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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

in hating MASSIVE buggies?

79 replies

Smurfgirl · 09/05/2007 17:14

I am sure when I have a baby I will have a massive buggy and look back on this and judge myself.

But at the moment I am SICK to death of being barged out of the way by people with huge buggies, or people with buggies walking next to each other so there is no room to get past on the pavement, or not being able to get to a bit of the shop because a huge buggy is there blocking the way. I asked someone to move their buggy today (politely) in a small shop and she tutted at me. Grrr.

OP posts:

2Happy · 09/05/2007 17:41

(low-flying budgie...)

franca70 · 09/05/2007 17:42

I didn't do my research right when we had our first child and bought a massive pram. I hated it after a half day of pushing. Btw, I've laso pushed a double buggy for quite a long time. But yes, I'm quite irritated by massive buggies, well, by buggies in general (probably becuase I've been pushing them for the last for and a half yrs....)

ProfYaffle · 09/05/2007 17:47

What 2happy said. Especially about the shopping trollies.

sweetkitty · 09/05/2007 18:29

The other day I saw Mum, Dad and Gran out with baby except they had a huge Silver Cross thing all pimped up with frilly overblanket thing frilly toys dangling from it BUT the pram was empty and Dad was walking with a toddler, wtf they were taking up loads of room in the shop as well.

DollyPopsOut · 09/05/2007 19:27

The trouble is, many/some of us with enormous (and possibly offensive) buggies have them because we have 2 kids and no car. I have a side by side double with four (large off road) wheels - had to get a side by side one so both kids could see out and need somewhere underneath to put my shopping. I have only ever tried to get on a bus with it once when DD2 was 11 days old and I had walked 2 miles to the shops and was too knacked to walk home. Wasn't allowed on bus unless buggy could be folded n- not goign to happen with shopping, 2 year old and new baby. Ended up walking home very slowly and in tears at how unkind the driver was and how unjust the world was (blame the hormones!)

I haven't tried it since and ended up walking nearly 10 miles on Sunday to get to a lunch date as couldn't face bus and there were no train stations near where we were going that didn't have loads of stairs to get out. I may try to get on a bus again when it's quiet - not wishing to take up loads of space but sometimes with no choice as even I can't do those distances on a regular basis!

agnesnitt · 09/05/2007 19:48

I had a three wheeler affair when my daughter was small, but purely for the logistics of the height. I couldn't, at the time, find anything remotely tall enough to push without giving me backache.

This time round there's more choice and I shall be investigating the prams with adjustable handle widgets.

For those trying to get side-by-side double buggies on buses, I find most umbrella fold types, or the graco one are fine. They're beginning to design them to be more door friendly.

Agnes

rowan1971 · 09/05/2007 20:04

Dolly - sympathies on your bus troubles, it can be a realy pain with a double. Is there any way you could get a second-hand unmbrella-fold buggy, as Agnes suggested, and just use it when you know you're going to be getting the bus? The Maclaren Twin fits on most modern buses.

pampam · 09/05/2007 20:25

i have a 3 wheeler, i'd say it was medium massive. I also have a tiny umbrella fold jobbie, hardly ever use the umbrella fold thing unless i know i have to use a bus with no low floor as the pavements are just too awful. i don't drive and i walk a lot but get the bus a lot as well. on the bus i try not to take up much room and often there are able bodied young people sitting in the fold up front seats of an empty bus who rarely offer to move unless asked, this annoys me but not as much as people who start to pile onto the bus as soon as it stops without checking to see who's getting off when i'm trying to get off backwards with the pushchair, or there are disabled/elderly poeple trying to get off, that really makes me

helenhismadwife · 10/05/2007 08:29

you are being unreasonable, perhaps you should get annoyed at the shops, buses, trains resturants etc that make it very difficult if not impossible to get even a reasonable sized buggy (or wheelchair) round easily, this is from experience of someone who has tried every size buggy there is (6 kids!!!) and found no matter what size it is you still get in someones way and have them tutting at you

kslatts · 10/05/2007 09:10

I wouldn't choose a large buggy because they are are so difficult to use when shopping or travelling on public transport, having said that I don't mind if other people have them. I think you are being unreasonable.

maisemor · 10/05/2007 09:26

Poor DollyPopsOut, I know exactly how you feel.

