To think getting the bus with young children is unnecessarily difficult

[JuniperGinYay]

... to the point of encouraging car use.

I have a number of local journeys that are easier by bus, cheaper too. But the process of getting on is sooooo hard!

I have three, a little one in a buggy, a 7 yr old with a balance problem and a 9 yr old and I can’t work it out! I have the worlds lightest umbrella fold and no bags on it. I even give the bag to the oldest to help me be free of bags. This morning really was crap, we’re late as the driver refused to let me on as there were already two buggies, despite mine being folded. The bus was about 1/4 full and I could easily sling the buggy on the rack, stand it in the corner of just have it between my knees.

Even when I do get on they do the instant pull away, I end up trying to support two children with a folded buggy whilst they weave off at speed. Someone always falls over or bumps a head.

It’s easier unfolded to hold the kids too, but then I’m at more risk of them refusing to let you on. Despite being able to drop the umbrella fold in around 2-3 seconds they refuse to let you board and fold as ‘it takes too long’. I have been on one occasion actually sworn at.

They are so frequently really rude and aggressive about all of this, I’ve never had an issue on a bus without kids but if you take three kids on a bus you are universally disliked (even though others board slightly slower for various reasons). The kids are well trained to dive for seats and handrails but the speed they move off they simply can’t make it sometimes.

Getting off I’ve had a few ‘accidental’ door closes on us with the little ones getting freaked out, as we can’t stand until they stop as the kids fall over (yes, we sit by the door).

Does anyone else get this in city buses? I get people want to get a move on but if all the people like me weren’t in cars the bus would probably still move faster as the roads would be clearer. The buses are not full when I use them either.

It doesn’t help lots of the drivers hit the brakes constantly and are pretty jerky. Some are decent, but there’s enough of a culture to make it really hard to get the bus.

I’m ranting I know, but I’m sitting in the second bus wet from an extra 20 min in the rain with a grumpy toddler.

The person that said a sling helps; it does, however, I got a fright when I had my then baby on my front and the driver lurched off before I’d had a chance to get anywhere near sat down. I lost my balance completely and nearly ended up face down in the aisle, which would have squashed the baby underneath me.

I can't drive so I've always used public transport since DS was newborn. Can't say I've ever had any issues to be honest, but I do only have one child so I imagine it's harder if you have multiple.

@ChampooPapi

It truly is an awful experience, and I’m sorry that you’ve endured the same.

I too, tell myself after each bus journey that it’ll be the last, until the next time when I realise I have no other option.

YANBU. Buses here (nowhere near London) absolutely do move off as soon as you get on the bus. If you have young children or poor mobility it is very difficult.

Also if you are not at the doors by the time the bus has stopped they will let other people on before you get out. The bus divers are generally lovely though so I can only assume it is timetable constraints?

To make things even worse, on one big bus company if you have their Oyster style card you need to touch off. So need to be at the touch off point by the door well before you get off so you have time to touch off your own and any children’s cards (admittedly only the over 5s).

YANBU. Buses here (nowhere near London) absolutely do move off as soon as you get on the bus. If you have young children or poor mobility it is very difficult.

They do in london aswell. not sure why people are saying they dont, because they do, Hence why the put announcements on london buses saying to hold
on as the bus was about to move. the buses were taking off before people had seated causing people to fall.
They removed the announcements though because it was playing after the bus had actually started moving and repeatedly, so was very annoying.
The buses in my area of london certainly do move off before you are seated. very annoying when pushing a
pram on as no way to hold on. Ime they only wait for elderly people to be seated.

@Argeles I don't drive either so it was the only option too. Ye gods compared to the bus in a busy city the train is always bliss , and I say this as someone who often sits on the floor next to the buggy when it's full ect or delayed.

The brain tension of it all on the bus when there are so many variables that can & do go wrong. And the bloody people and their ways!

The people are the worst it was enough to make me move eventually. Just compounded all the other negatives of city life carless in the end

The bus also seems a lot more germ invested when you have a baby in tow

Yes, sorry Bobbycat121, hadn’t meant to imply they didn’t in London, was more trying to say I wasn’t in London myself!

@ChampooPapi

Urrgh, the germs, and the smells!

I’d dropped my oldest Daughter at nursery one morning, then had to take my youngest who was only a few months old at the time on the bus. After we’d passed a couple of bus stops, the most vile odour occurred, and shortly after, lots of passengers from upstairs started coming downstairs really quickly with most getting off at the next stop. The smell was getting worse, so the driver went up to investigate - it emerged that a passenger had shat all over a seat, and in a carrier bag and left it there to fester. I obviously don’t know (or wish to know) the circumstances, but it was just so grim. The bus had to be taken out of service immediately.

Thanks OP - I mean, for bringing this up. I'm a town planner and sustainability campaigner, and this is a really good point - if public transport is horrible for families, then families won't use it if they've got the choice!
I haven't got any answers but it's a good point well made. Maybe look into your local passenger transport user group and see if you can raise it with the bus company via them?
(I used to think that Stagecoach had a Charmless School for their drivers specifically to teach them how to make their passengers feel like shit. I appreciate bus drivers sometimes have to put up with a lot, but they shouldn't pass it on.)

When I was with my three and the buggy and shopping, I nearly hugged the female driver who lowered the bus to allow is to get on easily. I thought it was so kind and telling that she was compassionate enough to see/feel my pain!

I wouldn't take a pram on a bus in a million years personally.

I agree this is your local bus service making life more difficult than it needs to be (with the exception of there being two buggies on already, not much can be done about that). My local bus drivers are great with little kids, make sure we've got on safely before setting off and only once had DS (who has balance issues) fallen and that was 100% his fault. There's the odd grumpy bugger, but they still drive safely and make sure we're seated or hanging on safely before they drive off. I've had loads get out of their cab to help us get on when I had a buggy and they're usually chatty and friendly with kids too. I must be very lucky here!

Oh god...I completely agree. Have just moved but used to live in the Birmingham area (just outside) and the buses are just horrendous. No room, never turning up on time or at all and moving off quickly. Even with DS in a sling it was scary but he was so massive by 7 months I couldn't face carrying him any more. I don't drive and most of the good stuff I wanted to get to was too far away to walk (and I love walking!) I had PND and feeling isolated really really didn't help but getting the bus was just too difficult. Always used buses before but just didn't realise how hard it would be with a pushchair. Extra annoying when you're paying so bloody much for the honour of being shoved around!

I'm a PI lawyer and I have a lot of cases where people have fallen and hurt themselves on the bus because of bad driving. Several where people have fallen down the stairs because of sudden braking as they were coming down. I think the drivers can get a bit timetable focused and forget about keeping people safe.

I feel your pain I have exactly the same problems on the tfl buses i use route 380 and 244 specifically.The drivers think they are speedy gonzales and dont give you time to put on the pram brakes.If its near school closing time you will be lucky to get on a bus as school children fill the pram area. I absolutely hate using the buses but just do not have enough money to take driving lessons.