldn't do it - selfishness like
this is beyond me.

NurseyWursey · 21/03/2014 22:38

YABU

you're not paying for a seat, you're paying for the travel. It clearly says on the buses X Seated X Standing

CoffeeTea103 · 21/03/2014 22:39

It's attitudes like yours that make life so unnecessary unpleasant for others.

NurseyWursey · 21/03/2014 22:39

And if you wanted money back if your child had to stand/sit on your knee, should the school kids have had their money back too?

BobPatSamandIgglePiggle · 21/03/2014 22:41

Bollocks - how heavy can your 6 year old be? My brother is 6 foot and manages to sit properly on bus seats

bringbacksideburns · 21/03/2014 22:41

How old is DD2? TBH I would probably have popped her on my knee out of courtesy if there were a lot of people standing, i wouldn't have thought twice about it or the cost. But that's because i was raised to always stand for elderly people etc as a kid and i drill it into my kids too.

But that's just me. I'm nice like that.

Swipe left for the next trending thread