AIBU to have given an old lady a piece of my mind?

[JoesMummy09]

I was travelling on the bus today to meet up with some other mummies.

There were 3 buggies already on the bus when I spotted a lady with a pram trying to get on (I realised later it was actually a friend of mine - I'm a bit short-sighted!). The driver told her it was full so she thanked him and joined the back of the queue to wait for the next one.

The horrible old cow old lady sitting in front of me loudly said "I don't know why they can't just walk".

Well, I was not having that! Her comment was down right rude, thoughtless and unneccessary. So I gave her a piece of my mind!

I should add that when I got on the bus carrying DS in a sling and carrying 2 bags she hadn't moved her bag so I could sit down, despite it being a seat for "those less able to stand". (Perhaps I am being unreasonable there and her bag needed the seat more than woman carrying 3mo child and shopping??!)

I don't normally do this kind of thing but I just lost it. AIBU? Would you do the same?

JoesMum

Oh yes, ramming, use of walking sticks, bag swinging, crowding across the pavement in pairs carrying hot coffee, boring to death by discussing Chuch schools, and the killer blow, theatrical tantrumming - all perfectly legal moves.

pmsl screamingabdab

I was berated by an old lady on the bus the other day, no idea why, something about taking up 2 seats(there were 3 of us) and and having no respect for elders, meaning that she had to sit "over there" . Think she might have been a bit batty because I still can't figure out what we did wrong lol, the bus was half empty, we weren't sitting in the disabled area, she had 2 seats to herself. God knows. Theres lots of racist old people chuntering away on buses too, complaining about the foreigners daring to come over here and drive our buses lol.

YANBU, the worst are the "I'd give em a slap" brigade, wanders away muttering.

Well buggies are big these days. You can't deny it. And they do take up a hell of a lot of room.

And her age was irrelevant to her rudeness btw.

You could also have an Ultimate Fighting version where there are no rules!

Blimey it must be the sea air but the OAPs here are, by and large, lovely. Usually happy to entertain my lo while I stare bleakly out the window ride happily on the bus. Maybe it's because there are so many of them.

(will probably encounter the most miserable old git tomorrow now I've said that )

I have often argued for Boudicca-type scythes on buggy wheels. Of course that might lead to blade proliferation when the old ladies put them on their shopping trollies too.

LOL

This is why I don't use buses. It's like ASDA on wheels.

makedoandmend do you live in Worthing? I only went there once, and everyone I saw was old. I mean everyone. It was a bit twilight zone, to be honest!

weegiemum I do indeed and you're right it is like someone took the entire population and aged them in some dastardly plot. It's taken me ages to get used to it but now I actually quite like it. I get told daily that I'm 'too young to remember that' or that something was 'before your time' - makes me feel like a young whippersnapper

HerBeatitude Asda on Wheels. I love that

I live in London and nearly everyone uses the buses. Perhaps that explains why I encountered rudeness from a wide range of people.

toddlerama Yes, you are right. Impairment of the frontal lobes of the brain causes disinhibition (or something)

Oh, and I grew up in the 70s and people were much nicer then. I blame Thatcher

Just realised I blew up my own pro-public transport arguements over on the Why do you not use public transport thread

I was on the bus once with my sister, both of us had babies in buggies. We parked in the space and stood next to them. Two ladies got on behind us and sat next to where we were standing. They then began to talk in a "loud and clear as I want to be heard" voice discussing how single mums were awful and that "they" walked everywhere when they had children (many moons ago). Oh they also commented about the size of prams.
Both me and my sister are married and wear rings.
I made eye contact with her and was extra specially nice to her when she was trying to get up at her stop.
kill them with kindness.

I think Allison Pearson needs to write an article about this...

Who is Allison Pearson?

'it is like someone took the entire population and aged them in some dastardly plot.'

Yes Worthing is like that.

And funnily enough so is the rest of the world. Bigots grow old. As do lentil weavers. As do you. And I. And everyone.

Some of you them are rude, grumpy bastards. Some of you them are light and sunny and interesting and interested.

Some of you just like to make sweeping judgements about other people. Who would like to join me in the wager that those making sweeping judgements about old people, flip over into those being rude to and making sweeping judgements about young people when they're older? Huh?

Daily Mail writer. Author of a rant about "a lady in a burqa" who was fare-dodging on a train, supposedly. Thread about her recently on here.

Would Allison Pearson be wielding a tartan shopping trolley loaded with bricks or a buggy with a teething toddler after a sleepless night?

I really don't know who she is. Is she v famous?

joesmummy - she'd like you to think she would have the latter, although in reality I suspect said toddler would have been looked after by nanny while Allison travelled in first-class air-conditioned accommodation

ooh I don't think I want to be associated with Allison Pearson . I'll look up that thread - thanks UnquietDad.

No, not associating you with her. I just think her take on this would have been rather different and less inclined to endear the author to us!

Oh I loathe the Mail. Vile tat.

I'm afraid I'm much more right-on and a bit of a lefty! Hence the remonstrating with people on buses

If you're a bit right on Joesmummy you really should acquaint yourself with the debates about why the label old used in your post fuels ageism. No?

Phew glad I'm not associated with her!