Wheelchair woes and baby buggies

[MobilityCat]

As a wheelchair user I have had problems with buggy owners refusing to fold buggy and hold the baby. I've been left sitting in the rain because the person won't fold the buggy because "my babies asleep".
I 've seen buggies loaded with groceries and person holding the baby asleep in their arm. Occasionally someone will debus with the buggy to make the space available but it's rare. I know people are normally good and decent so what changes them on the bus?

@CloMo1995

what buses are you lot getting on? in nottingham there is enough space on buses for there to me 1 pushchair and 1 wheelchair or 3 pushchairs in the space.

I will always fold my pushchair for a disabled passenger as long as my baby can hold their head up and their body steady while I hold the pushchair down with one hand as well as hold them in my other hand. or I will get off the bus if my baby cant do that and its nice weather, I've done it many times. but I'm sorry if I'm out with a newborn baby and the weather is bad, I cant risk my baby getting sick to give my space on the bus to somebody else, as much as that makes me a arsehole I cant put my childs health at risk. my priority is my babies health.

but tbh, the biggest problem around here is old people refusing to move their shopping trolley things out of the pushchair/wheelchair bays.

I’m glad that the law exists to ensure that those with disabilities ARE prioritised, then, regardless of what your personal priorities are.

I only wish it were enforced more, because this attitude is totally and utterly unacceptable.

My buses are tfl (London). I sympathise with your protective feelings toward your child, although I wonder why you have it out in bad weather. That being so you surely dressed it appropriately and had already been in inclement weather before boarding the bus. Being disabled and having breathing difficulty, prolonged exposure in the cold and wet could be fatal.

As bus companies replace buses they ought to invest in Bendibuses, we had the old bendibuses in Sheffield & the area at the bend was perfect for pram & wheelchair users, the seat at one side flipped up & the rest of the area was an empty space. It also meant that mothers with small children didn't need to struggle upstairs if the lower deck was full. A bendibus can carry more passengers than a double decker bus can so is better for the environment.

@CloMo1995 that’s what pram rain covers are for, and you make sure that you have everything with you to keep baby safe and warm and dry if you have to stand outside in bad weather. Wheelchair spaces are for wheelchair users, it’s fine to make use of them but only when not needed by a person who that space was intended for. And I say this as someone who once got locked one evening on a train at the end of the line (my stop) because I had to fold my pram because a wheelchair user needed the space and by the time I had got myself, toddler, bags and buggy to the train doors they were locked.

The wheelchair space is reserved for wheelchairs so buggies/prams either need to move to the space opposite (the fold down seat area that’s unsuitable for wheelchairs) or fold pram or get off.

I normally used to put baby in a carrier/sling before boarding the bus so I could fold pram easily (and carry any bags in the other hand). If the fold down seat space was empty I’d sometimes leave baby in pram but it was a compact pram that could reduce in size (handlebar tucked in etc) so the fold down seat space was still half empty. Occasionally I’d politely ask people to move from the fold down seat area to a normal seat when bus was almost empty so I could fit pram in (normally students or people with dogs) sometimes they made a fuss but most people happily moved. When folded a pram can be still be bulky so if you’ve got bags of groceries, a folded pram plus a large wiggly baby in a carrier/sling it can be tricky to fit into a normal seat without partially blocking the aisle. Still no excuse for taking the wheelchair space though!

When mine got older I used a buggy that folded up into a shoulder bag. Makes going on the bus so much easier!

okay let me clarify. I've NEVER been in that situation, I've never been in the position not to give up that space. my youngest is now 13 months and I hardly catch the bus anymore. I've ALWAYS gave the space up for wheelchair users as when my babies have been newborn I've been lucky enough to get about in a car. I'm just saying in a hypothetical situation.
im sorry if it came across as offensive, that wasnt my intent. as I said, the biggest problem around here is trying to get people to move their shopping trolleys out of the wheelchair/pushchair bays. xxx

@CloMo1995

okay let me clarify. I've NEVER been in that situation, I've never been in the position not to give up that space. my youngest is now 13 months and I hardly catch the bus anymore. I've ALWAYS gave the space up for wheelchair users as when my babies have been newborn I've been lucky enough to get about in a car. I'm just saying in a hypothetical situation. im sorry if it came across as offensive, that wasnt my intent. as I said, the biggest problem around here is trying to get people to move their shopping trolleys out of the wheelchair/pushchair bays. xxx

Your comment wasn't at all offensive so no need to apologise. I did say I sympathised with your situation. Sometimes buggies and shopping trolleys are used as mobility devices but they should be clearly identified as such to avoid misunderstanding.