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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not to want my baby pushed along in the middle of the road?

6 replies

Catz · 10/07/2010 17:36

I think it's always wrong to walk in the middle of the road with a baby when you have a pavement ? AIBU? DH thinks I am.

Earlier today we were walking along a country lane with a number of sharp corners and a pavement on one side. I'm walking on the pavement with DD (nearly 3) DH has pushchair with baby in. I turn round and see him walking on the road towards a blind corner with a car coming up behind him. Car has to swerve round him and is forced on the wrong side of the road as it gets to the corner. I yell at him to get back on the pavement. He admits it was dangerous but 'the kerb was a bit lower further on and it was tricky to get on the pavement where I was'.

Less than a minute later, he's back on the road again. This is on a stretch that's straight for about 30m but another sharp corner coming up and the road is narrow, 30mph limit. After the corner the road goes single track and national speed limit. I say, 'seriously, please stay on the pavement'. Apparently the pavement 'looked a bit bumpy' but he comes back on and walks ahead for about 15 seconds. Then he's back on the road again just before the corner. This time it's apparently 'because of the stinging nettle'. We're talking a single stinging nettle slightly protruding onto the pavement and we've a rear facing buggy so no danger of baby getting stung. I say 'I'm not going any further if you keep going on the road' and turn back with DD. I look over my shoulder and he's back on the road to get around the sodding nettle apparently.

AIBU to think that (a) you don't push a baby on the road unless you've got a bloody good reason and (b) you should try and model good road sense to a 2 year old?
Apparently I am being unreasonable because although he recognizes the first time was dangerous he judged the next three not to be. I think that he shouldn't increase the danger to the baby for no good reason especially when the other parent thinks it is dangerous. Sorry it's a but long I have tried to keep it neutral...

OP posts:
Oblomov · 10/07/2010 17:46

I think you're over-reacting. I do get the bit about showing road sense to a 2 yr old though. i walk in the road all the time with ds12 in the buggy, after having dropped ds1 at school. its so much easier than going on the pavements which are bumpy and going up and down up and down all the time. often the kerbs are not pushchair friendly, do you know what i mean? i mean you have to lift the buggy up what appears to be almost a foot to get up them.

but i have hearing of a bat and can hear a car at 200 metres, so am back up on the pavement in a whisk. which your dh did not appear to do. maybe this is a man thing ?

Jaybird37 · 10/07/2010 17:49

YANBU - pavements are there for a reason.

Sounds like your DH is a bit immature, did not want to admit that his first bit of behaviour was completely ridiculous and was trying to prove (to you and himself) that it was sometimes OK.

Lucky you - 3 kids.

CoronaAndLime · 10/07/2010 18:35

He was being a total arse.

He knew that his twatish, unsafe behaviour was scaring the sh!t out of you and yet still he persisted?!!

Is this a one off, or does he often pull stunts like this?

Catz · 10/07/2010 20:20

Thankyou! So that's 2 (and a bit) vs 1!
Yes Jaybird that's exactly how I interpreted it a bit of a 'well it went a bit wrong the first time but that wasn't my fault, look I can do it and it's all OK and you can't stop me' which sounds pretty toddlerish to me.

OP posts:
hopalongdagger · 11/07/2010 08:58

YANBU.

There was no good reason for him to be on the road, and the fact that you really didn't like it should have been enough for him to stay on the pavement- regardless of anything else.

And definitely agree about it not being a good example for the 2-year old.

Stephief · 11/07/2010 09:15

YANBU

I live on a street close to a school. Everyday when I am driving the kids to school (not the local school!) despite there being a very nice, long, straight, not bumpy footpath to use, nearly all the parents and kids choose to walk/run/jump/cycle along the ruddy road! And then you get evil looks for trying to drive on the damned road like you are doing something wrong!

I dont get it, roads are for cars, footpaths are for people, its not hard surely?

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