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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pushchair fight on bus

720 replies

Partygal · 19/12/2022 22:25

After picking my child up from her child minder today, I arrived the bus stop to find two women with buggies waiting.

Knowing that the driver wouldn’t let three of us on, I walked round the corner to the previous stop and got on there.

When it arrived at the next stop, sure enough only mum was allowed on - the other was told to wait 30 minutes for the next bus. I was screamed at and called a cunt and a queue jumper by one mum who tried to shove me off the bus.

I don’t think I did anything wrong, nor did the police when they turned up after being called by the driver.

What the fuck is wrong with people?

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 22/12/2022 12:32

Rucksack for your shopping. Minimal baby kit for the kid. One handed folding buggy. Get to bus stop, kid out, on your hip if there's no one vaguely trustworthy to hold, fold buggy, get on bus. and yet still no one can tell me where I put the other non walking 1 yo, twin to the one on the hip already, which I also carry the nappy bag, the double buggy, keep hold of my 5 yo and get him and his o2 cylinder on the bus.

now my baby’s safety takes precedence over everything else whilst I agree you move, it's not your space etc., do you actually expect a Mom to go "ah fuck the kid, his safety is like my LEAST concern. I'll just chuck him in the luggage rack of give him to the pissed bloke smelling of weed to hold. Of course a parents' baby's safety is the thing that takes precedence to them.

HerMajestysRoyalCoven · 22/12/2022 12:40

Of course a parents' baby's safety is the thing that takes precedence to them.

Of course it is. My problem is when that’s used to justify not getting off the bus, as my comment made clear. I couldn’t care less what anyone else’s priority is, as long as it doesn’t impact the person with the entitlement to the space. The moment that it becomes “oh it’s not safe to unfold so I’m staying put” - no. That’s not what the space is for. Campaign for your own baby safety space.

And it does, in many cases, become that. Baby safety is very emotive and hard to argue with, for obvious reasons.

Hobbi · 22/12/2022 12:44

Well, the OP has had a lot of attention from this, but the only news reports of it are about it being on this this forum, with no police statements or witness reports. I'm sure it actually happened though.

Abraxan · 22/12/2022 12:50

To be fair, unless the children or adults involved have specific needs, I think that all pushchairs should be folded before boarding a bus. Those spaces are normally for wheelchair uses primarily, but pushchairs are allowed in them if space. It

If people know they will be regularly using buses then they should buy a pushchair that is easily folded.

Whilst the Op hasn't actually done anything wrong, the whole thing could have been solved by all three folding their pushchairs before the bus arrived.

Abraxan · 22/12/2022 12:53

Op - why didn't you fold your pushchair after getting in the bus, knowing that two more people with pushchairs were waiting?
Why Didn't you preempt the issue?

SleepingStandingUp · 22/12/2022 12:55

Abraxan · 22/12/2022 12:50

To be fair, unless the children or adults involved have specific needs, I think that all pushchairs should be folded before boarding a bus. Those spaces are normally for wheelchair uses primarily, but pushchairs are allowed in them if space. It

If people know they will be regularly using buses then they should buy a pushchair that is easily folded.

Whilst the Op hasn't actually done anything wrong, the whole thing could have been solved by all three folding their pushchairs before the bus arrived.

So tell me how I get two 1 year old twins who aren't walking, and a 5 year old who's on oxygen onto the bus beside a main road with even the basics of a nappy bag and school bag on a busy bus. I'm not dumping my kids in the floor for people to walk over. Most people don't want to hold toddlers esp since covid let alone with the constant winter cough and colds.

So we GET OFF. As long as people get off, there is zero issue with me not collapsing my buggy to travel 15 miles each way across 4 buses which would need me to out the buggy each time in between and probably waking up said toddlers

Abraxan · 22/12/2022 12:57

Anotherbloomingchristmas · 19/12/2022 23:06

50 years ago all the mums had enormous pushchairs and must have travelled on buses.
I think there’s too many ridiculous regulations now.

I re,enter talking to my mum and mil about this when dd was small.

My mum had a big pram for walking and a buggy style one for using the bus which had to be folded up. It was fairly normal from what I'm told. My mum would walk much further with us being pushed in a pram than many people walk these days too.

PighillJamie · 22/12/2022 13:33

Well done for using your initiative.
Absolutely nothing wrong in this.
The other two were perfectly free to do something similar themselves but chose not to, so that's on them.
To be honest if a different parent with pushchair was at an earlier stop she'd have had the same wait anyway.

