Woman booted off bus because it contained too many prams already

[TheDullWitch]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1226324/Driver-orders-mother-toddler-bus-heavy-rain.html

But I don't understand - why didn't she just fold her buggy?

That does depend though twoif- back in the day people might not have travelled places that put them several miles away from home (accepting thats majot difference between aplces like London and Somerset, where I lived) so often, my parents rarely went anywhere- but I had to get to work.

Had it happened at the place of work rather than after doing handover with Mum, I woulod have had a 30 mile walk- ???? DH in work 60 miles away, no money for taxi.....

But yes, would always fold down a buggy if that helped. Would choose not to, reagrdless of possibility if you have a couple of kids and bags of shopping it's a PITA. But if needs must,then.... ridiculous to refuse,or to get upset about a short walk rain or no.

Am I the only one here feeling a bit sorry for the woman. Its the DM for gods sake, they are always going to edit it to the way they want the story to go and believe it or not papers have misquoted people before now!!!

Saying that she could be a spoilt madam - I don;t know her so can;t say.

Going back to the 'in my day' comments, I think those people should be more sympathetic and please that things have improved now for woman with small children. Also don't forget in their day it was acceptable to smack children (something which many of you would be against now), to use sexist / racist / homophobic language. Just because we did things differently in the past, doesn't mean we should do it now.

And Anniemac, you can't know that she would have a go at you for taking a wheelchair on public transprt but I understand that people have had a go at you and you were having a rant and letting off steam!

When my dts were young (and I walked because there was no way I could have entertained the double buggy on a bus folded down or not, there is only so much I can carry at once!) I found that it was the older generation who were less sympathetic though Needa. In fact when I was vastly pregnant with them it was the attitude of women in their late 40s early 50s that shocked me.

God what an unpleasant thread

You seem to have collectively decided that she's an unpleasant middle class mum responsible for polar ice caps melting, hates the diabled, Simon Cowell keeping in Jedward in the X Factor etc etc? It's a non story but thats the DM's fault, not hers

It's not easy to get around on buses with a buggy. Life should be made easier for mums of small dcs

I hate the internet sometimes I really do. Lynch mob

Ok, have only scanned some of the thread so apologies for any repetition, but...

1. Has anyone volunteered to email the DM to ask what make of buggy it was?

1. Phil and Teds fit fine on 99% of buses, even with another on there. Only problem I ever had was the older style ones where the yellow pole was blocking the wheelchair space!

1. Yes, most London bus drivers are rude. But I guess its hard not to be whn they get no respect. Its chicken and egg.

4.Drivers dont stick uniformly to the rules, eg if you get on a 251 it'll let you on the back doors if your buggy is wide, but other routes say no, becasue you have to be able to go up the aisle for safety reasons.

NeedaNewName, I'm one of those who said that buses allowing unfolded buggies (in London at least) was a new thing, and my youngest child is nine. Being racist/sexist/homophobic was about as unacceptable then as it is now. I just think that perhaps people could be a little grateful about having the ability to (usually) board a bus with huge contraptions and not make a fuss if the driver has a problem if you can't fit in the safe space that has been provided.

When my children were small I didn't drive, so I did a lot of journeys with a toddler and a baby (either with a sling or a buggy board and a umbrella buggy) and it was hard, but mostly the drivers were actually very nice (as is my general experience of bus drivers).

Given that the article was in the DM I suspect that the bias is against the bus driver rather than the "former music executive", although of course they do hate women so who knows.

Ok it is hardly news worthy (her best mate is probably features editor at the DM hence them running the story!)

But having lived in London with two young children and frequently used buses it is the rudeness of drivers that is so frustrating.

I have witnessed bus drivers behave in the most appallingly arrogant unpleasant manner as soon as you venture over the threshold of what they clearly consider to be their own private fifedoms. IMHO a bus driver likes nothing more than upsetting a little old lady who wants too use her free pass at 9:29 or making life more difficult for a mother who is clearly struggling just because he can.

