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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wheelchair user on the bus

409 replies

Penguinpower · 22/09/2018 20:40

Yesterday I was taking my grandmother (in a wheelchair) to hospital on the bus (London bus) and unfortunately it was rush hour as appointment was 9.10

When the bus turned up it was completely rammed and no way we could get on. The bus driver yelled down the bus that people needed to get off to let the wheelchair on and he would give people a ticket so they could get on another bus for free. Unsurprisingly people did not want to do this, a couple of people did but most people ignored and my grandma was uncomfortable with the situation and told the bus driver not to worry. The next bus that came was also rammed and so I called a taxi.

So this is more of a WWYD but do you think people should get off to let wheelchair on or not? I’m in 2 minds as around 10 people would have to get off to let us on and they could then get on other buses easier. As easier for them to squeeze on. However, they have paid for the bus and as it is rush hour they would most likely be heading to work as no one would choose to be on that busy a bus if they didn’t have to be.

My grandma doesn’t think they should have to get off and I think I probably agree but the bus driver obviously thought they should. So what do you think?

OP posts:
havingabadhairday · 22/09/2018 22:18

@SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning where are you? Some places have shitty public transport. You can't leave any earlier than your first bus, and your next one might be in an hour or 90mins later.

For some inexplicable reason my bus route gets you into town just before 9am and the next bus gets you in about 10.30. The buses back are awful and the last two are often cancelled, the last one being just after 6. There's no direct train route either. Some places just don't have frequent or half way reliable public transport.

ambostraw · 22/09/2018 22:18

Tbh I would have stayed on the bus as just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they're more entitled to be on the bus than I am

Well you are a wee delight aren't you Hmm

You should be fully ashamed. I don't even know you and I feel embarrassed for you.

Viviennemary · 22/09/2018 22:19

I think the space that should be occupied by the wheelchair should be left free. So these people would need to either move down the bus or else get off if there was no room. If not then they might as well forget any kind of wheelchair priority for people.

ValleyClouds · 22/09/2018 22:20

People conveniently forget that the wheelchair user might be on a ZHC, about to get sanctioned or be late for work

But no we all just sit off all day, we can't have anything important to be doing like other NORMAL people to whom the bus must be prioritised as they DEFINITELY have something important to do with their day Hmm

hibbledibble · 22/09/2018 22:21

It's difficult as the bus driver can ask people to move, but cannot force them to. On a busy bus, it would involve a lot of people getting off, and this isn't really practical.

Hospital transport or private transport is better suited in this situation.

I agree absolutely that wheelchair users should be given priority for the wheelchair space. I would always get off a bus with a pushchair to make room for a wheelchair user, however once I had a wheelchair user get on the bus to take the space, leaving me no room to get off, and delaying the whole bus journey for everyone while struggled to get off the bus with a pushchair and 6 children, then take have to get 2 further buses.

AssassinatedBeauty · 22/09/2018 22:22

@havingabadhairday but the effect of what you're saying is that the wheelchair user is the one who always will be late, miss appointments, get sanctioned etc etc. Because they have no other choice, if no one will make any effort to allow them to access public transport.

BakedBeans47 · 22/09/2018 22:23

Tbh I would have stayed on the bus as just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they're more entitled to be on the bus than I am

Well aren’t you just a treasure

Parker231 · 22/09/2018 22:25

Some people would appear to prefer for the wheelchair user to remain at the bus stop, possibly in the pouring rain rather than get off the bus to let them into the wheelchair space. Says an awful lot about individuals! Able bodied people have a choice as to how they get about, a wheelchair user doesn’t.

dudsville · 22/09/2018 22:25

I commute to work by bus. Once I'm on I'm not easily getting off the bus and run late for work. Same for when I'm coming home. I do long shifts and have a long commute, if I can get on the bus I will. I work in a touristy town and summers are a nightmare with workers missing a bus because 20 exchange students got to the door first. I'll give up my seat but I think workers trying to get to and from work deserve a reasonable service too.

havingabadhairday · 22/09/2018 22:26

@SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning I'm ok, my work is reasonable. I know people on zero hours contracts or low hours contracts who need the extra hours and if they're late they won't get the hours they need anymore. Some people are not in secure employment and can't afford to take risks.

Some places don't have good public transport. As I said in my other post you could be on the earliest bus, they may not be on a train line (and trains are expensive) and it's not always possible to walk or cycle, I couldn't walk 18 miles to work for example, which is how far I used to have to travel.

ValleyClouds · 22/09/2018 22:27

AGAIN the wheelchair user might also be going to work!