NeedMoMoney · 22/12/2022 13:49

Looks like ladbible have published your post! 😆

whumpthereitis · 22/12/2022 14:00

Startwithamimosa · 22/12/2022 06:59

Gawd, now all these other a**holes will now use OP's 'clever' trick. Let the hunger games begin (although I bet they won't think it's so great when it happens to them) Hmm

The clever trick that is common knowledge for probably the vast majority of bus users. It’s smart thinking, but it’s not a particularly revolutionary piece of information that’s been withheld from the masses.

lol at the hunger games though. Never change, mumsnet, second to none for melodrama.

Pingu2245 · 22/12/2022 17:17

Partygal · 19/12/2022 22:36

The one mum who got on the bus shoved me. NO WAY was I folding after that.

I mean, why didn’t you fold it BEFORE?

Chloe955 · 22/12/2022 23:11

you saw there were 2 other people with pushchairs already waiting and admit you did it because you knew you couldn’t all get on…so yeah that’s selfish and sly, they’d been waiting longer than you had. You also could’ve folded up your pushchair to make room for them all but you chose not to. You just decided you were more important than them. How do you know they weren’t urgently trying to get home for an emergency or take their child to an urgent appointment because they were sick? You don’t. You are selfish and ignorant.

noname007 · 23/12/2022 00:40

How dare some people here agree with the woman who tried to get her off the bus She wasn't selfish nor cheeky or anything else some called her here
She had every right to go to any bus stop and get on the bus I have done that too and it's not being selfish but smart That is a smart move It's not our fault (our= smart people) some aren't smart . There is nothing wrong about going to the previous stop, it is as fair as it can be you name it Shame on those idiots and lazy we have to put up with every day and take crap from them P off

noname007 · 23/12/2022 00:40

ohhh shut up

Coyoacan · 23/12/2022 04:25

I don't think it is very smart from all those women on pushchairs to walk in the opposite direction to the way they want to go. It would would make more sense to just walk home

Plumbear2 · 23/12/2022 06:30

LouisCatorze · 21/12/2022 09:05

Would love to know how many people advocating collapsing buggies on the bus have ever had to do it. It is not at all easy unless you're very agile, on a very empty bus with one compliant infant and no bags of shopping in tow. Bus drivers regularly set off before many of their passengers (a considerable number elderly) are seated, causing people to be thrown around. Not a situation you'd want to find yourself in with a baby!

The problem is that in an ideal world, as a buggy-using parent on public transport, you'd try to swerve the busy times of the day when going about daily life that requires travel further than you can easily walk. But there again many of the chores (if they involve GP, bank, baby/toddler activities) will have to be fitted into a limited number of business hours. Same as the elderly and wheelchair users.

Before the mid 90,s everyone had to fold their buggy. So yes I have folded the buggy many many times thankyou.

VoiceOfCommonSense · 23/12/2022 07:07

It does sound like a bit of a cunty thing to do to be honest, I could see why the other mum would be upset

Fadeout83 · 23/12/2022 10:44

And here it is

Pushchair fight on bus
ReneBumsWombats · 23/12/2022 10:46

Coyoacan · 23/12/2022 04:25

I don't think it is very smart from all those women on pushchairs to walk in the opposite direction to the way they want to go. It would would make more sense to just walk home

Depends on how far it is, surely.

elkie333 · 23/12/2022 12:37

You did nothing wrong, its called using your brain, your child will grow up smarter than the other 2, who will expect things on a plate like their moms.

Cuppasoupmonster · 23/12/2022 12:40

elkie333 · 23/12/2022 12:37

You did nothing wrong, its called using your brain, your child will grow up smarter than the other 2, who will expect things on a plate like their moms.

I had no idea queuing for a bus was ‘expecting something on a plate’. You learn something new every day!

LimeTwists · 23/12/2022 12:46

I think you were smart to do what you did. Totally appreciate her rage at waiting and still not getting on, but you only did something logical - you didn’t actually physically shove in. As for the ‘cunt’ thing - obviously awful but I’d imagine she was stressed to the hilt and really upset at having to wait for the next bus.

luxxlisbon · 23/12/2022 12:50

Coyoacan · 23/12/2022 04:25

I don't think it is very smart from all those women on pushchairs to walk in the opposite direction to the way they want to go. It would would make more sense to just walk home

How would it make more sense to walk home?
I imagine someone walking one bus stop further back can engage their brain enough to work out whether it is quicker and easier. The previous bus stop could be 5 minutes away maximum and their walk home could be 30.

JennyWren87 · 23/12/2022 12:50

I love this! You did the smart thing and literally walked the extra mile. And option open to most people pushing a buggy. I'd have done the same thing.

Gothdad77 · 23/12/2022 19:32

I walk to the bus stops that are before the busy ones to get a space. You snooze you loose, tough luck. You're dumb and lazy if you don't.To the people saying fold down the buggy, do you even have kids? Do you know hard it is to juggle a folded up pram and a child on your own especially in and off public transport.