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 am genuinely fascinated to understand how anything I have said is remotely racist.

Are you assuming I am white? Why is that?

@TheFluffyTwo do you have teens or adult dc?

if you do, I tell you what… show them your posts on this thread and see what they say?

On my bus route, people tend to look at each other and we all size up who gets to go first - apart from the school kids. They all just push on regardless. But the rest of us tend to let the oldest on first, or whoever was there before you, you wave them on. I think London bus etiquette is a bit of an art form tbh. Full of unspoken rules which newcomers have to pick up as they go along.

I'm as old as my tongue and a little older than my teeth, as my grandmother used to say.

Shame you’re clearly embarrassed by your age. Why?

Always been like that. Enjoy your visit.

If this is your opinion, it is something you should be able to back up and explain yourself rather than expecting (somebody else's) children to do it for you?

If, in fact, you're not able to support such a serious accusation (and, apparently, assumptions about my race) you might do better to retract it.

This all goes for @Todaywasbetter too, of course.

I don’t give you my “opinion”

I suggest you ask your teens / adult children (if you have any) what they think about your posts

The flow can still allow for givng way to others, its a matter of seconds

What??!!

If a posting is waxing lyrical about something from 60 year ago… I’m curious as to whether they were alive 60 years ago

hence my question
but @The13thFairy appears rather shy about her years

No queue at the bus stop any more. No idea why the other person took offence in your situation.

Glad you got to sit down: the other day I was standing next to a heavily pregnant woman. I asked if anyone could give up their seat for her. It took several times of asking before anyone did it. It was really depressing.

I'm not shy - just wondering why you're asking; but you've said why now and so I'll tell you. I'm 73. Of course, if I hadn't been alive then to see it I wouldn't have stated it was happening. Would I?

Btw in my corner of London we have lots of "floating" bus stops, which have cycle lanes which run between the road and the bus shelter where people stand. They are highly controversial - they aid cyclist safety but not pedestrians. Anyway, these make queuing impossible as everyone has to stay way back then approach the bus (dodging the bikes) when it turns up.

I’m confused by people saying there have never been queues in London. There definitely have! I remember during Tube strikes people would form a very orderly, extremely long queue that snaked around Liverpool Street station. Anyone who dared to try and push in was swiftly directed to the back.

Queues might not be as formal now, but many do still queue.

You weren't actually waiting at the bus stop, you were to the side. That means first dibs on getting on, rather than swooping it to get in front.

And if I have no such children to ask?

Any alternatives you can think of?

Which posts specifically would I be laying at the feet of this person for judgment?

What would happen if they agreed with me rather than you?

Personally I think you have belatedly realised that you have absolutely no basis on which to back up the other poster in accusing me of racism and are hoping to bluff it out rather than having the good grace to apologise.

I also suspect you have belatedly realised that you have assumed that I am white on some pretty embarrassing grounds.

No people do not generally stand back to let children on first. Some people do, just as some men stand back to let women on first. But that's not standard. The standard is to board in order of arrival at the bus stop. Generally indicated by standing closest to the sign/making your way towards the bus first when it arrives.

People getting on buses in London don't give a shit about who was there before them. I am disabled and even though I have frequently been at the bus stop before other people,they have no qualms about nipping round me to get on first. And usually taking the last available priority seat in the process. And no,I don't think people with children have priority getting on a bus. I think it's 'first come,first served', although the people who dodge round me to get on first don't agree!

A tube strike is different because buses will be overloaded and passengers may have to wait for 2-3 buses before they can get on. Hence the queueing system. But a handful of people at a normal stop on a normal day? Nah.

Nope, people don’t queue here. Busy or quiet, it’s just not a thing any more. We have lots of nationalities (you can tell by the languages people are speaking — or playing on their phones) so I suspect it’s just that born queuers are in the minority.

I think queuing happens until it gets too big.

There was a massive queue at Hammersmith bus station 3 years ago, with only 1 bus after an hour.

I just sort of let myself be pushed into the crowd and boarded the bus by hook or by crook.