Prams taking up the entire pavement

[giadak]

Hi all.

I was wondering if I could possibly get some opinions advice. I was walking down the street the other day. Two ladies were walking with their prams (towards me). As they were walking side by side - and engrossed in their conversations - they didn't seem to notice me walking too. I then said: 'Excuse me, could I get past, please?' They refused to move and gestured that I was in the road. Granted, it wasn't overly busy on the streets, but there were cars coming and going as it was around the time of day that the school finishes.

I know that it is 'easier' for me to walk in the road, but it's also potentially dangerous. One of them could have stopped for a whole second - so as to free up space on the pavement - I could have walked past quickly - thanked them - and that would have been perfectly fine for everyone.

I've also had experienced instances where parents just stand and chat in the street and again - there is no choice, but to walk in the road.

Worst of all - on that occasion, one of their older kids (who wasn't the one in the prom obviously) sped off on his scooter - and they didn't even notice.

Is it unreasonable to be annoyed? I'm the first to help women with prams up the stairs at train stations, I'm the first to offer my seat to anyone that may want/need it - young or old - able bodied or not. I do try, I really really do - but I feel like some people now are just taking advantage. Yes, it might be easier for me to move/walk into the road since I don't have a prom etc.... but why should I have to - and every time...?!

Please help/advise! I'm not trying to start a war - I'm genuinely curious and not sure what to do and/or how to feel.

Thanks.

Not just prams. People walking side by side on narrow footpaths are just as bad. No, I'm not walking on the grass verge or the road - I'll happily just stick my ground and stand there waiting for them to pass me in single file.

Was he also walking at least one dog and also chatting on his phone?

No dogs, but they'd need to be on those extendable leads for the full annoyance factor. :o

Some people are just arrogant twats and will probably never change - pram or not. They probably also stand and chat in doorways/bottom of escalators/stairs/park in disabled bays at supermarkets. In other words they are selfish.

Agree with that.

Id just stand there. The one not in your way will just keep walking, then you can walk around.

Yes they're rude but they're rude because they're rude not because they're pushing a pram

As a pram pusher I wish people would be more considerate when putting out bins and parking on the pavement. My bis stop is on a main road. Between the traffic lights and the bus stop there's always some entitled car owner who thinks not only is it ok to park on the pavement h ut in the middle of it. So I have no choice but to push a buggy out onto a main road to get round

No dogs, but they'd need to be on those extendable leads for the full annoyance factor

:)

This is not confined to people with prams. Maybe I'm becoming a grumpy old woman but I find so many people are becoming entitled and inconsiderate in this country.

because they insist on pushing it with one hand extended out to their side. Seems another part of fecking manspreading!

Like another poster, I used to do this because it’s easier. I have long legs and either had to take unnaturally small steps to stop kicking the back of the pram or walk out to the side. I imagine this is also an issue for a lot of men who are, in general, bigger than women. So no, it’s not “manspreading”.

It is, of course, good manners to step in behind the pram to let people pass. That’s down to manners though, not genitalia.

I would like to add people holding the hands of their children to this. I used to guide one child in front to allow other pedestrians to pass. Many seem to expect people to walk in the road or on muddy verges though.

Ditto big bags of shopping - I move one bag in front and one behind for the short time it takes to pass another pedestrian.

It’s basic manners and the lack (or not) is not confined to one group.

Some people have bad manners, even parents pushing pushchairs.

I push a double buggy and the number of times I have been asked to move by dog owners who think they own the pavement, groups of teenagers coming out of high school, idiots looking at their phones paying no attention to their environment. Not to mention cars who splash in puddles and soak you head to toe. There are idiots in every part of society.

Agree with you OP. Its the same with cyclists who ride two abreast so you cant overtake them safely

They are allowed to cycle two a breast on a normal carriageway. If it isn't safe to overtake a single cyclist..and by doing so you should give them as much space as if you were overtaking a car, you shouldn't overtake. Two cyclists are still narrower than a car. Also, the taking over period is less if they aren't in a line.

Bold fail @Queeniebreast

Round here, we get groups of 16 year-old or so school pupils taking up the entire pavement standing there chatting. When you get close, they apparently don't even see you, but the group melts into just one side of the pavement so you can get past without slowing your pace. Lovely!

Dim a road cyclist btw and have been overtaken on blind bends, had people in various types of vehicles coming towards me on narrow country lanes and going past passing places whether out of stupidity or deliberately and nearly running me off the road. Is it really worh committing gbh for? As that whet it is if you drive into a cyclist.

I do always say thankyou by putting my hand up and also will stop and move in and wait if needs be and it really is a nightmare for the driver to wait.

Yeah, I would use my bike a lot more and make far fewer car journeys if I didn't feel so vulnerable on the roads with intolerant drivers.

You met two quite rude people in an encounter that took a few seconds.
I really can't see the need for advice on this.

My local high street is hoaching with pavement-hogging buggy-pushers. I haven't yet found myself in a stand-off with any, but would absolutely stand my ground if I did. There's no need for anyone to get off the pavement; they just need to go single file for a few seconds.

If anyone gestured that I should walk in the road I'd gesture right back, but it'd be a different kind of gesture.

I got pram rage yesterday.

I was waiting ages for the lift with a group of people and a lady with a pram came along just after the lift arrived and there wasn't room for everyone. She pulled an obvious face at having not been given priority and no one letting her take their place. I could hear her muttering about lazy and using stairs as the doors closed.

Most being with prams/pushchairs are fine. It's just the odd few that really piss me off.

It's the walking two abreast that's the problem (at times).

And a special mention too for the man who rides his bike at the side of the pram that he's pushing with one hand. What could possibly go wrong

I saw a guy crossing a busy junction on a hoverboard pushing a prom once. On the same road, a guy cycling down the road at rush hour holding a roughly one year old with one hand. Must be a designated idiot zone.

YANBU OP - When I was a pram pusher I was always moving for people. I used and still get seriously pissed off with cars that park on pavements so the pram doesn't fit(my neighbour is guilty of this and they have a 7 month old) and the bin men - every bloody bin day they leave all the empty bins in the middle of the pavement so you have to move them out of the way to get past - why can't they push them up against the walls or hedges (where they were left originally).

I would have just stood there until one of them moved out of my way but then I am feeling grumpy today

I always keep an eye ahead and stop to allow people past. I’ve had it from the other side too quite recently where 4 people were standing on a narrow path over a hill and refused to move to let me, my newborn in a pram and walking toddler past so I had to walk in the very busy road.

What ever happened to common courtesy?!

So you prefer women to be vulnerable and subservient? Needing help with their prams at stations is fine but walking along the pavement having a chat isn't on. As you say they were engrossed in their conversation so maybe they just didn't notice you until you made a big deal about them being in your way. You on the other hand saw them coming and despite not being encumbered with babies/toddlers decided they were going to give way to you.
Was the road busy or not - you're a bit contradictory on that one. Was there actually a car going past when this woman who doesn't know her place gestured towards the road?

Damn rude . I would've done exactly the same as I do when a group of people walk towards me - stop dead and stand still - one will always manoeuvre around you .