CrabbyPatty · 22/09/2018 22:28

For what its worth - I think people should've got off, but I can also imagine everyone thinking well their not moving why should I and deciding that their needs trump everyone else's. But just thinking imaging being in a wheelchair and needing to go to work in that everyday.

CrabbyPatty · 22/09/2018 22:29

Sorry didn't mean 'in that' as in 'in that wheelchair' -meant 'in that rush hour commute.'

ValleyClouds · 22/09/2018 22:31

imagine being in a wheelchair and having to go to work in that everyday

I don't need to imagine, thanks, I've done it.

AssassinatedBeauty · 22/09/2018 22:31

@havingabadhairday I don't know if you realise that what you're actually saying is that the needs of able bodied people to get to work, etc should always have priority over wheelchair users.

myrtleWilson · 22/09/2018 22:32

@dudsville - are you assuming the wheelchair user isn't also going to or from work? And given there are fewer spaces on buses for wheelchair users and according to thread upon thread on here some bus users are fairly shitty about accommodating wheelchair users, I'd hazard a guess that the wheelchair user going to work is probably more likely to be late...

havingabadhairday · 22/09/2018 22:32

Good lord. Everyone has a reason for being on public transport at that time, noone is there for fun. But I'm saying you can't completely blame someone for not moving if it means they might effectively lose their job, and saying they should have got on an earlier bus is useless to people who are already on the earliest bus.

A major problem here is that our public transport is so shit.

People are also thoughtless and concerned with their own lives and difficulties. Personally I'd move - but I'm aware it would cost me nothing to do so. My work wouldn't care, I don't have to worry about how I'm going to feed myself or my children if I lose hours.

Debinaround · 22/09/2018 22:33

tillytop I know they will have thought about it but they won't want to spend the money making it happen. The same way they had to be forced to make busses accessible to wheelchairs.* They were never going to pay for it out of the goodness of their hearts.*

I bet they are hoping that if the bus drivers ask people to move and a few of them refuse to drive on until people move, people will not kick up a stink.**

Shame on them and anyone else who refuses to get out of a wheelchair space.

havingabadhairday · 22/09/2018 22:36

@AssassinatedBeauty I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying why people might not want to move.

And that their reasons might be understandable.

And that we need better public transport.

And that if the law was going to say that people had to get off the bus those people should be protected from repercussions.

None of that says someone should have priority over a person with disabilities. It's highlighting the problems.

Yabbers · 22/09/2018 22:37

There is no way I would take DD on the bus, in rush hour, in her wheelchair. My default would have been taxi from the start.

Had I been a passenger on the bus, I would have got off, but I can see why people would be reluctant. If they are on their way to work, leaving the bus would make them late and that could be a real problem for them too. I don’t like pitting people against each other in this situation, it achieves nothing and leads to a “them and us” attitude. The problem was the bus was over filled and the driver shouldn’t have done that. Or offered passengers the choice before they got on, letting them know they might have to get off.

If I ever were in that situation, I would make other arrangements and take it up with the bus company afterwards. The last thing DD needs is to be made to feel like a nuisance and have to be in the middle of a big argument with passengers.

havingabadhairday · 22/09/2018 22:40

@Yabbers there should be enough capacity on public transport that it doesn't need to be an issue. Nobody should be arguing, and nobody should be made to feel they're being a nuisance.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 22/09/2018 22:41

If your Grandmother got on the bus, would you have done also?

I'd clear the wheelchair space obviously (tbh, I always get buses or trains much earlier than I need to for contingency). I can understand people not wanting to move for someone not going to be using the wheelchair space.

Samcro · 22/09/2018 22:42

for ffs I suggest anyone who is suggesting that the WC user gets hospital transport tries it out. it is beyond shite,

viccat · 22/09/2018 22:43

I'm in two minds about this. It would obviously be the decent thing to do to get off and let the wheelchair user take the place.

But I've also waited for a bus for a good 20 minutes or longer during rush hour, and at that time most people are going somewhere specific rather than just out shopping... So getting off and waiting could make them late for work, uni or for important appointments of their own.

If possible (financially etc.) a cab for a one-off journey for the wheelchair user would therefore make more sense if it can be anticipated public transport will be busy.

crazycatgal · 22/09/2018 22:43

When I used to get the bus to college/university the bus was always packed full of people, including people standing in the wheelchair space because the bus service wasn't adequate so people were always packed on like sardines.

I completely understand why prams should be folded to make room but I can understand why people standing wouldn't want to get off the bus at rush hour. It's likely that if people got off then the next couple of packed buses would drive past making people late for work.

The bus companies need to provide a better service so that everyone can use the service during rush hour.