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?

@gingersausage of course I've read the thread, I know you have campaigned and got a priority space which firstly no one should have to campaign for basic needs in the first place I get that, just like the train situation , do I think people need to struggle like that of course not!

I'm finding it hard trying to explain what I'm trying to say,
My point is they should have never allowed buggies to be in YOUR space at all, so while you campaigned (which you shouldn't need to for basic needs) it's like they didn't give you the full rights it's just like "yeah you can have a space but if people refuse to move then sorry we can't do anything" which is wrong. Am I making any sense that's why if people stand together and everyone stands up to the people in charge then we would be helping you get what you need fully not half heartedly because I understand now people refuse to move and that's why you struggle. Xx

@Mummyoflittledragon I really am struggling trying to explain what I actually mean. I mean I'm in a way to help wheelchair users get what they actually deserve so they don't need to ask for people to get out of their way!
I don't mean it in a nasty way at all I am sorry.

Thanks for responding. Ok I see what you were trying to get at. This should not be necessary if bus drivers adhered to the law. So I’d go for complaining.

If you really do want to do something, please report the driver. Even if there is a genuine issue with the woman (which is not your job to ascertain) and even if the bus driver doesn’t abuse his power, the company can still take steps to train this driver better. The way he treated the situation was wrong and by telling you not to fold and what the woman is like (in his opinion), he abused his position.

All you need is the time / day you took the bus and the route number plus anything you can remember about him - approximate age, hair colour, ethnicity etc. Include the information on his tinted glasses. What were they like? Metal framed etc?

@Samcro my heart hurts for people like your DC, and it’s why I feel (however upset threads like this make me) that it’s important that I keep speaking up.

@Mummyoflittledragon It's says on the website that the drivers can only ask and persuade people to move out of the space which I think is out of his power if they decide not to move. Defo feel it should be a strict space, it seems to be a very half hearted policy because it's still letting people refuse to move which is wrong.

The driver was letting them on stopped open doors and then straight away she became abusive so that's when he said stay put because she's not allowed on the bus because of that.

All I saw of him was the glasses as he was in the little booth thing behind a door and window, they looked like some sort of brightness glasses like sunglasses that are tight on your face that's the only thing I could properly see of him. I felt at the time he was protecting the passengers because she was going off on one in front of children causing a massive scene. I was literally shaking from the whole thing so I think he was doing what he thought was best at the time. It wasn't the man in the wheelchairs fault at all and it's sad that he didn't get on but that was honestly her own fault. I also did think it was weird that he said she always causes trouble and I have no idea what's gone on in the past but her behaviour at that specific moment was her fault no one else's.
I'm not saying it's never the drivers fault because I can imagine them abusing their power I can but this driver was letting them on and she took her shit out on the wrong people.

the carer would not have kicked off if there were not unfolded buggys blocking the space.
the carer was abusive.but what gets me is that no one knows how long they had been waiting. how many other buses didn't let them on.
the driver needs reporting. he allowed this situation by not asking people to fold when he saw the wheelchair user waiting.
as for the rest of it. I find the embellishments and adding to the story very odd.
a lot of people don't RTF and will just go by the OP. yet the OP has added so much to it........weird

I agree @Samcro; the story seems to have developed exponentially with each re-telling...

@Samcro he stopped opened the doors for them to come on but no one could get a word in because she was recording and shouting her mouth off. It doesn't say fold the buggies before boarding it says move and possibly fold if a chair needs the space which all while being screamed at I took my baby out!

people asked more questions and I answered them.

@gingersausage
I suggest you stop being rude to everyone too.
I know what happened I can read.
The disabled person should tell her to stop her behaviour if that is possible for him to do so.
Because if you read the thread properly as you told me to do
The bus driver has said that the same woman screams and shouts at everyone when she gets on the all the time. She doesn't give people time to move.
Stop being patronising you are annoying lots of people with your rudeness. You
Can express your views as we are all entitled to do without being rude.
I actually have a disability myself but would not myself or allow anyone with me to be rude to others on the bus for no reason.

FOR NO REASON
there was a reason, the drip feeds have allowed us to see that. the driver had form for not allowing them on.

the carer would not have kicked off if there were not unfolded buggys blocking the space.
the carer was abusive.but what gets me is that no one knows how long they had been waiting. how many other buses didn't let them on

This. The clashes I have seen, or the refusal of people using wheelchairs to allow them even just to get on the bus, has come from the wheelchair space being already crowded with pushchairs. A lot of hassle would be stopped if it were required to fold up once on the bus. People could get on with an unfolded buggy, then fold up once on board with other people to assist.

