Wheelchair vs buggies. Showdown on the bus

[SweetiePi3]

Today wasn't a good day for me. I had to go to the Princess Royal hospital. I waited for the bus, but when it arrived, the ramp wasn't deploying properly.
After the 3rd attempt, I lined up my chair, and as it came out, hanging an inch or so from the ground, I stormed up the ramp and into the bus.
Coming back, I had to change buses. The bus was full with three buggies in the wheelchair space.
The driver opened the back door and told me he had asked them to make space, but they refused.
I put my good foot in the doorway, preventing him from closing it and driving off.
He told them that I was holding the bus hostage until they made space. One mum folded her buggy, and one moved out of the way.
The third still refused, and while I was trying to explain the law to her, over her shouting, her partner started yelling at me.
I asked them what the sign said, but they said they were there first. I told them that the bus went move until I'm on it.
Meanwhile, people were leaving the bus. They gave in and took their buggy off while I boarded the ramp, then came in after me.
The bus driver drove off with the four of us lined up, one folded buggy, the other two, and me

That's fine - as long as they get off the bus without complaint if a wheelchair-user needs the space.

Refuse to continue the journey until the entitled parent folds or leaves. I've never seen that not work, because peer pressure is very difficult to withstand. And I've seen more entitled parents on buses than I can count.

That came after the bus driver refused me access to the bus and the woman ranting at me. When I blocked the doors, he asked me if I was holding the bus hostage and I said yes.

The bus driver may not be able to force them off, nor was it necessary. All he needed to do was announce that the bus was stopped until space was made.
It's in their own interest, because "Bus drivers refusing to allow wheelchair users onto buses where the wheelchair space is either unoccupied or occupied by people who can readily and reasonably move are committing a crime. They can be prosecuted, given a £500 fine and 3 penalty points."

@SweetiePi3 the link you provided isn't live

So sorry to hear this happened to you OP. I'm wondering who the 10% are who think YABU,and their reasoning behind it! I am disabled,not in a wheelchair but use a walking stick. I travel on buses frequently and I am totally fed up with the entitled attitude of so many buggy users when it clearly states that wheelchair users have priority,and that buggy users must make space for wheelchair users. I'm afraid that a good proportion of buggy users are under the impression that the space on buses for wheelchairs was actually created for buggy use,and wheelchair users may use it if there are no buggies using it,not vice versa. I witnessed an argument on the bus a few months ago whereby a wheelchair user was asking a woman with a buggy to make space for her. The woman with the buggy actually said 'Buggy users DO have priority you know". I was 😯. I really wanted to put her straight,but I know from experience that doing this rarely ends well,and usually ends up in an argument.

@SweetiePi3 - good for you.

Good for you OP but bloody hell I am so sorry you still have to go through all of this.

When will these selfish entitled arseholes learn? Probably never sadly.

Bus companies need to do more so that you don't have to do the battling.

Well done - so sorry this happened to you. I think people who board busses with prams should be asked each and every time "do you understand that you will have to either fold up your pram, or if you can't or won't will have to leave the bus, if a wheelchair user needs the wheelchair space?" And if they don't say "Yes of course" without prevarication then they can't get on.

Until I was about 18, there was no wheelchair are on buses. Prams had to be folded and carried up steps to board. I can only assume wheelchair users just didn’t board buses. Most people with prams walked, but then the buses ran a better local service too and local shops etc were closer. I sound old, and I was only born in The very late 80s!

I get a bit of anger from bus and train passengers, who regard me as an unessary obstruction.
I've learned to fight for my rights, and the he'll with anyone denying them.

West Midlands buses only allow 2 unfolded pushchairs whether there is a wheelchair user on or not. In theory this means a wheelchair user could always get on (unless bus is rammed so no space for anyone else). Any other pushchairs have to be folded - except there's no place to put them. The last time I saw one folded it was lying on the floor taking just as much space as it would if not folded. There used to be a luggage area in older buses but these don't exist anymore.

The link isn't mine, I was quoting it.

I'm glad you stood up fof yourself, it must have been daunting.

I think like with the blue badge space "I'll just be 5 minutes" brigade, parents with prams/ buggies on buses don't realise their impact because for them the space is only needed temporarily until their child is older or until their 5 minute shop is done. Theg have no comprehension of what it's like for someone who needs these spaces to just go about their day. They really are entitled.

I remember a thread on here about accessible toilets and one mum declaring that her baby was disabled as it couldn't change its own nappy therefore she had full right to use the accessible toilet rather than wait. Some people are ridiculous and selfish.

If you feel up to complain to the bus company and say their staff need retraining.

@Cuckoosheep Agree. I’ve seen a few threads on here where the impact has been pointed out to parents and they’ve just said that if wheelchair users have an issue, they need to campaign. As if the spots weren’t put there because of years of them campaigning, and parents aren’t just nicking them!

Some people become incredibly entitled once they have kids.

These threads pop up every few weeks, and there are ways some parents who inexplicably think hat buggies have equal right to access the wheelchair space.

Good for you. Absolute arseholes behaving like that.

I think you are bloody brilliant !

It's so disappointing that I'm not surprised that people think it's fine to deny a wheelchair user a space on the bus because it's inconvenient for them to fold or move a buggy.

Three cheers for you @SweetiePi3!

Based should have flip up seats which would make every seat area buggy suitable.

Wheelchairs have to go in the space in a certain way....back against the padded cushion. For safety you can't just squash in most spaces are not big enough to manoeuvre in if blocked by other users.

Buses not based

No that seat/area is reserved for wheelchair users the pushchair can use it on the understanding they vacate the area should a wheelchair user board the bus if they don't want to take the risk of being asked to get off the bus they should fold and sit on any empty seat as it becomes available

No excuse....the space is legally a wheelchair space and only exists after many years of campaigning for access. If you buy a pushchair and need to use a bus buy one suitable for a bus or get off and walk/wait for the next.