Buggy, wheelchair and shopping trolleys on bus - WIBU

[shatteredmama]

I know this gets done to death, but I want to know if I've just been an arse.

Got on bus with toddler in buggy, lots of older people got on too, lots with those sholly shopping bags on wheels, all fine, there was room for a few of them with their shollys in one bay and room for me and toddler in the other one. All good.

Next stop a woman in a wheelchair got on. I knew she had priority over me and was happy to move, bus was packed so it was looking like I would need to collapse buggy, again, no problem with this, however noticed a man had his sholly taking up a whole seat where my toddler in buggy could be put.

I asked him if he'd mind if I lifted his sholly and put it in the luggage rack so my toddler in buggy could have it's place. Cue lots of gasps and muttering from everyone on the bus and the man barking at me that he wouldn't let me do that and that he was disabled and wouldn't move. I'm sure I'd made it clear that I only wanted to move his luggage, not him!

Ended up collapsing buggy, driver helped me put it in luggage rack and I sat at the back of bus with toddler on my knee.

I thought priority for using the bays went to disabled first, buggys next, luggage last, WIBU?

Our signs say "buggy friebsly zone " but that they might needto be collapsed if its busy. However a person should always get priority for a seat over luggage so yanbu and driver should have said something

If he's disabled he probably didn't want to have to struggle to get his trolley out again, especially if you got off the bus before him.

Apart from wheelchairs who of course have priority, I don't think there's an order of priority, just that people who don't need the space should give priority to those who do.

YANBU to ask, but HINBU to refuse

The only priority is wheelchairs. Every man for himself after that.

I think in your instance the man should have let his one be put in the luggage rack. I completely agree that wheelchairs take priority but it physically makes me anxious getting the bus on my own with my little one as I can’t hold her and collapse my buggy plus manage any bags I might have while doing all this in front of a bus load of people who just want to get going

He was being a bit entitled now wasn't he?

And who would have lifted it down for him when he needed to get off?

Everyone was able to travel so don’t see the issue

Every man for himself after that
It want a person, it was a bag. I assume you're ok with me refusing to move my handbag off a seat to let an elderly or disabled person sit down?

I’m with you OP. And I never heard ‘sholly’ before today

And yes person trumps inanimate item that isn’t required throughout the journey like a wheelchair obviously is.

Those trolleys are also sometimes walking aids. Besides which he explained he was disabled and may have struggled to move safely without it or be able to get it out of the luggage rack again. You were able to fold your buggy so I'm not sure what the issue is? The only priority in those spaces is wheelchairs.

Where I run there's a brilliant sign that I think should be employed. In my case it is a sign that shows that bikes give way to runners and both give way to horses.

So... shollys/bags etc. give way to actual human beings (including children) and both give way to people with disabilities/wheelchair users.

I would have assumed that by saying he was disabled, he meant it was a walking aid. So he needed it to remain upright and not fall over.

Sorry but what inconvenience is it to you to collapse a buggy a TODDLER was in?

Yes he had already said he was disabled.... did you want him to prove it too?

‘Who would have got it down for him?’ OP would have as when she got off the bus, there would have been space. He’s seated, toddler is seated, everyone is safe and happy, surely?

Would one even fit on the luggage rack?

It sounds like it was quite obviously a walking aid, as everyone was gasping etc when you asked him.

I suppose he could have explained nicely, though, instead of barking at you.

But everyone was seated anyway without removing what it seems was a mobility aid from its owner!

Since their were seats at the back it’s slightly different. I thought we were collapsing the buggy and standing with a toddler in a crowded bus when everyone could have been safely seated. If there are seats it is different.

However it is a PITA folding a buggy while wrangling a toddler on a crowded bus in a rush. Let’s not be arseholes about mothers, as per usual.

It's not clear from your post - was the man's trolley in the wheelchair bay, or on a seat? If the former, you probably don't have a right to expect it to be moved; if the latter, you definitely do.

Buggy, wheelchair and shopping trolleys on bus sounds like the beginning of a joke.

OP was able to fold and sit and driver helped but if I was on the bus with my toddler I couldn't collapse it. I obviously have to move for the person in the wheelchair. Man is already seated. Should I honestly get off the bus because his trolley has the only space I can park my son? Someone could have got it down - inc driver before he had to move.

Yanbu

It's tough, innit? I have on more than one occasion had to wrangle a baby in one hand, folding and stowing the buggy with the other on a moving bus with people complacently looking on from all sides and some idiot trying to get past me at the same time. It's impossible for babies, and very difficult for small toddlers, to sit or stand by themselves on a bus. The same goes for the elderly, disabled and infirm of course.

I think it's safest to say that public transport is a bag of shite at the best of times and count yourself lucky you got away without physical injury!

So... shollys/bags etc. give way to actual human beings (including children) and both give way to people with disabilities/wheelchair users.

Where does a disabled man with a sholly fit in?