to think that people should have moved so I could get on the bus with a pram, grrrrr

[HappyNewYearFeet06]

Sorry to rant but it annoyed me and I let them know.

The bus turned up and I had been waiting patiently. However the bus stopped further down from where it usually does so people who had only just turned up at the bus stop got on before me. Anyway, I showed my ticket and got on but there were people sitting in the 2 spaces that are there for wheelchair/prams. There were plenty of seats nearer to the back of the bus but they wouldn't budge. The driver asked if I could fold the pram. I couldn't, its huge and I had baby and shopping too so it would have been impossible unless I had suddenly sprouted 20 arms!.

The driver and another gentleman suggested people move but they just ignored them. So I ranted out loud about rude people and had to get off of the bus again. I had to get a taxi home as another bus is an age away. The taxi cost £8.20 and I already had bought a return for the bus.

Grrrr, sorry gabbled on but it annoyed me.

AIBU to be annoyed?? Should I send a ranting letter to the bus company or the local newspaper ranting about laxy arsed people that can't move to the back of the bus. (Sorry, hot and bothered!)

I hate it when this happens! I just stand there staring at them until they move, but I would not get off the bus myself. I need my pushchair in a safe place with me standing by it.

I've never encountered all this bus/buggy rage before, and lived in London 3yrs with a baby/toddler (before fleeing for sanity and affordable living out of the UK 9mths ago!), used the buses on a daily basis....

Maybe if the buggy-drivers(!) would just look up and smile and make eye contact with people, instead of charging on the bus expecting a problem, people would not be determined to make life difficult for them. I know if I get a pushy mother with buggy coming at me, looking foul-tempered and reluctant to take the 100's of shopping bags off the handles to get down the aisle, I would want to be difficult too!

I would park my buggy as 'space-consciously' as possible, and then go sit at the back of the bus out of the way of any nonsense (if baby asleep, leave there, if awake, bring with). Quite simple.

I upset a couple of pensioners a few weeks ago,in our area the over 60s get free bus passes,Ive no problem with that, but between 7.30 and 9 am children have to pay full fare, the bus was full of standing children [unsafe] and pensioners that had one seat for them,and the seat next to them for there SHOPPING: when asked if they could move the shopping to realease a seat,you would have thought we were asking them to get of and walk
I really object to having to pay full fare for a child to have to stand,while a bag of shopping gets a seat.

Dont get me started on why free travle should not be used till after rush hour

round here pensioners don't get their free travel until after 9.30am (or after 11pm at night lol)but Im not really that bothered about them getting a free ride.

I do however wonder why an otherwise fit and healthy person should automatically get a seat because they happen to be 60 over a younger but less able to stand passanger e.g me when I was 8 months pregnant carrying bags of shopping!

It's quite hard to 'look up and smile' at someone who won't make eye contact with you.

Take a photo of people sitting on these seats with your mobile phone. Say you are a roving reporter doing a spread called 'Selfish bastards of the week'. Say you are going to print the photos and put them in your newspaper.

At least it will put a smile on your face.

cheshirekitty made me laugh, might try that one day.

How sad that there are so many rude people on the buses, I hope they felt ashamed of being so selfish for the rest of the day. I don't think you are being unreasonable.

When I am not at work I do not use my car, I have a mahoosive pram which is great for walking to town 4 miles from my home. I have a smaller umbrella folding one that lives in the back of the car.

Was on day off, doing school run for my sis and dd had breastfed for so long that was worried would not make it back in time. Decided to bus the last 2 miles not been on a bus for many many years, bus almost empty. 2 ladies in the disabled/buggy seats. There was a sign saying you may be asked to give up this seat should a disabled or buggy user require it/words to that affect.

Bugaboo is a BIG pram. Bus driver says you can not stand you have to moove out of the aisle so I make a big lets just squeeze in by these nice ladies, hello, hot on here isn't it etc etc. They talk about me loudly as if I am not there about how rude young people of today are (chuffed, I am 35!) as I keep vearing towards them as the bus is moving. I ask lady if she could press bell for me, I can't reach it, she stares at me, I say it's just by the sign for disabled and pushchairs only on these seats, thank you.

If a person is rude, a person is rude whether you have a big or small buggy, sorry you have been upset by such selfish people.

driver should have made them move as he should have for Queeny.

Just as wheelchair woman should have wiated her turn.

I can feel this will happen on my bus soon women in wheelchair gets on a few stops after me occasionally driver nearly told me to move /fold pushchair when I would have refused and said she'd have to wait her turn just as I would have to if other pushchairs or her had been first

Would you really refuse to fold your pushchair (which presumably you can do) and not allow a woman in a wheelchair (who presumably can't get out and fold it up ) onto the bus?

differnce is you can fold a buggy/carry child. what should lady in wheelchair do......crawl onto the bus?