@lisag1969 who have I annoyed? Come on, give me a list. Certainly not the people who have thanked me for speaking out on behalf of wheelchair users. You have jumped into this thread at the very end and started shouting the odds and bullying me for absolutely no reason.

@Samcro what part of "he opened the doors for them to come on" don't you understand? It's not like he just drove past the stop, no one got off the bus. Her behaviour was the reason why she wasn't aloud on the bus!!

Yeah he mentioned that she has caused a scene in the past some people seem to think just because she's a carer she's aloud to treat people like shit.

It's not the buggy users fault if we are aloud in the space clearly the rules need to be changed here.

@MoonlightMistletoe you say he opened the doors but to let her on if it’s back doors like you say the doors need to be shut for the ramp to be put down. If the doors were open he had no intention of letting her on

@gingersausage you should be heard and people with hearts understand it's difficult for wheelchair users but like I said it's not the people with buggy's faults because we didn't make the rules, we didn't put a policy in place for your priority space to be used by buggies if the space is clear so arguing about it isn't changing anything unless we campaign for stricter rules and more space because the first campaign clearly isn't good enough for wheelchair users and I don't say that in a mean way I say it in a way that I understand your frustrations and the people who make these rules need to do a better job at considering everyone's needs.

"They didn't deserve the space after their behaviour."

Don't use "deserve" in relation to things that are provided for people with disabilities. Deserving is irrelevant and smacks of we will only let you have this if you are 'nice' and suitably grateful.

Someone not being allowed on because their behaviour is a risk to others is a different argument.

@IcaMorgan yes that's right I mean that is a good point it still doesn't mean he wasn't going to shut doors and put the ramp down though it was literally a second after the doors opened she was going mental, if she didn't I believe she'd have got on because I was collapsing my buggy, it's not like he just drove past the stop if that was the case I'd have reported there and then.

@Sockwomble you are right , the disabled man should have got on but her behaviour resulted of the both of them not being on and him ending up in the curb.

It isn't buggy-users' fault that the policy is what it is i.e. that the wheelchair space can be used for buggies if not required by a wheelchair user. However, as you say, the policy isn't working - it's allowing buggy users to take priority over wheelchair users (the people those spaces are designed for, and whose campaigning led to their introduction) because either they or bus drivers, or some combination of the two, are too tempted to avoid the hassle of folding and storing when it is necessary. The solution to that is not to ask wheelchair users to campaign again, on behalf of buggy users who are now using the spaces the first campaign was for, but to fold and store immediately, and if no room is available, to get off the bus. Is that extreme? Yes. Is that the basis for a campaign that can be led by buggy users? Absolutely. Wheelchair users had to campaign to get the existing outcome, and should not face any impediment accessing it. If that causes a different group an access obstacle, then that group should take up the mantle on their behalf.

@gingersausage hasn't been rude and what she has to say is pertinent.

I think @lisag1969 is out of order in trying to silence people whose voice should be heard.

@ilovesooty
I wasn't trying to silence her actually.
As I said everyone is entitled to their point of view. How is that trying to silence her. ?
What I do object to is her deliverance, which I perceive to be rude.
I am entitled to my opinion as is everyone
You say she wasn't rude I think she was ,and I'm sticking to my opinion. As I'm sure are you.

@lisag1969
Your tone is so out of order it’s unreal.

"Get real we should not have to fold our buggies unless a wheelchair tries to get on or get off and walk if we decide."

Of course this post wasn't rude in the slightest!

"He would not let any other abusive on the bus, so they shouldn't be allowed just because they have a wheelchair."

No one in a wheelchair was abusive. The carer didn't have a wheelchair.

"They didn't deserve the space after their behaviour. Having a disability doesn't excuse you to be dam right rude and aggressive. X"

No one with a disability was rude or aggressive. And talk of whether or not someone is deserving.

Have a look at your own behaviour.

@Mummyoflittledragon

When I posted my first message I was posting to the original poster. When the other two people had to send me a message I have no idea as I wasn't even talking to either of them so why they have to post and try and Make people into have the same opinion as them I have no idea. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
While people like them and you come to that have to get personal and aim posts at people when I wasn't even talking to any of you
I was voicing my opinion which is what this is for. I am only rude to people who single me out on my opinion and try to make it seem as if my opinion is wrong.
I have an opinion and so does everyone
But I don't single out individual people who have a different opinion to me.
I just say my opinion to the original poster.
To be quiet honest I don't care what you think and I actually think you are unreal and very very rude posting to people who wasn't even talking to you. As I said I only answered them back as they posted about me. If people can't take things back they shouldn't start posting about people individually in the first place.

It's a discussion forum. I'm free to pass comment on posts whether that poster is addressing me or not. That's how it works.