To think some people try to create some moral high ground but are actually just twats?

[youarenotkiddingme]

Went into town with ds this morning. It's a 20-25 minute walk and so he takes his urban scooter that folds with a carry strap for when in town.

It's a very typical set up with a high street and then main centre with a shopping centre.

Ds knows and follows my simple rules.
• you move out of the way of walkers on the pavement
•you stay at my side when we hit the street with the shops on it
•you walk in the main centre and
•you carry it in the shopping centre.

Ds uses the scooter as he has problems with his muscles and can't walk the distance both ways.

As we left today he was walking next to me with the scooter but his leg started hurting. So I said to stand on scooter and I'd pull him along. We walked down the cobbled area in the centre where cars can go down for access (authorised vehicles and market vehicles etc). Obviously we took up less room than if he walked and were no different to 2 people walking side by side.

Suddenly a man starts yelling at me about how it's a disgrace nowadays that children are encouraged to scooter around shopping centres and we should teach them manners blah blah blah.

Ds was petrified but I was just angry. I continued walking as I know responding how I wanted to wouldn't have helped the situation.

I do get that shoppers probably get pissed off with children who do whizz around the pedestrian area on scooters without a thought for others but this wasn't the case.

So AIBU to think some people just create a moral high ground in order to shout at others rather than actually addressing real issues when they exist?

Yanbu

Bit confused, why was he yelling about kids using them in shopping centres when you weren't in a shopping centre?

You did the right thing to just keep walking and say nothing. People who are that unreasonable and crazy enough to act that way are only gonna be stoked into being even more angry and unpredictable if you answer back.

YANBU

I think because the way it's laid out is that there's a pedestrianised area which hosts the market etc between the main indoor centre but between other major retail stores such as wilkos/peacocks etc.

I agree that children shouldn't be whizzing around on scooters in this space - but being on a scooter next to someone walking (even if they are self propelling rather than being pulled like ds!) is no different to another person walking.

I have no idea why this bloke started. At first I didn't realise it was us he was shouting at because ds wasn't "scooting around making everyone go around him".

Do t get me wrong - over the years ds has suddenly placed a foot on the plate and scooted when he's meant to be walking - he's no angel! But I always work on a "reminder then removal" basis so he did it about 3 times and then developed a sudden ability to remember (and this was years ago!)

YANBU but I'd guess that he's been forced to leap out of the way a few too many times by kids on scooters and so now his automatic reaction to seeing one involves red mist descending. It's not right in your case, but it's understandable. Unfortunately there are plenty of parents who think that it's their children's right to do what they want at the expense of others, and they bugger it for the rest.

Exactly what I though Nike

I'm strict with ds use and he is not allowed to freely scoot up the road expecting poor unsuspecting pedestrians to leap out of the way!

It seems like we seemed an accessible target (as we weren't moving fast!) for his rant which would have probably had its place with some kids/adults but came from some moral high ground that didn't exist at that time!