Primary children on London bus

[PretABoire]

I get the bus to work in London each day. Unfortunately for me and all the other passengers, so does a large family with 3-6?? primary aged children. I assume the parents take it in turns and often bring random other children with them. The problem is that this is a packed commuter bus and I'm starting to get Right Pissed Off with their behaviour.

The parents encourage the small children to squeeze under elbows and between people to skip the queue onto the bus. The parent then uses this as an excuse as to why they have to join them. They then proceed to yell, daily, "get on the stairs, get on the stairs!". Besides the fact that you obviously aren't supposed to stand on the stairs of a moving bus (many adults do as it's usually the only space available) - these kids will then agian, slip past anyone waiting for a seat upstairs and nab the first one available, or completely block the stairs meaning that most days, someone ends up missing their stop because they can't make it past the wall of sprogs blocking the steps. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to ask these kids to move for someone, but they just stare blankly and stay put.

The school is only about a 25 minute walk from the bus stop they get on at. No mobility issues - if they are running late, or miss the bus, I've seen the lot of them sprinting to school or the next stop.

WIBU to say something to the parents next time someone misses their stop due to their tribe or they fail to queue for the bus/a seat? I feel myself getting closer to snapping at them with each passing day - especially when I'm having a bad back day and the kids keep squeezing past the queue to grab a seat.

Annoying but the driver should be the one saying something. If people can't get down the stairs at their stop they should shout loud "HOLD ON DRIVER I CAN'T GET DOWN THE STAIRS" and the driver may notice what is going on. Teens are worse.

Sadly there's not much you can say to them; they obviously don't care about their children's bad behaviour and they're likely to just give you a load of abusive language if you do say anything.

Would suggest getting an earlier or later bus instead

It’s one of the new buses with 3 doors - they get on at the back where the driver can’t/won’t get involved!

I get a bus 3 earlier than I need to, sometimes they’re too packed to let anyone on. This already means I can get to work 30 mins early to 20 mins late depending on traffic, it’s very difficult for me (and other regulars) to avoid them. Part of the problem is they refuse to step off the bus to allow anyone to pass so the driver probably closes the door prematurely as it doesn’t look like there’s anyone waiting on either side of the doors.

if its got 3 doors get on one of the others?! i manage to get on a bus with one door easily enough. a 25 minute walk to school with that many kids can be a very difficult and easily take alot longer.

Honestly I think yabu. Rushing past people to get on is annoying but many adults do it (when the person at the front is slow getting their Oyster card) and it doesn’t say sound like anyone is being held up. There’s no such thing as queuing for a seat on a London bus. It’s pretty normal for the stairs/passageways to be blocked on a bus at rush hour, you just have to be forceful about getting people to move aside and make sure you leave enough time to get off.

Just seen your update about them getting on the back. In that case I think your post makes even less sense - there’s no need to queue at the back.

people always push infront of my pram. i agree yabu and they are just as entitled to get the bus as you are.

Take an earlier bus. Problem solved. I commute to London at 6am as I hate schoolkids on the tube too

YABU. I'm confused as to the "bad behaviour".

They don't move when a stranger tells them to?

They stand on the stairs when the bus is moving so they can get seats upstairs? (This one in particular makes no sense).

Take an earlier bus?

Can you walk to the bus stop before the one you are currently using?

Yabu they are behaving just like adults do on London buses. Your objection seems to be the fact they are children.

I was once in the Paris metro and a guy was rolling his eyes at some primary age kids larking about (but not really causing any trouble). He made some comment and their mum gave him a full on bollocking in front of the whole carriage, ending with the advice that if he doesn’t want to travel with other members of the public he should get a taxi. Being a typical non-confrontational Brit I was pretty impressed with her I have to say!

YANBU to feel pissed off about this. Contact the school? They might be able to have a word with the respective parents.
Or the bus station office? They could ask the driver to watch out for this crowd, especially the stair-blocking.
My commuting days are long gone but that would annoy me too.

If you're in London, then buses come along every couple of minutes. Just get on the one before, or after!

Just walk back a few bus stops and get on before them. if it annoys you so much.
There is no queuing system for London busses!

YANBU unfortunately I doubt saying something to the parents will work, they most know they're pissing everyone off and just not care. I agree with PP that if someone is going to miss their stop due to them blocking the stairs I'd shout to the driver (and make it clear it's due to kids blocking the stairs).

• I'm confused as to the "bad behaviour".

They don't move when a stranger tells them to? *

You don't understand how blocking the stairway and preventing people leaving the bus is bad behaviour? I'm confused by you're confusion!

YANBU and this would irritate me. If it irritates you sufficiently, I would i) email bus company with concerns about the safety aspect of children blocking the stairs (and preventing people exiting in time), and ii) email school about poorly behave children on bus

bottle but if there are a number of people on the stairs telling the top one to move is a bit meaningless, as there isn’t anywhere to go (and if you’re coming down at the back you can’t see if there is anywhere to move to at the bottom). I don’t think that I ever ask someone to move on a bus or tube, just say excuse me and make it clear you need to get past. There’s room to squeeze past children on the back stairs of a London bus.

you need to have a word with the driver - he needs to stop until everyone has got off. If that means waiting while people push through the children so be it. It will slow down the journey, the kids and their parents will soon realise it's better to try and create a gap and your problem will be solved

I was on a bus last week where the bus driver didn't wait for me to get off and at the next stop, I had a word with him about it!

but if there are a number of people on the stairs telling the top one to move is a bit meaningless, as there isn’t anywhere to go

In the OP it implied they made it clear they needed to get past but the kids wouldn't budge so the person missed their stop.

YABU, so what that there is an adult taking 6 kids, how is that relevant, Why don't you walk a little and get on after they have got off, if they could do a 25 minute walk so could you! just because you are a commuter your not more entitled to the bus than a child going to school!

tell the parents 'get your brats out of my way'.

it is London, it is shit and crowded. But you have a bus every few minutes, not every hour like the rest of the country so sympathy is a little limited.

YABU. I'm confused as to the "bad behaviour". They don't move when a stranger tells them to?

Seriously? You dont see this as bad behaviour? No wonder so many kids these days think they can do what they like if some people dont think there is anything wrong with not moving when asked to do so so someone can get past!