Pushchair, wheelchair and the bus driver - what the hell?

[TooSmittle]

On the bus this morning, my pushchair and a pram in the wheelchair space. A couple with a child in a wheelchair got on. The child got out and walked up the bus leaving the man with nowhere to put the wheelchair without folding it.

The baby in the other pram was only 3 weeks old (mine are 3 and 1) so I said I'd get off to make space. The whole bus seemed to errupt trying to make space for us and tutting about the wheelchair. The man did say he'd fold but I didn't want to add any inconvenience to his day and hopped off.

As it happened the next bus was literally right behind and about to go round my original bus but stopped as I put my arm out. I got on explaining that a wheelchair had just got on the other bus. He said "You got off because of the wheelchair? You dont have to do that you know, you should have just stayed on."

What??? I get that asking (forcing?) pushchairs to make way for wheelchairs is probably not a bus drivers favourite task, but actively encouraging people not to move? I'm not wrong that this is crazy, am I? If I let their head office know will they do anything?

I think you did a good thing

I'm not sure anyone here can answer your question about the bus company's head office.

You might as well email them anyway and see.

You did the right thing.

Glad there are nice people like you OP

The bus driver that said you should have just stayed on was wrong - he didn’t know that the wheelchair that got on was when where the person could, and would, leave the seat and the wheelchair could be collapsed. In most cases that isn’t the case and the wheelchair should take priority.

You did the right thing.

and yes that does sound a bit crazy from the bus driver, but you probably won't get anywhere by writing in.

I think the whole bottom floor should be fixed seat free in city centre buses. Just fold down ones up the sides and hanging loops for standers. Seats upstairs then these situation are less likely to occur.

You did the right thing. The bus driver shouldn't be encouraging people to not give priority to wheelchairs.

Wheelchair users have the right to the chair space - you did the right thing, and the bus driver was wrong. You could let the bus company know so they can update their drivers.

www.disabledgo.com/blog/2017/08/bus-industry-set-to-face-fresh-legal-action-over-access-to-wheelchair-space/

You don't have to get off. You can put the pram down. What about those people who would have to wait another hour for the next bus or its throwing it down and the kids are tired? Getting off the bus isn't the only solution.

I've done this before now and ended up in an argument (and falling out permanently) with someone over it. She was insisting that 'fuck wheelchair users. If I'm on the bus first with my buggy then I'm in that space.' No word of a lie, she actually said 'fuck wheelchair users.' Speechless. It's seems she's not the only one with this attitude.

Wheelchair trumps pram - you did a very considerate thing - bus driver was wrong.

In this case, the wheelchair could have been folded. Plus, there was a bus right behind.

I don't think you should have got off.

I’m 99% that by law wheelchair users have priority over buggies and prams. You did a wonderful thing and probably made the family feel more comfortable about using public transport - most disabled people I know try to avoid as they’ve had awful experiences

Yews, wheelchair users have the legal right to the wheelchair space.

''The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in January that wheelchair-users have a right to priority access over the wheelchair space on a bus, and that a driver must do more than just ask a non-disabled passenger to move if they are occupying the space and it is needed by someone using a wheelchair.''

www.disabledgo.com/blog/2017/08/bus-industry-set-to-face-fresh-legal-action-over-access-to-wheelchair-space/

^Yes, not 'yews'.

You did the right thing. My friend was paralysed from the waist down due to illness. Her powered wheelchair was her lifeline - she was able to work and live an independent life with it. Sadly, lots of ignorant bus drivers and parents were not as thoughtful as you and she often spent time waiting as bus after bus went past her with buggies taking up the space. She spent a lot of time complaining to TfL.

My friend sadly died last year and we all miss her very much. Your actions would have meant so much to her, so thank you very much for your kindness and thoughtfulness

Wheelchair users do have priority over those in buggies/prams. However, as a wheelchair user myself I would never expect a parent to move and disrupt their children just so I could get on, I'd feel awful! The only scenario I could think of, is if waiting for the next bus would cause me to be late for a hospital appointment.
I don't use buses all that often, but when I have I've been the first to offer to wait, or have held babies on my knee to give the parents a chance to fold up their pushchairs.
Probably be flamed for this... but I really dislike how some wheelchair users have a sense of entitlement and an attitude that goes with it.

The case results were pointless. I'm a driver. We legally can ASK you to fold your buggy or get off. That's it. The driver is right, sadly. If you refuse, there's not a legal thing we can do. Shouting, or grabbing and dragging you off are also illegal. It's a horrible catch 22. When I did the training I pointed out nothing had changed. I was told it's because one law just cancels out the other. You can't force an adult to do anything they don't want to. So it's back to square one. And we are bastards all over again. It's very disheartening, and makes you bitter, I can assure you

( ducks down to avoid what's about to be launched at me ) 💣⛏🔪🔨🗡🔫

I thought that after the ruling bus drivers were supposed to take further steps to get someone who is being unreasonable to move?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-38663322

Well done, you did the right thing OP

Define reasonable. Refusing to drive? Physical assault on someone? Either of those adversely affect everyone else traveling. It's a roundabout and there is no way to appease everyone at the same time.

I got on a bus with ds a few months ago where the driver did refuse to move until the grandmother with the pram had made space for DS wheelchair. She did eventually thankfully.

It's a situation where we are a cunt regardless what happens. Someone or a set group on the bus will think, " cunt " . It's horrible. But again, in reality, if a young woman with a baby point blank refuses to move, anything we do becomes strong arming a Mum and baby. Or making workers late. Or making the wheelchair user look entitled. Or leaving the wheelchair user stranded. There is no way to come out of it right from a drivers perspective.

Tbh folding the wheelchair probably wasn’t going to be a big deal not any more than folding a pushchair. The thing you got of the bus for was an empty wheelchair so it was pointless really, you should’ve stayed in the bus