The British transport system STINKS. BIG TIME.

I did have one of those big buggies, because we had no car, and it is really good for the shopping especially when you have 2 children under 2. It was apparently such a good buggy that somebody felt the need to steel it, so we bought an umbrella buggy to replace it and so it would be possible for us to use buses over here. How wrong can you be. Don't assume that just because you have an umbrella buggy that you will be allowed on the buses. You won't.

I was forced to walk home (2 hours) in stinking heat, because 3 busdrivers in a row would not let me on bus with umbrella buggy that had sleeping son in it. I was NOT going to lift him out and fold it down, as I had just gotten off one bus as he was screaming his head off because he was so tired and the only thing he wanted was to sit and sleep in his buggy. It was NOT going to take up a massive amount of space. The bus was NOT busy (everybody at work or at school). I was in tears and so angry.

Ahh feel slightly better now again.

anniemac · 10/05/2007 14:02

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anniemac · 10/05/2007 14:05

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rowan1971 · 10/05/2007 14:08

maisemor's post has made me cross, just cos I can't believe that there are still so many buses that won't take prams. I thought all public transport was coverting to access-friendly vehicles - it's a European thing, isn't it? Isn't the deadline next year?

anniemac · 10/05/2007 14:13

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bozza · 10/05/2007 14:26

I don't think you are really. My pushchair days are over (DD is 3 on Tues) but I used to get irritated that I couldn't get my maclaren around shops because somebody had parked their huge thing in the way. It bothers me much less now that I have just to manoevre DS, DD and myself past.

chocolattegirl · 10/05/2007 14:28

My dd had an enormous 2-in-1 pram and I bought it cos I liked it. I actually did more damage in shops pushing her umbrella stroller (mind this was in a badly-laid out 'pound shop'). I never took the pram on a bus or train though - the stroller was reserved for that.

I've also pushed a wheelchair along public streets and they are much more cumbersome to get along with than a pram, no matter how big. Babies tend to be lighter so can be lifted with or without their pram over obstacles quite easily if you have more than one adult with you. Try doing that with a limited-mobility adult.

Chatting in shop doorways is plain inconsiderate though and I bet I know the sort of person who did that. [zipped mouth icon]

anniemac · 10/05/2007 14:32

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powder28 · 10/05/2007 14:36

I get hacked off when people without buggies won't give you enough room to push your pushchair past on the pavement and look at you like you are scum.

Smurfgirl, where do you think people should put their pushchairs in shops? Or do you think they should leave their children outside?

OrmIrian · 10/05/2007 14:49

I think that big buggies have their place. But not being pushed side by side by mums ambling along the pavement filling up the entire space. A little consideration ..or alternatively rear-view mirrors might help

maisemor · 10/05/2007 15:55

Do you want a little bell on your buggy as well then Ormirian? You can get them shaped as a ladybird

Or better yet a huge tutting horn, like the ones that the clowns in the circus have

Original poster

Smurfgirl · 10/05/2007 16:07

I would like to point out that I was tutted at - I did not and would not. I am not a rude person, I was annoyed but kept it inside.

powder28 - what should I do then when someone has plonked their large buggy in the middle of the shop and made it impossible for me to get round? Of course people should bring their children into shops - all I am saying is that if you are pushing a large buggy around you should maybe think about where you put it in the shop?

I use buses all the time as well - I never sit in the buggy bit, and I have to say where I live there is usually room and bus drivers are v.good.

OP posts:

pampam · 10/05/2007 16:08

i'd LOVE a clown's horn on my buggy.
and some special spikes that shoot out of the front and sides to stab pedestrians who don't get out of my way quickly enough!

pampam · 10/05/2007 16:10

there are quite a few shops i don't go to anymore cos i can't handle the embarrassment of being in them with a buggy, no matter how small.

maisemor · 10/05/2007 16:13

ROFWL pampam.

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