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.

But not rude to expect the mother the get out of your way?

Bad manners. End of.

YANBU. They were rude.

and dare I use that MN word entitled

Unless the pram has to go into road ( in your explanation it didn’t) I would just stand by the side away from the road until they stopped and passed you in single file.
I do the same when someone is walking down the road towards me engrossed in their mobile. They can navigate around me, I don’t go into road to avoid them. I have a pram and some dingbats on their phone trip over it when I stop to let them pass.
Some people are too self absorbed to even realise other people need to walk on a pavement

But not rude to expect the mother the get out of your way?

Yes, it's not rude to expect two ignorant gobshites blocking the entire path to move into single file. They were taking up what is a two way path, not being forced off into potential traffic as they did to op. Having babies does not give them priority in using the footpath.

I love these threads though. Why not entitle them "women, why the fuck can't they just stay home out of the way"

I feel very sorry for you if you have such a low opinion of women. It seems like you just can't fathom a woman being aware of the needs of other footpath users and giving them the space that they need.

It's not being subservient, it's just being a decent human being and having a little awareness of what is happening around you.

Nope in the same way you can't tell by look at someone that actually pushing that pram is taking pretty much all their pain tolerance for the day and so maneuvering it out of the way for someone else to pass IS asking too much.

Really??? HaHaHa - do fuck off! I honestly suggest that people in that situation shouldn't be pushing a small, vulnerable human around then.... How do they cross the road? Turn?

Talk about dredging excuses up......

My way of dealing with it is to just stand still before they reach me, one of them will then have to manoeuvre round me if they wish to continue their journey.......

Similar to those that stand chatting with trolleys in supermarkets and then when you say excuse me can I get to the shelf behind you they look at you with disdain.....

I completely agree they should have moved to allow you to safely pass, however I really dislike this focus on them not paying attention to their older children. In that regard you should mind your own business. Otherwise they were rude

I find it extremely rude for people to not let others pass. I always try make sure I'm aware of others so when I'm pushing my pram with a fellow mother I always swoop behind her. Pavements are two way path even if you have a baby x

No, I can't tell who is using the lift 'unnecessarily' but it's highly unlikely all those people have a condition that means they can't use stairs/escalator. Often groups of young students chatting away, oblivious to the elderly people with walking frames and the mums with prams, who have no choice but wait for the lift.

Much more likely was that someone (and I may get flamed for this but it 90% women of a certain age) getting in my way on purpose. So much so that on more than one occasion the person with them would give them a shove or tell them off!

I've experienced this too. Mainly in clothes shops or coming out of shops (barging in without letting you out, pushing past the pram, refusing to move so you can get past). I find a loud, stern 'excuse me please, I need to get past with my buggy' with an icy glare, usually does the trick. Then there are the people who deliberately or accidentally step right in front of your pram. I've pranged a few ankles because I can't stop that quickly! Then you get abuse shouted at you for not anticipating they would step in front of the pram

I wish people would cut mothers some slack. We are often exhausted, sleep deprived, trying to dash from place to place to get errands done before baby/toddler wakes up. Give prams some room! I'm not excusing the women who didn't move for OP, they were very rude- just pointing out why mums
with prams are often fed up!

Similar to those that stand chatting with trolleys in supermarkets and then when you say excuse me can I get to the shelf behind you they look at you with disdain.....

I just move their trolleys out of the way - if they tut or mutter a good hard stare right into their eyes whilst not moving shuts them up!

Not about prams but tossers who walk along texting and not looking where they are going. I'm not moving out of thier way.. I let them bump into me and then tell the to look where they're going. That's if I'm having a bad day..

This annoys me too OP, but like others have said its not just pram pushers. I live near a busy tourist city and back end of last year was walking in the city centre, passed a car/coach park to my left, very busy main road to my right, as I came level with the entrance/exit of car park there was a large group of tourists making their way onto pavement towards me, mainly walking 2/3 a breast so I moved right over so partly walking on kerb, one woman who was facing me so definitely saw me barged right in to me and pushed me into the road, just narrowly missed being hit. I stepped back on the path and looked back round at them with my hands raised in a WTH manner and I was casually shooed away!

Don't get me started on people pushing prams at the weekend when it is busy. Go shopping during the week if you are on maternity leave.

Is that for real sillybilly?

Just a bit of fun Laurie!