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?

@myrtleWilson that may be true however the space is allowed to be used I know it would save stress however they arnt going to fold it if they don't need to at that time. The point is I will suggest, they will say no because the space is free and it will seem a waste of time to them so what would I say after that?

@myrtleWilson in my mind I'd probably hope a wheelchair user was at the next stop so I could make a point but that would unlikely happen.

Well then I'd go with the option of saying loudly to the bus driver when you board "Shout up if we're approaching a bus stop with a wheelchair user and we'll make sure we fold up in time" proceed to the wheelchair space and say to any other parents there - and indeed the wider bus - "shall we help each other out to fold pushchairs if a wheelchair user needs the bus"

otherwise you're very much in Martin Neimoller territory aren't you? To paraphrase/adapt
"first they came for the disabled but I did not speak out because I am not disabled...."

@myrtleWilson I'd definitely offer to help anyone with folding because I really won't be getting on with a buggy anymore.

Can i just say, i would expect a buggy mum(using that as a poosed wo wheelchauser) to get on to a bus full of rndoms and tell them what to do. In certain places that owuld not end well.
Imo it is down to the driver, who is paid to sort this out.
Thatis why imo the op should have reported him.

@Samcro if the situation was different for example the other person with the buggy (which was actually a man) had refused to move or literally ignored them then I'd have reported there and then. But due to the circumstances of the woman behaviour towards me that's why I didn't.
Also it says the bus drivers can only persuade people to move they can't force them to and if that's the case then the driver has to call up the garage and inform the wheelchair user how long the next bus is going to be and heads up the driver behind. That's not my opinion I don't think it's fair but that's what I've read about the matter.

That's the only reason why I suggested for fighting for a strict wheelchair only space because people feel they can take the piss because there are no consequences.
You know buggy users won't campaign to have that space taken away from them that's the only reason I suggested for the wheelchair users to.

I personally don't think anyone should have to fight for these things they should be automatic I mean come on aslong as they get there money they don't care do they! Everyone struggles ESPECIALLY people with disabilities and it is sad.

Yet you keep asking wheelchair users to campaign
Even tho Through their campaign you have the wheelchair space.
You refuse to see the bus driver was in the wrong, he told you not to fold, he said he knew the carer. That tells us he has form.
Ffs just report him, it would take less time than what it did for you to startthis thread and add to it.

@Samcro for your own benefit not for mine!! Like I said do you think buggy users will campaign for a space to be taken away from them no they won't. So either wheelchair users campaign or things stay the same.

I was there I think I know who was in the wrong.

And why should I campaign when I actually have no issue but you on the other hand do?

If that woman feels the driver was in the wrong then I'm sure she's reported him however I feel he wasn't so I won't, I don't have to feel bad about that.

But you could @MoonlightMistletoe - you as an individual start could start an online or reallife campaign stating as a buggy user you would like to see the space reverted back to sole wheelchair use.

Do you not see how this thread has gone - you have said you recognise the problem but at each moment you've ducked the opportunity to do something yourself.

I come back to Martin Niemoller. You choose that outcome, you really do.

Unless people report that drivers nothing will change,
Drivers should be responsible for clearing the space. End of
Sadly the only one on here that can do that is youop.
Yet 6 days later you still insist he was in the right.
So whats the point.

@myrtleWilson I've already said I've adjusted the way I travel with my children and I will continue to do so I've also said I will offer to help anyone if they need it. So how your saying I'm dodging ducks is beyond me.

@Samcro I'm sure if that woman felt the driver was in the wrong then she would have reported it.

Drivers are only aloud to persuade people to move they can't actually force them to , that's not my fault and I can't report someone for not breaking the rules.

Yes six days later I have changed the way I travel to make sure I won't be in anyone's space.

Of course he was in the wrong if he refused to clear the wheelchair space and discussed the carer with other passengers.

Why would the driver let someone on who is abusive? He might have let her on before and had to put up with her being vile for the whole journey. It sounds bad that he told OP not to fold her pushchair but he would have had his reasons. It makes no sense otherwise.

No not at all @ilovesooty she was refused due to her abusive behaviour if she didn't act in that way the man in the wheelchair and herself would have been on that bus because no one was refusing to move. It was her actions which led to them them not being onthat bus , not mine , not the other buggy users and not the drivers , HERS.

Whether or not you think the driver would have let her on the bus (and I have my doubts) he was absolutely out of order discussing her with the other passengers. But you seem to think he isn't at fault at all.

@ilovesooty I quite agree. There was a reason why she acted like she did. What's the betting that this driver - who was happy to dismiss her as abusive and bitched about her to other customers - always refuses to let her on, so she went on the defensive straight away.

Wheelchair users shouldn't need to ask for their space to be cleared. Buggy users shouldn't be in there to begin with.

Wondering why people say they shouldn’t be there to begin with?When they can be

I agree on not asking or waiting yes, but it’s easy to vacate immediately

@Leighhalfpennysthigh perhaps the bus before didn't let her on and took it out on me who knows all I know is I was aloud in that space at that time and wasn't given a chance to move as she was shouting at me for just being in the space that clearly says I'm aloud to be in.

That's why if everyone seems to think we arnt supposed to be there then you need to be the ones to change the rules to take that courtesy away if that is the problem everyone has. Buggy users won't Campaign to have a space removed from them are they think about it.

@MarshaBradyo that's what I'm thinking that's the only reason why I suggested to get that policy changed if people are abusing the rules.

Still no acknowledgement that he shouldn't have talked about her to the passengers on the bus.