Is this a thing on the bus now in London?

[IrritatedEarthling]

I'm in London for work this week, I don't live there. I'm visibly pregnant (shouldn't make a difference to this story)

I went to the bus stop to wait for the bus, it was only five minutes' wait (hooray, London!)

I stood near to the bus stop sign, rather than sitting inside the shelter. Whilst I was waiting, some other women - three of them - arrived separately with some small children. They looked about 5-7 years old. I realised that they were nannies as the children were addressing them by their Christian names, rather than "Mummy". The ladies knew each other as they chatted together.

One lady stood close to me.

A bus arrived, and someone got off and walked away, and as I didn't get on it, it now became clear that I was waiting for the only other bus that visits the stop.

As the bus arrived, the lady near me stepped ahead of me to get on the bus. It's hard to describe, but i had thought I was in the "getting on" position, and I had my payment hels out in my hand. The other two ladies approached too, stepping ahead of me. However as I was first, I- without pushing, touching or glaring, stepped ahead of lady number 2.

I was thinking, well I was here first.

But I heard her say to my back, "Really?!" as though I was very rude. I got on and the priority seat had been taken by lady number one, so I went and sat a few seats back.

Was I rude? Are you supposed to give priority to people with children? I do have a child of my own aged 4 and when I was with him in the evening yesterday nobody let us cut in front, and neither did I expect it.

What should I have done? How does the queue system for a bus work now in London?

I would have said ‘I was here first,’ and also asked her to vacate the priority seat. But people don’t really respect the concept of a queue any more on London buses, and it’s a change from even 15 years ago. Too many selfish entitled people.

It’s London - you don’t queue!!!

although a huge shout out to Londoners with regards priority seating. Ds and I use train/tube when we go into London and he’s a wheelchair user .

when he wheels into the tube people evacuate the priority area and seats like rats escaping a sinking ship. Makes us both giggle when they leave the seats (on account of him turning up with his win!) but we thank them and say they can remain seated there.

This is also true. You need to get your small kids on quickly and sat down quickly (or at least holding onto something), otherwise they will go flying around the bus and the other passengers will tut at you if your children end up on their laps or in their shopping. The driver will not wait. My older one is primed to get on and immediately sit down with the toddler, holding tightly onto them, while I pay.

No, but I'm still none the wiser as to why you're taking that one queue as being in any way representative of anything...

Some of our stops have multiple bus routes.

What happens there is bus from one route gets spotted and as it's spotted an informal queue for that bus starts to form up from people generally milling round - and that queue that then gets on in order - any confusion you get waving on or polite after you or checking they are waiting for that route.

I can't actually can't think of any bus stop near here that has just one route - that's much more a very rural like where I grew up thing.

I do think having buses with multipe doors means queues are less needed - though with trains with multiple carraiges mostly people manage to wait for people to get off and form queues to get on.

It just seems to happen like that without much thought or anyone putting signs up or planning. Clearly less common in parts of London - but I can see why the OP was taken by surprise.

DH and I have been coming up for the Fringe for 20+ years now and I've noticed this exact phenomenon. We're not guilty ourselves, we queue wherever we are, but I've definitely noticed the triffid clustering. 😄Must drive locals mad during festival season!

You are the Right Sort of Visitor - welcome back any time!

Good grief. We shall have to agree to disagree on all points!

This is one of the more bonkers things I have read.

Why just antisemitic? Lots of religious people don’t believe in Christianity.

To be clear, by 'England-English' I was referring to English as spoken in England, in a dialect sense.

If you or anyone else chooses to be offended by standard English, that is a matter for you, or for them, I suppose.

I have difficulty believing that you would impose the same standards on any other language speaker.

some people think they are in the right no matter what....

when queuing for a bus im usually with my children and tend to hold back when a bus arrives for people to get off, let anyone else in front of us get on first and if theres anyone elderly,disabled, someone with a baby or toddler or indeed pregnant we offer for them to get on ahead of us, its just manners and courtesy but sadly these days people are that pushed to the limit they forget or wasnt brought up that way.....

And, sorry, but just to be clear - I am English and not a Christian so rest assured that I am very much aware of the possibility!

If you want drama, skip Netflix and just wait for the next London bus. It’s got everything: fights, theft, self-entitlement, and zero personal space.

That said, I’ve been offered a seat many times, once by an elderly gentleman who I think thought I was pregnant at the time because I had my gloves and hat tucked in my coat pockets. I politely declined his kind offer, but it did make me smile. Bless him! 😊

This is not a London thing. People are incredibly polite where I live (zone 3).
People always thank the driver when they get off.
I think making everything that happens to you, in London, a "London Thing" just shows how detached you are.

Depends where you are. We all queue very nicely outside Waterloo each morning! However weekends in my area its everyone for themselves

There’s plenty of room for me to alight and be paying my fare as other passengers get off.
And thank you for calling me a rude entitled knob. The irony 🙄

You were at the stop first, the women and children arrived after you and then pushed in front of you to get on the bus first.
They were rude and entitled.
Par for the course these days.
School children in uniform are even worse.

Precisely. I once saw a man push ahead of two elderly folk at the front of the queue who were slow moving. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off. He sheepishly walked to the back of the queue.... luckily I didn't get knifed etc.

It’s not about being in a rush, it’s about the flow of people.

You're wrong. 60 years ago people queued 'properly' in a line.

She hadn't noticed you/clocked that you had arrived before her and so thought you were the one queue jumping.

150 years ago they lined their horses and buggies up proper too. Bloody modern life. This country is going to hell in a hand basket.

look how people are hijacking this post to put forth their racist views

I look forward to reading all the threads that you will inevitably start about perceived injustices in baby groups, nursery, school gate dramas etc

How old are you @The13thFairy ?