To think that all the people who say "fold your buggy" are being a bit daft?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I regularly read threads on here about buggies on buses and they get quite heated.

The consensus seems to be that buggies should be folded.

Before anyone says anything I absolutely think that wheelchair users and other disabilities need to take priority for obvious reasons.

However the type of prams for newborns would be nearly impossible for a parent on their own to fold while holding a baby and possibly shopping etc. it's much easier with a toddler who can stand and a stroller which can be easily folded. But you simply cannot put a newborn in a stroller. I'm pregnant with #2 and I've searched for the most compact, easy to fold pram, but I still wouldn't fancy trying to board a bus with a floppy newborn while trying to fold pram and negotiate my bags.

Lucky for me I drive but I can remember being in the predicament with my firstborn of having to get the bus on older style buses and I simply couldn't do it, I had a lie flat pram where the pram needed to be removed to fold the chassis, packs of nappies and formula and newborn ds, I had no Internet access at the time so no online shopping and I ended up in tears once trying to board a bus and dropping everything and the driver and passengers just staring at me.

Also perhaps it is just where I live but all the new buses now have buggy and wheelchair zones so there is room for everyone most of the time.

As I'll say again wheelchair users do come first as ultimately a parent could probably walk if necessary, but why do some people seem to be so against anything which makes new parents lives easier? Maybe they've forgotten what it's like or haven't had to manage the bus alone with newborn.

Oh and my parents and grandparents reckon it was a nightmare with the old buses before buggy zones as they simply couldn't board the bus with a pram.

I also have many a time handed a baby to a rather stunned bus driver if there was no one else on the bus

That was a horrible thing to happen, momtothree, and you must nbe eternally thankful that some stranger thought to act.
But how would having your buggy not folded have stopped your daughter bolting? You'd still have been managing it with twins and a toddler.

Anyone who thinks just because I don't have access to a car or can walk with my weekly shop and a pram means I should shop online can fuck off. I mean what business is it of hours if I need to go to the shop for things or get out of the house with my little one and couldn't afford or have the option to request a light weight state of the art one handed folding pram?

Most people aren't going out of the way to inconvenience others and prior to have a baby I had to get 4 busses a day, many had buggies and prams on, and never once did I see a problem occur.

When the odd occasion arises where there is an issue for space in a bus I'm sure adults can work it out for themselves.

Especially the ladies with prams are not going out with the intention of just getting somewhere being an utter ballache. They just want to get their stuff done like everyone else.

So if the pram space is taken what do /would you do op??

Yanbu. I bought a tiny bugaboo bee as we have a very small car boot and barely anything else suitable for newborns would fit. But although it's a lovely tiny pram, great for taking to the shops and a dream to push, it needs two hands to fold up. What would I do with DD during that time if we took the bus? And I couldn't take her in a sling and carry nappy bag plus shopping at the same time.

I don't drive myself, so when DH is not around I end up only going places within walking distance due to the folding issue. Now DD is a bit bigger I am thinking of getting a cheap one hand fold - any suggestions?

Buxhoe I have excellent Internet access but no possibility whatsoeverof iInternet grocery shopping - being on the Internet doesn't mean you're not in one of the places where supermarkets still don't deliver.

Of course. I didn't think of that.

I lived in London with no car when I had DS1 - I got a city mini baby jogger which is suitable from birth (and v cosy actually), is v light and folds up just by pulling a strap in the middle. I used it on buses, tubes and trains until we moved out of London. I used it for DS2 as well as it's easy to fold away and put in the boot and have recently bought a new one for DD as the original finally gave up after a lot of use with 2 kids. You can also get a scooter attachment to use as a buggy board for a toddler which both boys loved. I totally recommend it and yes it's fine for a newborn.

"Years ago" there were more local shops and more people walked to them rather than have to bus or drive to an out if town mega massive supermarket for everything. A ridiculous percentage of local food shops have closed over the last 30 years, with the shift to weekly supermarket shopping instead of almost daily butcher, grocer, baker. ..

' I had to get 4 busses a day, many had buggies and prams on, and never once did I see a problem occur. '

Tht's my point. I don't think there are hordes of people waiting to pounce on defenceless mothers and force them to fold their buggies. I've never seen it either. I've heard polite requests to fold being complied with, people moving to make space for a big buggy if they can, knackered commuters smiling as they help lug a baby and buggy and shopping up flights of stairs...

