Bus wheelchair/pram one- WIBU

[user29863]

All the buses here have both a designated wheelchair space AND a separate pram space. The latter has fold down seats in it for when it's not being used by a pram, the former does not. None of the buses have any space to put a folded up pram at all, and baby is very tiny and too small to sit on a seat alone whilst I fold it. Buses every 20 minutes or so.

So, the situation: I got on the bus first with my pram. Someone was sat in the seats in the pram space so I put my pram in the wheelchair space. At the next stop, someone got on in a wheelchair, so I moved my pram to the pram space. Then someone got on with a large walking frame with a seat on. They said they needed the pram space so I got off. DP thinks I should have stayed on as I was on first. This happened again later in the week except the person to get on the second time was another wheelchair user. Again, I got off.

Before anyone says I need a smaller pram, I usually drive/walk everywhere but my car unexpectedly broke down and has been in the garage this week. It has been too hot to use a baby carrier too.

WIBU or would you have done the same?

Exactly. The assumption is that a woman with a buggy can't possibly be doing anything important. That baby can't possibly have a hospital appointment to get to and no I can't always leave five hours early so I can get off every time someone wants my space. That Mom can't be trying to get to her other kids or to other caring responsibilities or to work. Have scheduled medicine they need to take or their baby be on a cylinder of O2 that runs out or needs tube feeding at home.

The caveat to that is if I'm in the wheelchair space, it's not my space so I move.

Buses round here sound similar. Depending how big your pram is you could have turned it so it faces the window leaving enough gap for others? That's what people do on our buses. You can fit a couple of prams/buggies side by side. The handles do jut out into the aisle a fair bit but there's usually still space to get past

I don't think anyone is saying that the Mum with the pram doesn't deserve a spot on the bus, or doesn't have anything just as important to do, they just think that in this case, the OP did something over and above, and that it was a really decent thing for her to have done, and as I said previously, I for one totally appreciate what she did, as I'm sure the person she gave up her space did too.

You only have to get off the bus if you are in the wheelchair space while a) not being in a wheelchair and b) not wanting to fold your pram/stand/sit somewhere else.

So long as you and your stuff isn’t in the wheelchair space it’s all good- if not you have to get off even if you don’t fancy it.

I’m with your husband to be honest… I don’t really understand why you got off the bus. You were in an area designated for a pushchair…? So why did you give that up?

of course it was a kind and generous thing to do, so YANBU but I think you would have been perfectly fine to stay there if you wanted to.

I’m genuinely confused about why so many others see this differently

Honestly, just take a sling next time - much easier on a bus and no chance of having to leave (and it's definitely not too hot for a sling, it just needs to be the right one)

You absolutely did the right thing moving over for the wheelchair. The walker might be a bit of a stretch but I think it just shows how lovely you are.

One of our buses has a similar set up (double decker) and the designated pushchair space isn't particularly helpful. I find the single decker buses with no designated pushchair space actually fit more pushchairs and walkers because the layout is easier to navigate.

The busiest bus I've ever been on has had a wheelchair, three pushchairs and multiple walking frames 👍 it was fun trying to manoeuvre off that one!

I do wish people would put the handles next to the window when they put the pushchairs sideways, it reduces the obstruction to the aisle immensely as there's no longer anything along the aisle at arm height. 🙂

I think if you are going to bring a big pram that is hard to fold on a bus then yes, you need to get off if the wheelchair space is needed by a disabled person (with a walker or wheelchair).

Personally I don't drive so having a compact pram has always been important to me, and I've always been able to fold it quickly when the wheelchair space is needed. It's small enough to fit in the leg space in front of my seat so no special storage space for pram needed. On busy routes or when I knew there were stairs, I used a sling for the first year, so all through the summer months and it was fine.

You did the right thing. You were the most able to get off and get the next bus. Well done, you.

@MuddlingMackem I guess if someone fell though they'd possibly land on a child/baby in the pushchair if they hand handles at the window.

Morally, you did the right thing. However, I wonder if it's even safe for a wheelchair to be in the pram space?