When I had a pushchair, I would fold it up as the bus arrived, get on, put it in the luggage bit, pay and sit down holding baby. Wasn't too tricky TBH. And generally people were happy to offer to help.

No excuse for rudeness of course.

Get a sling/wrap.

I'm going to try to use a sling/wrap more next time round, and try and get used to it while the baby's small, particularly as I think that might be easier than managing a double buggy. And for some longer journeys with one child maybe braving the tube would be better than a sequence of stressful bus journeys. But I also use the bus for things like getting the bus one way and walking the other, or journeys which include a bus as well as a really long walk, or which involve carrying swimming stuff. And finally, round here I wouldn't trust people who apparently can't see that a buggy has a child in it before leaning on it, damaging the brakes, sending it flying etc, not to push me over carrying a child. It's useful as an alternative option, but it's not always going to be the answer.

The spaces on the buses near me are designated for wheelchairs, and pushchairs are permitted to use then only when there is no need by a wheelchair user. Should a wheelchair user wish to board the drivers are required to make sure they can do so.

I've often left a bus so that a wheelchair user can get on. Reason? I chose to drop my knickers and conceive two children The chances are that a wheelchair user didn't choose to be in that predicament

That is bonkers,

yes able bodied people should get the fark out the way and don't be so rude, hmm, including the able-bodied mother, who could have maybe fed dc at bus stop or got lovely onlookers to fold pushchair whilst she sat on standard bus seat and fed child. both options which are unavailable to the woman in a wheelchair who spends her time being restricted about where she can go by virtue of the fact she has a wheelchair.

In answer to OP, I have requested (with a steely smile) that able-bodied passengers are consisderate and shift for me on several buses, but I would always give up my seat for a wheelchair user.

i agree that it is possible to fold a buggy down but if there is space for a pram then why should the mother fold it down, carry a baby/child and presumably her shopping and all the stuff that goes with the baby everywhere (we all know how difficult it is getting out of the house with a child however old the child is) aswell as carrying the folded pram onto the bus, then pay her fare and find somewhere for all of the equipment she is now carrying and a space for her to sit in whilst carrying the baby aswell it has happened to me and i have never had any help from the 'bystanders' (or bysitters as they were sat down) the reason alot of women in the past folded their prams/buggys down was because they had no choice and no other travel option. buses from my childhood had no buggy-friendly facilities and you were expected to give your seat up to peolple with children and the elderly.
obviously wheelchairs get priority over a pram but just because the person is disabled it doesnt give the carer the right to expect special treatment especially when disabled individuals are campaigning all the time for equal treatment. that equality should extend to all situations and they should have to wait in line like everyone else. a nursing mother should not have to be left behind just because people feel bad sayin no to the carer of a person who is in a wheel chair for fear of causing offense. does the new mum not deserve the same courtesy??
sorry for the long post i didnt realise i had such views on the subject
xx ei xx

People can be selfish bastards.

I was waiting in a long but reasonably fast-moving queue for a taxi the other week. There was a woman with a bleating newborn in a carry cot behind me. I let her go in front of me, but everyone in front of us studiously looked the other way. Indeed yesterday I was trying to get a cab in the rain with my baby in a sling and some bastard pushed in front of me for the taxi I'd just flagged. I just yelled Hey! and barged him out of the way, got in and slammed the door behind me.

QueenyE - the new mum's dilemma would've been solved if she'd had the babba in a ring sling or baby bag! She could've got her boob out there and then and still got on the bus!

Seriously, I don't understand why more people with tiny babies don't use slings more. I would've been lost without mine as I used the bus very frequently when ds was tiny! I always mention the option of a sling when i see new mums struggling with enormous buggies/prams (while helping them, natch! )

UD - slings are great but they don't carry the shopping for you like prams do!

Ah - I had a rucksack I used to keep nappies and wipes in, and any shopping i had to do!

Yes I also have a rucksack, and used the slings loads, but I could never do without a decent pram with a large basket underneath.

I've got a ring sling which I'm planning to use for the new baby.

I do understand where you are coming from with this - but often wonder how on earth many people with buggies would cope if buses suddenly stopped offering these spaces. They are fairly recent I used to catch the bus with three kids (two on reins and one in a buggy) and the family's weekly shop. A bit of thought beforehand is necessary.

joash - more people would use cars in that case I suspect.

We need to be encouraging people to use buses.