See this is why BJCM's shoud be standard government issue when you have a baby

Smallish when up, sooo easy to fold and flat fold so if you put DC next to you on seat it can go at their feet

Well that's what I did anyway...

I did have an almighty tank too but common sense tells you not to go on the bloody bus with it surely! I do remember one day when I had an umbrella stroller being told I could'nt get on the bus because there was a P&T, Huge Graco travel system and a britax monster too even though the girl with the graco had the car seat and baby sitting next to her on a normal seat and the one with the P&T was sitting at the back with her toddlers...

I did offer to fold mine but driver said no as it would mean cluttering up the luggage thingy

I agree she should have folded, but I'm not sure why everyone is so against strollers on buses. Why should they be second class citizens? Why should mothers automatically have a rotten time trying to manage bags, shopping, unreliable small children, perhaps sleeping children, rather than have space on the bus for them to do this easily? And why are they less worthy bus passengers than wheelchair users? We all pay the same taxes etc., aren't the buses for all of us? Just buying a car is a silly response - horrific for the environment, expensive, problems with parking, we should be making it easier to take public transport, not harder.

" I just think that perhaps people could be a little grateful about having the ability to (usually) board a bus with huge contraptions and not make a fuss"

See I disagree with that. I don't think we should be grateful, I think we should all expect to be able to function on public transport reasonably easily, whether we are disabled, have heavy shopping, have a 4x4 pram, are Mother Teresa or a spoilt middle class brat. It doesn't really matter whether that woman is nice or nasty, she should be able to get on the bus and not have a really difficult situation to deal with.

The reason so many people give in and buy cars once thye have families, is because using public transport with young children is often horrible. Because we are expected to feel grateful. Being a supplicant is a really unpleasant status, which is one of the reasons why so many people choose to buy cars instead of using public transport. That's not a good thing and it would be good if travelling on public transport was to change from being a slight headache, to being an easy, eventless undertaking. It would get cars off the road.

exactly thalia, you've said it more succintly!

Move to Birmingham love. We can get three buggies (yes even the monster 3 wheelers) on a bus and a wheelchair too! West Midlands Travel finally got something right!

read and listen

I'm not against strollers on the bus but it's frankly thick to buy a huge fuck off buggy that doesn't fit on the bus and then expect to travel by bus.

Rubbish. It's not about thinking that having children elevates you to some sort of god-like status - it's about sheer good manners.

If the person in the article objected to someone parking in a P&C place, they could have said so without insults.

Spicemonster, my thoughts exactly. If you need to use public transport get something that is public transport friendly and considerate to other users.

i have a monster pram (we dont have a car).

but if we go on the bus then i tend to take my smaller stroller.

i also give each dd their own cags to carry, so i am unloading everything to get the buggy on and off the bus.

each dd has a rucksack or lunchbag, and then i have my oversized changing bag, and sometimes my own lunchbag for myself and dd4.

oh and we walked in the pouring rain yesterday and dd4 didnt dissolved. she must be a new-fangled model.

According to this article on the same thing it says that

'Mrs Smith stood her ground, and the bus only moved when the other mother with a buggy got off. She asked for the driver's name but claims he refused and said to her: "Yeah? Good for you, have a go.'

So she made another woman get OFF the bus so she could stay with her monster buggy? How selfish is she in that case?

The person in the Times article who left a note for the elderly couple is disgustin and bang out of order. Yes I get annoyed if I see a fit and healthy person using the P&T bays but I would never do that, its a bonus to get a space not a right.

Re the rest of the Times article - sounds like they got out of bed the wrong side that day.

Just because there are a few tank pushing parents that expect everyone to move out of their way because they have children, why should other parents be spoken about in the same way.

Nooka - just cos you weren't able to take your pushchair on the bus, does that mean mothers today shouldn't? I agree they shouldn't be rude, but then neither should the bus driver.