Prams and buses!

[bluedungareesandspottytrainers]

Hi!

First time mum but long time poster (I've nc!)

I'm getting the bus with my baby today. The journey takes about 45 mins and I'm already worrying about it 🤦🏻‍♀️ He will sleep the journey I would imagine and is not a baby that cries a lot so that is not my worry.

I have to be there for a certain time so my plan is to get the earlier bus just in case there's already a pram / wheelchair user on board.

But what if I'm on the bus and someone with a wheelchair wants to get on? My pram doesn't fold down. Do I get off? I've no idea what the etiquette is for this and don't want to be a nob!

I'm aware I'm worrying over a hypothetical situation. I'm a bit stressed about some other things so I think I've blown this out of proportion 🙈

If the space was needed by a wheelchair user you could get someone to hold the baby while you put the carrycot in the baggage area and then fold the chassis of the pram. Then hold baby on your lap for the journey.

Yes you get off.
I remember when my ex was a bus driver. They were trained to tell pushchairs not to have to get off for wheelchairs due to equal opportunities and the fact that if they've paid they have as much right to be sat there.
If course he didn't but some Pushchair users did refuse to move. It caused no end of issues.
I always managed to either move across the other side or get off luckily where I lived the bus was every 5 min.
Good luck

For context I'm. Not saying do that.. I was disgusted by it. Not sure if they still follow that rule or not as not with ex and I now drive

Hopefully it won't be an issue I don't drive and must have pushed a prams regularly on bus,s for about 7 years between my boys , I don't recall ever needing to get off for a wheel chair user , I would have of course ,it is easier though if you are a regular bus to have a slim stroller rather than big bulky prams, on the busses I used ( F irst) the driver lowered the step to help people with prams and wheel chairs off the bus

TBH a baby in a sling sounds a lot lighter than a big heavy carrycot and base. I had a c-section and can't imagine having to lift a pram onto a bus :(

I made it! 😂 thank you all! Just have to head back later but my mum will be with me then 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks again everyone xx

Great. I’m glad your journey went well.

Ask the garage for a courtesy car, some garages do provide one

I prefer to get off rather than fold. Wheelchair users rarely get on where I am and if they do there is usually enough room for both.

OP don't worry I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine. I have found that on the occasions I have got the bus, that members of the public are always happy to help.

When my ds was a baby, I barely got onto the bus in Devon and elderly women were ordering their husbands to collapse the pushchair for me and saying "here, now, I'll hold your little one for you while you show him how to collapse the pushchair." These elderly men were quite good at folding up the pushchairs, so I suspect they had done that many times before.

I've seen the bus drivers in London tell people with pushchairs to fold them or get off when someone in a wheelchair was getting on the bus.

I just don't like those that have a nasty attitude, like "why should I move for a person in a wheelchair - I was here first!" and those that leave the pushchair open in the wheelchair area, but take their baby out of it and go upstairs, especially if there is more than one adult. FFS just fold up the pushchair then!

No your wrong if I have boarded the bus first then I'm going to stay on that bus till I want to get off! I have a new born baby and payed for my ticket so I have enough right to carry on with my journey.

Wonderful attitude there @Erit88

Sorry if this is a silly question but if you’re folding the pushchair who holds on to the baby and your baby bag? Or do you all have pushchairs that you can fold with one hand? Also once folded how do you stop it falling all over the place?

Well my baby comes first so that makes me wrong? Lmfao

You get other people to help you jadefeather7 . It's usually fine though - quite a lot of buses have space for both a pram and wheelchair and most bus drivers take the attitude that as long as you're not blocking the aisle you're grand. We all have to rub along somehow on public transport don't we.

Glad your journey went well OP.

The difference is @Erit88 that you have the option someone in a wheelchair can’t exactly jump up and fold their chair can they 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thankfully there aren't many people in the world as selfish as erit88. Her attitude is absolutely appalling.
If I was getting the bus regularly I would buy a pushchair that can be folded one handed and hold the baby for events like a wheelchair user needing to use the bus.
I chose to have my baby, wheelchair users don't have that luxury.
Oh and @Erit88 everybody on this thread puts their baby first they just aren't as disgusting as you. Hopefully your baby doesn't inherit your attitude.

Unpopular opinion but I can't understand why wheelchair users take priority over babies for being on the bus. I've often found it a struggle taking the bus with 3 year old and baby and being asked to get off the bus for someone else would probably put me off ever using the bus. I would never expect anyone else to get off so I could get the pushchair on either though and would wait for the next bus. Can anyone explain why wheelchair users have the priority?

@Mummymummymummmeeeee you chose to have a baby, you have other options for them (slings, foldable pushchairs etc) someone disabled doesn’t have the choice to leap up and fold up their wheelchair. Surely it’s pretty obvious?

I'm talking about a pram that doesn't fold up! obviously I would quite happily fold up a pushchair if it was able to! OKAY 🤦‍♀️

Mummymummymummmeeeee exactly

I guess it makes sense about folding the push chair, buses local to me don't have a luggage rack though so nowhere to put it or all the bags that I usually have hanging off it with changes of clothes, lunch, nappies and wipes etc that seem to be needed to leave the house with 2 small children. My push chair needs 2 hands to fold down as well. Do you honestly all manage to juggle a non-walking baby, while supervising your other small child/children, while carrying your bags and fold down your push chair on a moving bus? I would probably have to get off the bus rather than attempt all that! And although I chose to have children they didn't choose to be born - they're people too

Spaces on local buses here are labelled wheelchair/ pushchair rather than being specific for each