Dad on bus 'look at all these people sitting who won't let a child have a seat'

[Pipistrelle40]

Just that really, he got on with two boys aged about 10 and 8. People looked at each other and laughed. Old enough to stand surely.

That priority area for the elderly & the disabled is also the nearest to the bus entry and is staggering distance. If you have balance problems, or mobility problems, it's a godsend.

Although when I needed to use it with a temporary disability (it lasted 18 months), it's been full of mothers with unfolded prams, deep in their texting so pretending to not seeing those whose need is greater. And this was in an area where asking politely for a seat from these types got a nasty laugh or a Fuck off.

There's a mother on my local bus who I see often. She has massive pram which she leaves unfolded and then takes her toddler and sits him on a seat by the window and her in the aisle, never does she fold the pram or sit toddler in her lap so that someone else can sit down. Feel like slapping her every time I see her!

However, on the flip side. There's a lovely young lad of about 14/15 who stops the rest of the teenagers barging in front to get on the bus and he helped me get my pushchair on too. Absolutely gem of a kid that one!

My comment was based on a half empty bus? Yes, if my comment was taken out of context it wouldn't make sense?

Should I just park the pram and let it cascade down the aisle whilst I sit at the back?

No, I'm not entitled to the seat, I never said I was?

I've even entered a bus with one person sitting on the outer side of the priority seat, have they moved along? Were they getting off at the very next stop? Nope...did they limp off the bus? Nope? They got off five miles down the road, making sure they were first out the door...at phenomenal speed!

Should I just park the pram and let it cascade down the aisle

Er, no. Fold it up. Use your common sense.

In the old days (here I go) there were conducters on every bus. They stepped off the bus, folded your pushchair, placed it in a large holding area and parent simply got on carrying baby/ toddler. I wish we could go back to those days in a lot of ways.

Yes he is entitled and I would not expect my children same age to be given as seat.

However, I found the UK in general to be really bad for people giving up seats for others. I was pregnant 4 times going from the UK to my home country often and the difference was staggering. In the UK I was constantly shoved, never once offered as seat; not on a bus, train or offered to skip a taxi queue. In my home country I was offered at every turn; never queued, couldn't go anywhere even in shops people offered seats, it was actually quite embarrassing but it was nice been treated like a queen!

I didn't expect it but it was a really incredibly stark difference. It is very cultural - very young children were equally treated a lot better by he general public that they are here.

Having said all that, now that the children are older there is no difference at all and things have pretty much equalised, so going back to the OP I would find it incredibly odd someone giving up a seat for my 10 year old son - I think he'd be offended actually!

Should I just park the pram and let it cascade down the aisle whilst I sit at the back?

Fold it or get one with decent brakes.

No, I'm not entitled to the seat, I never said I was?

You said "Numerous occasions, I enter a half empty bus, the bay is free but some elderly person is sitting in the priority seat. I have had to stand in the aisle whilst the 'entitled' person sits in their special seat!?" You clearly think it's absolutely outrageous that the elderly person for whom the seat is designated should sit there when you want to. That sounds pretty entitled to me.

It makes no difference that the bus is half empty, if an elderly and/or disabled person needs that seat then they should have priority over the mother who doesn't want either to stand or to fold her buggy.

Think the dad was actually being facetious.

Fold the pram? Should I place the small baby on the floor whilst I do it? Where would you suggest I store said pram? Do you think there are luggage racks or a storage bay? Because there isn't!

Misery, thousands of other mothers manage to fold prams on buses. Maybe you should keep your eyes open and watch how they do it.

But, like I say, if you don't want to, fine. But you shouldn't expect an elderly person to vacate the seat designated for them just to let you sit down.

When I was still at pushchair on bus stage with dd, and what with me not having any kind of disability, I took her out, and used them their legs of mine to go and sit on one of the empty seats. It's not rocket science. It's common courtesy.

Now, I would no more sit on a priority seat than whinge about the elderly taking up one.

And if you can't fold your pram, and you think it's going to cascade down the bus, then you stand next to it. D'oh.

I think Misery might be the first ever mother ever in the history of the world to have a baby.

Y'know the type

I was pregnant with twins last summer and ended up housebound. Before that on public transport kids of 11+ put the adults to shame. They practically fought to give me their seat and made sure I was sat down safely. They put the adults who pretended they hadn't seen me to shame. And most of them are pupils at a failing school who live in rough areas too.

But the same kids were embarrassed by their parents at the weekend because they didn't think they should give their seats up.

When I was a child I was expected to stand so that an adult could sit down. If at home I was expected to give up my seat to visitors if needed and sit on the floor.

Health & safety at Arriva North East...

In my experience, the only place people give up seats voluntarily is on the London Underground (occasionally on buses). It's mostly tourists and youngish adults. And older men to women. Never children or parents.

Misery, not being sarky but please explain. Disabled person at front moves back. You sit at front so as to be with pram. Bus gets full, disabled person gets on, you get up for them. Previous disabled person behind you thinks "why did I move then"? Don't get it, misery?

Misery, something tells me that Arriva North East don't suggest that a parent should turf an elderly or disabled person out of priority seating so that they can sit next their buggy. And there's nothing in that guidance that suggests they object to you folding the pram if you can't sit next to it.

My children were raised to offer their seats to adults. I was surprised to discover a few years ago (on the internet) that this isn't considered normal anymore. I think what happened is that chiod rearing became more 'liberal' and child centred sometime in the 80's and 90's, and those children are now parents themselves so they expect their own children to be treated as special by everyone else.
Misery have I missed something? What is so hard about standing by your buggy?