If you're pushing a pram/buggy...

[spillyo]

...would it kill you to give the slightest acknowledgment to people who open doors for you/let you go first on the bus/step into the gutter as you walk two abreast down the pavement?

No need for a gushing thank you, but a nod, 'cheers', quick smile or even basic eye contact would be alright. Rather than sailing past with your nose in the air.

(Brand-new parents get a pass because you must be bloody shell-shocked but the usual offenders clearly aren't at that stage.)

What do you think writing it on here is going to do?

I'm so with you. Completely agree.

I'll still help, I don't expect flowers and a gushing thank you letter, but it's so rude when you don't get any acknowledgement, even a smile would do, it's worse since covid for some reason.

Here's one of them!

I put unreasonable as I have a baby and always thank people as do all the other mothers I know when we're out and about but sorry if you encounter people not like this.

I think this person would be rude no matter what they were doing is it’s not pram pushers it rude people that need to stop being rude.

I say thank you too much, it’s a problem 🤣

Says it all.

YANBU people are just rude, selfish and entitled arseholes.

Dunno where you live but I have the opposite experience of everyone being completely oblivious and in the way constantly when I’m out with the pram. Nobody moves or even attempts to, most of them barely acknowledge me. I spend my walks constantly stoping and starting and asking people to move out my way as they pretend not to have seen me trying to walk past them. On the very rare occasion someone actually bothers to offer some help I always thank them.

YANBU

i always acknowledge/say thank you.
Some people are so entitled!

I agree, most people I know with prams actually do do the gushing thank you thing, along with flustered apologies and trying to get past as quickly as possible. I always thank someone who helps me out, moves aside etc.

It's far more frequent ime to see non-pram-pushers walking in big groups across the whole pavement so you can't get past, and just looking at you like "so what?" I have stopped dead in the past as I'm not going into a busy road with my baby and young child just so that a group of able bodied adults can avoid going single file for two seconds!

I've always said thank you very much, that's very thoughtful / kind of you. I don't take outside help for granted whatsoever when I'm travelling with the buggy x

Some people step aside when they really don’t need to. I always say thanks anyway but it’s a begrudging thanks because I don’t really know why they have stopped to let me past.

It happens when I have the pushchair but it also happens when I’m out running. There’s more than enough space for us to pass side by side yet they stand to one side and wait for me to pass. I then feel this huge pressure to speed up so I’m not inconveniencing them when they didn’t need to stop in the first place!

If you recognise ‘usual offenders’ stop holding doors etc for them.

I do.

I’ve only rarely experienced this. Most people say thank you if I move for them, and I certainly used to when it was me with a pushchair and people were kind enough to move for me.

You’ll always get a few arseholes in any demographic, best to not let them bother you.

Made me think of this 😂

This has nothing to do with pushing a pram.. many people don’t say thank you for opening a door, letting them go first etc. it’s just rudeness

@Frogggie aw sorry that people don't sound very helpful where you live. I'm sure you'll remember that when you are out of this stage and be helpful towards others with prams. I have found a lot of people go out of their way to help/ get a chance to interact with my baby.

Yes some people are just rude.

Agree it hasn't got anything to do with pushing a pram, it is the same when anyone holds a door for anyone, or someone stops for you at a zebra crossing, or stands back when passing on a narrow path etc etc etc.

Although there was a thread on here a couple of weeks ago where the OP had started it trying to get sympathy for her thinking that "Of course I'm not going to thank someone who stands back for me, there was no need to stand back, we could both have fitted". She didn't get much sympathy or many agreeing with her, but it wasn't a case of her not noticing people doing something nice, but her trying to say she didn't have to acknowledge or thank them as she hadn't asked them to do something nice / stand back to give her room. <I need an eye roll emoticon >

This has nothing to do with pushing a pram.. many people don’t say thank you for opening a door, letting them go first etc. it’s just rudeness

Agree. I just hope it not part of the digging at parents and anti children agenda some people have.

It’s hard to believe that OP has only encountered rudeness from parents, I don’t experience much rudeness from others, but what I have, had been well spread amongst different groups.

It's the arguing about not getting off the bus to make way for a wheelchair passenger that angers me

I agree with you but it also depends on the situation. It's sometimes irritating if a car stops to let me cross when there is no car behind them and I could easily cross without feeling rushed if they just drove on. It's also irritating when people stop and step aside on a wide path, when it is not needed.

As a mum to a 5 week old and a 3 year old, I do thank those that hold doors open or are putting themselves out with good reason. It does become exhausting thanking everyone though. If you walk a couple of miles into my town then you'll often come across 30 - 50 people en-route. Just imagine if half of those people inconvenience themselves in some way (either for a good reason or not), then you can quickly see how it becomes tedious to thank each and every person. You end up wishing that they didn't show you any kindness, which sounds sad but the world is crowded and busy.

If people are rude they are rude with or without a pram!

As a mum to a 5 week old and a 3 year old, I do thank those that hold doors open or are putting themselves out with good reason. It does become exhausting thanking everyone though. If you walk a couple of miles into my town then you'll often come across 30 - 50 people en-route. Just imagine if half of those people inconvenience themselves in some way (either for a good reason or not), then you can quickly see how it becomes tedious to thank each and every person. You end up wishing that they didn't show you any kindness, which sounds sad but the world is crowded and busy

Nobody is asking you to write a thank you letter.
A smile or a nod is a nice acknowledgement if letting one syllable out of your mouth is too much. Surely as a parent with small children at your side, it is a good thing to model nice behaviour / good manners which they are then likely to start doing automatically too.

I live in a very friendly place, so it does stand out to me.

It might be that older people (as an example of a group that sometimes needs more space or help) have always lived here and are used to that friendliness and courtesy in public. Whereas those who are newer aren't accustomed to it.

I'm sick of women with prams/pushchairs power walking straight ahead with a look of steely entitlement so I'm forced into the gutter and the oncoming traffic. It happens a lot, it is not my imagination, prejudice or anything else "ist".