Depending on what I was doing I wouldn’t have left the pram space for a wheeled walker no.

Leave the wheelchair space for a wheelchair sure as it’s their space but the pram space is for prams or others if not needed.

Probably. Wheelchairs (especially power chairs) tend to be bottom heavy (rather than top heavy like a pram), and also have better brakes than prams (not that I mean they have a right to the pram space necessarily, just they are probably safe there).

I was thinking more in terms of wheelchairs needing to be up against a wall and facing the back of the bus. I was on a bus once and a wheelchair was kicked off because it couldn't fit properly in the right orientation, only sideways. There were a lot of very angry, very raised voices that day!

I wouldn't move from buggy space here, but would.kove from wheelchair space. The buses here have designated wheelchair spaces which are bigger, a different shape and have a specific backrest etc. the pram spaces are not suitable for a wheelchair as a different shape, longer, thinner, no backrest etc etc. People with walkers can use them as have flip up seats but there are also three separate sets of seats for walker users disabled people etc and the drivers will move people off the buggy seat into those if needed to geta buggy on, same for the wheelchair space. You can go in wheelchair space with a buggy but told as you get on will have to get off for a wheelchair. That seems fair. Buggy space is designed for 2 smaller pushchairs with a flip up seat at each end, or one big pram. Also small luggage area, could get one. Small folding pushchair in, or some luggage, but not much space. I've never had to get off, although would have done happily. I can't use a sling or carry much due to an injury/disability. Do have an easy to fold pram but as child was unwell and under hospital from birth, would have rather got off than tried to fold.

I think all bus seats should flip up like a theatre seat so the whole lower deck is multifunctional

Actually, I had someone nearly fall when I had the pushchair rear facing and they tried to support themselves with one of the pushchair handles - they and my child almost toppled, so maybe that plays a part and colours my view that the handles are best off out of the way. 🙂

Question: what happens on a bid when the wheelchair space is full and a wheelchair user needs to board? Does the driver ask the specific people standing in the wheelchair space to get off the bus? Or does everyone just cram in a bit worse? I've never actually seen it happen. Some people are going to need to get off at least temporarily so the wheelchair user can get into their space.

This happened to me last week. I got on a bus with another pushchair and one already on the bus (so 3 pushchairs) and 3 stops later a wheelchair user wanted to get on. The two of us with pushchairs in the wheelchair space got off because that space is dedicated to the wheelchair user and we were only able to use it if noone in a wheelchair needed to use it. The next bus was full enough for only one of us to be able to get on so I let the other lady get that one because she'd been on the first bus before me.

The bus driver was very grateful not to have a fight on her hands and eventually everyone was able to get where they needed to be. I don't know how many people actually do it though as the bus driver wasn't particularly forceful about us getting off even though it's an enforceable requirement

I meant what happens when the wheelchair space is full of standing people, no pushchairs involved. Obviously that is wheelchair space, but nominating who is supposed to give way and get off is a bit more complicated in the absence of a pushchair.

Wheelchair space is for the wheelchair. Standing people have to get out of the way and let the wheelchair on (off the bus if necessary), and then try to squash back on if they can.

My husband used to be a bus driver and I didn't learn to drive until my youngest of 3 was 1 so I have used many many buses with prams and still do. That was really kind of you. I'm guessing you weren't in a huge rush and were able to get the next bus !
From a safety point of view wheelchairs are NOT supposed to use the pram spaces as it is classed as unsafe as there is no back board or armrest, my husband was in the situation more than once and did have to refuse travel to a wheelchair user because he already had one on and could have been penalised for letting another one on.
2 of my kids have special needs and we use a Major Elite for one of them which is like an industrial huge buggy and on a lot of buses it's too big for the buggy space so we use the wheelchair space. I plan that our journey won't be affected if we have to get off for a wheelchair user but wouldn't move for a shopping trolley or a walker.In the past I have also asked other passenger to move empty buggies to make space for us.
My dsughtets buggy does fold but it's got lots of steps and involves removing the hood and footplate. If she's OK I fold it at the bus stop before the bus arrives and put it in the luggage rack.