Reborn dolls in the pram bay

[gezelligheid]

A couple of times now I've been unable to get on the bus with my baby in a pram because there are two local women who take their reborn dolls out in prams and take up the pram bays. I know they are reborn dolls as I've seen the dolls in their pram.

I understand people have reborn dolls for many different reasons but to take up a space meaning a real baby can't get on the bus surely isn't fair?

I've complained to the bus service and they've said they cannot monitor whether babies are real or not so if they get on the bus first I should ask them to put their pram down upon boarding.

I'm worried this will cause an altercation on the bus so I'm wondering AIBU to say something on the bus even though it may be embarrassing for the women?

Good!

Noooo

Seriously? These people need help

Will they intervene in anything from the cab as that's all OP would need? I'm just curious as I've hardly ever used the bus. Just a couple of experiences below where one intervened and another didn't.

One occasion the bus driver grew angry because someone () paid the fair for a couple of people he said were 'homeless and taking the piss. The woman had been crying and said she needed to pick her daughter up. I complained about that one and the bus company said they'd do some retraining.

Another occasion a woman and child were being harassed by a man possibly on drink and drugs. The driver said nothing and I wondered at what point he would radio for help or stop the bus and tell him to get off. The woman and child got off the bus instead, and before their stop.

Cant they just fling their toys in their bag when on the bus?

It's fuckng mind blowing that women with babies are being inconvenienced due to some kinky, perverse hobby

Extremely nasty.

Comments like "I would tip the pram over" (can't remember the exact wording but that's certainly the base of it" and "I don't give a flying fig about people's mental health battles" is totally uncalled for.

Fwiw, I do think that real babies should have the space on a bus but there are very, very valid reasons for people using reborn dolls.

What's kinky and perverse about it?

What is the kink and perversion????

I've complained to the bus service and they've said they cannot monitor whether babies are real or not

What specialist skill is required to tell a baby from a doll?

I absolutely despair if this is where we are in 2023.

It's not rocket science, is it? The driver is at the front of the bus and most prams board in the middle of the bus. Even if they DO go via the front doors, the driver can't be expected to look at every child to see if it's real or not.

Let's face it, this is hardly an every day occurrence!

There's only one door on a lot of buses around the country. I've only ever seen middle doors in London.

@anotherrnameprivae it's tricky. My exH bus co you are not insured if you got out of the cab (the cab can't be securely locked from the outside & many buses are push button start) so lots of grief from bus Co if you do that, plus you can be attacked (bus drivers are spat on quite frequently & worse - its no fun at all). Most drivers will shout down the bus if there is trouble. Or will turn off the engine & refuse to move - IF SAFE in traffic & then other passengers will slow hand clap etc & the arsehole will (usually) get off.
When he had the guy get on with a gun it was his 1st week. The guy got on, stood up by the cab, pointed the gun at exH and said: 'take me to the polis station' (off his head on something). exH did just that, dialled Control & 999 as he did. Police were not waiting to board the bus on arrival. Guy got agitated. exH Opened the doors & guy got off. He never found out what happened. Crazy.

*What specialist skill is required to tell a baby from a doll?

I absolutely despair if this is where we are in 2023.*

where we are drivers are behind a perspex screen and there is also a ledge, arching to peer over and into a lie flat pram would be awkward.

And from that distance anything in a hat and frilly bits would look like a baby. Even a large salami.

What's the poor driver to do?
"Please, madam that looks more like continental meat? "

@berksandbeyond The leaving the cab rule may well vary between bus companies. It was a Cat 2 Disciplinary at the one my exH worked at.
As I say, he would of course 'risk it' if a passenger suddenly crashed to the floor.
The drivers job is just to carry people safely to their destinations but often in heavy traffic whilst coping with re-routing during the journey, cyclists weaving around & folk who step out thinking 'that bus won't hit me it wouldnt' dare'. Whilst also dealing with money / cards & keeping a watch for persons wanted by the police (every day there is a list of people who've gone missing from hospital etc) There is no time or energy to sort out a 'is it a real baby in that pram' issue.

I've come across some real arse bus drivers (funnily enough when I had a toddler, a baby in a buggy that I was struggling to fold as I'm disabled I had the nastiest, most racist bus driver who I reported it was so bad). But most of them try quite hard to be decent I think & would try to help if it became really bad.

There us a lady in my town who trundles around in an electric wheelchair frequently with a reborn doll. I've see her with other family members, so I don't think it's a list baby scenario, it may be due to some kind of mental health condition. I find it sad that she needs it for whatever reason and do not judge.
However, if some bod was on the bus with one and I had a baby a would ask them to move.

This is a wind up surely. Adults really don’t take these dolls out in actual prams/treat them like babies (are they 7?!), ridiculous.

Fucking hell! Broaden your horizons!

Lots of people own reborn dolls for many different reasons. I have an autistic friend who owns a few and she has come on leaps and bounds since having something to focus on!

I’ve never seen nor heard of these dolls before, I have very broad horizons.

Nevertheless they don’t trump real babies on busses so can be put in slings.

You are potentially right that she does have some mental health issues, I'm just curious as to how having family members means you can't have lost a baby?

Thanks for that I just choked on my wine 😂

Its a weird old world innit. Almost as odd as taking a dog out in a pushchair 🤦🏻‍♀️

My area is serviced by Arriva buses which only have once entrance like shown in this image. You get on at the front of the bus and pay your fare to the driver and then move back to a seat.

Whilst I know the bus driver can't verify if babies are real or not I would have expected a better response than basically just sort it out myself and tell them to fold their pram (which is basically what Arriva told me to do). I don't think it's too much to expect a bus driver to tell them to fold their pram rather than expect a passenger to risk an altercation or put their real baby at risk. I did add the time and date of each occurrence in my original complaint so even if they just looked at the cctv and knew which women to look out for would have been a step in the right direction of people with dolls not taking up the pram space (again, I know one part is a wheelchair space before anyone jumps on - our buses also have a designated pram bay too)

Cool, whatever tickles her pickle, but the plastic baby doesn’t need to take up space on the bus. It can go on her lap, or the luggage rack ffs

No please tell me this is not a real thing? Grown women taking dolly’s out for a walk? Oh dear. I saw a documentary about it years ago and I thought it was just the people on the programme not like an actual ‘thing’ Christ..
I mean it’s not even up for discussion is it? Baby obviously comes before a toy!

This...

That's great, but would you support them taking last tin formula/nappies, their toy stopping a parent and child getting on a bus in the passing rain?