Wheelchair / buggy on bus

[MoonlightMistletoe]

Today I had got the bus with my sister we both have children I had my toddler who was walking and my one year old who's only just started to walk who is still in a buggy, my sister has a 12week old baby who was also in a buggy.

We had got on the bus as you do and the next stop another parent got on with their buggy, a few stops later we stop and straight away a woman is screaming/shouting at the rear doors with her phone in our faces demanding we collapse our buggies, very angry , shouting at us with buggies and also at the driver. The driver is telling us to stay put due to her being aggressive and recording us. Someone on the bus was telling us to co operate with the woman who wanted to get a person on the bus who was in a wheelchair. We know disabled people are a priority and had absolutely not said we wouldn't put the buggies down, I was taking my sleeping one year out the buggy while this woman was still swearing and being nasty and recording us, I had given my baby to my sister to sit with my toddler and herself while I was about to take her baby out the pram then all of a sudden everyone made a "ohhhhhhh" gasp and the disabled man has fallen down the side of the curb and bus sideways in his wheelchair.

She then looses her absolute shit at us for her own mistakes being so caught up in recording us to make sure we move that the man is now probably injured.

AIBU to think all she had to do was say excuse me can we move the buggies so I can get the wheelchair on?

I have no idea how my phone messed up your name so bad @churchandstate.

What is this vulnerable groups you are protecting? It's certainly not tne vulnerable groups that I am PROTECTING in this thread which is people with disabilitys. I'm been tne new mum you are supposedly protecting, I can assure you theres lots of support for them to manage buses, I am part of that support. Ino what way are you supporting the disabled? Answers on a postcard please

Righty ho 🙄 Was trying to make you aware that you are now coming across as desperate to win the argument and we're beginning to look a bit silly as lots of people are pointing out why you're being unreasonable. Crack on then if you want to continue doing that, especially given that you had to take time out from the thread earlier, having had a bit on an emotional meltdown.

I’m not desperate to win the argument. I am disgusted at the lack of empathy and the sheer disingenuousness of the arguments presented. That’s why I got angry earlier.

I don’t need buses. But some of the women who do are among the most vulnerable people in our society.

But we have that now. Most buses there is space for 3 slim buggies and one wheelchair. Parents already have a better chance of securing a spot without needing to collapse their buggy than a wheelchair user does of even getting a spot at all.

my2bundles

What support? What are you going on about?

Well luckily I only have one bun in the oven, but even if I did have to get off, a wheelchair user has priority, that's what all the drivers on buses round here say.
Obviously I wont be happy about it but I'll have to deal with it.

Biancadelrioisback

Then if that’s the case I see no need for a debate at all.

My argument is with those pretending that, if there isn’t a suitable space for a pushchair, that’s navigable for any woman just because it’s navigable for them.

Bluebutterfly90

Right. So there is an issue with the lack of equitable design, because you shouldn’t be forced off or forced not to use public transport.

Again, I’ve just read posts that are simply making my blood boil, so I’ll go away again before I get myself banned.

So you don't need to use buses so you are arguing for mums who actually in my experience are happy to accept help with baby's and buggy spaces. 😂You've put alot of effort into a topic you clearly know zero about.

@churchandstate Again, I’ve just read posts that are simply making my blood boil, so I’ll go away again before I get myself banned.

Yup. Definitely the best idea.

How are you going to move twin babies so you can fold up your pram?

Presuming you don't want a stranger to hold either baby? Hold them yourself and give either the driver (who is paid to help passengers) or one of those strangers directions on how to fold your pushchair.
If it's a carrycot style or one where the seats click off the frame then carrycot/seats on the floor with the children still strapped into them, collapse the frame and store it, put the seats/carrycot on a bus seat and either sit or stand beside it so it doesnt fall off.

How are you going to fold up your pram while holding your food shopping?

Carry a backpack and several of those big, reusable bags for life. When the shopping is bought it goes into the backpack and the bags for life. Backpack on back, bags for life on the pushchair. If you have to fold then the bags go on the floor, pushchair is folded (as above) and stowed away, bags can go on the floor in front of you or put on top of the folded pushchair.

See how there are solutions rather than what-if based problems?

Church this is aibu, posters are going to disagree with you.

my2bundles

When they do so based on honest arguments that don’t have very obvious and unfair flaws, I don’t mind. That’s not the case here.

My protection of facility's for the disabled is not an unfair flaw Maybe if you showed the slighted bit of empathy for disabilitys people might be more willing to listen to your side, which to be fair isn't even a side sinice you don't actually use buses.

my2bundles

The flaws are nothing to do with your arguments on behalf of disabled people. They are to do with the lack of empathy you present to everybody else, and your determination to pretend that things are simple/manageable/reasonable for everyone else. They aren’t always. I haven’t said anything that suggests a lack of empathy for disabled people, and would challenge you (as I have asked several times now, to one poster or another) to demonstrate to the contrary.

But anyway, my blood pressure isn’t helped by further argument with people like you.

Church, you cant keep asking "how am I supposed to..." Then when people answer say "oh, but not everyone can do that". That literally applies to nearly every situation ever... There are only so many options that can be presented. Many wheelchair users couldn't physically use most buses so they campaigned for change. If you're not satisfied with the current options available, then campaign for change.

I get buses in London every day. It's never been an issue. If I see a wheelchair I just get off and wait for the next bus, no fuss. I wouldnt be able to hold my baby on a bus and fold pram with one hand even though I have a supposedly light pram (bugaboo bee) and sometimes he is asleep.

I've never ever seen a pram not move for a wheelchair user. Maybe it's different in London because the buses are so frequent?

But the OP issue was how angry the carer was rather than having to move.

Biancadelrioisback

Yes, I can! Public services should be designed to support the most vulnerable. When people argue that everyone can “just” do X, Y or Z and it’s perfectly obvious that no, they can’t, I can definitely point this out. There are circumstances where a mother isn’t going to be able to fold her presents, or use a sling, or backpack her shopping, and where getting off the bus is going to cause her serious problems. Why are we trivialising this?

I haven't displayed any lack of empathy, I've said countless times I help mums with babies etc on buses. What I take issue with is your fictional account of bus usage. By your admission you think you are arguing g with many people on here, dosent that tell you something?

*pram

my2bundles

Doesn’t it tell me something? Yes. Just not what you think it should tell me.

For fuck’s sake @churchandstate, I’m vulnerable! As are all other wheelchair users. You seem to want to just erase us from society because we are inconvenient to your argument.

Mothers with buggies do not have the bloody monopoly on vulnerability.

Because buses aren't magic. They don't have unlimited space. There are only so many options physically available. And many of the issues you are saying parents face, people in wheelchairs also face. A wheelchair user not being allowed on a bus can cause them a serious problem.

You seem to want to just erase us from society because we are inconvenient to your argument.

That is absolute nonsense, ginger. Nonsense. And not a single word I have said justifies your allegation.