Perhaps those of us mentioning online shopping aren't saying you SHOULD use online shopping but more why wouldn't you if you can't manage to cope with public transport because you're a fanny about folding and the option is there?

Oh, and quick disclaimer: not including people who CANT fold.

No it's not daft at all, OP. You do realise that once upon a time you had to fold your buggy on buses all the time, because there was no spaces for buggies.
I don't drive. When I had my first 2 babies I couldn't go anywhere on public transport until they were old enough to go in a stroller (4 months old).
I'm not begrudging parents the chance of using buggy friendly buses, but there may be times when they're not available.

If all of us who are not travelling with LOs make it our business to help those that are - hold the shopping while they fold the buggy, lift things on and off the bus for them, hold the baby if they are content with that - then we can expect them to fold the buggy if necessary - which it sometimes is. Is that so much to ask?

There really are compact buggies that are suitable for newborns.

I bought one for DD2 DD1 was far to PFB to go in one and then bought a double one for DD2 and DS when I had DS 54 weeks later.

Both with totally flat folding bits for newborns but then sat up more as they got older.

Well you've had two good answers ChestHair;1) lack of computer/internet (due to lack of funds or other reasons) 2) no delivery service due to remote area.

Baby yoyo 0+ is suitable from newborn, and folds tiny so can go down by feet. Take sling also .Toddler holds hands and walks and you use reins also if bolter.

People need a empathy injection. Luckily where I live the buses have different areas and are frequent But I can remember the horrible feeling of having a newborn, a painful c section scar, there being no spaces and standing in the pissing down rain waiting and waiting.

I think people would do well to remember they were babies once, before they became so busy and important, their mothers probably struggled and juggled whilst other people looked on and tutted.

I agree with the poster who said all you need is a cheap and cheerful buggy easily foldable buggy for bus journeys.

Although I wouldn't call £90 cheap it's what I paid for a one handed fold buggy that I used all the time on buses without any problems.

If you know you will be most likely using public transport then you pick a pram that can be folded. You ask people on the bus for help. Surely being prepared is the key?

Exactly! It's called using your common sense.

And what Expat said.

Look, you can even use your phone at the same time!
cdn.coresites.factorymedia.com/twc/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/baby-carrier-in-front-bike-box.jpg

Biggest deal ever made out of such a small issue. Problems rarely occur on busses and when they do most adults can handle their shit. Just get on with life

Oh yes, just seen the point about local shops. Well I did live within walking distance of a supermarket, but I would never live anywhere that wasn't. You have to take that into consideration if you don't drive. There's no way I could (or would want to ) live anywhere rural or within walking distance (a couple of miles is ok) of shops.

26point2, well to answer I haven't had to use the bus for years.

At the time there was rarely a problem as round here there seems to be enough space on buses for everyone. What I'd have had to do was wait for the next bus. I had problems a few times as we still had a few old buses with no wheelchair or buggy spaces at all. I can remember a few times getting into a horrible mess as I couldn't fold holding ds, the thing had to come apart, shopping went everywhere.

Yes in hindsight I could have used a sling but I was a new and inexperienced parent, I wasn't confident enough to ask for help. I'm sure there's plenty of others who are the same or worse as they've got more than one child.

People do make some good points but a dislike the hostility and idea that everyone's just an entitled idiot with an oversized pram.

In London, so folding buggies is an every day occurance. I agree it can be incredibly stressful. you totally rely on someone volunteering to hold the baby for you, and for the bus driver to wait patiently.

There is never enough space on my regular bus for every pushchair or pram that wants to board. There is never even enough space for every able bodied adult that wants to board.

like I said, the whole thing can be very stressful.

I agree OP. Most people on here would seem to prefer that all parents use private cars and clog up the roads polluting. I live in London and generally speaking buses accommodate two big buggies unfolded. Of course I fold it if someone else (wheelchair user or another buggy user needs it but actually if there is stuff in the basket and dd is wriggly it's a bit of a pita not to mention then a rush getting off the bus at my stop so I don't generally do it routinely. Is also generally less annoying for everyone if toddlers stay in their pushchair rather than trying to manoeuvre them to a seat on a moving bus. Bit of tolerance wouldn't go amiss as long as people aren't being totally selfish.

Obviously some bus routes are busier than others and I would fold if there was no room for another buggy to get on.