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Original poster

furious about the mum kicked off a bus for breastfeeding

48 replies

aquavit · 26/02/2010 09:55

...which I heard about on the radio this morning. Is there a thread about this somewhere else?

One of the comments on the Mail article (I know, sorry) suggests that it was against the law to ask her to get off the bus - is that right? Is it against the law even though we don't have legislation specifically about it, as in Scotland? Would really like to know.

OP posts:
BunnyLebowski · 26/02/2010 09:58

Yep here ya go

Disgusting wasn't it??

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 26/02/2010 10:03

what about this comment

"So if i suddenly find myself coming up short when on a bus journey, its ok to just squat down in the back corner and go?

Alright, i have nothing against breast feeding, but you have to accept that it will make some people uncomfortable. I bet the story would be a little different if i have an itch down under and some old lady complained saying i was rubbing myself off. My crys of "an itch is a beautiful and natural thing!" would be ignored i imagine.

So instead of getting off how about you just stop for now, and feed it a little bit later as you cant be that far from home. Or just wait till the baby starts crying, then loudly start telling your child that it will be alright, you will feed it when you get home, you aren't allowed to right now."

mummygirl · 26/02/2010 11:02

disgusting

diddl · 26/02/2010 11:23

Of course the driver should have made the person who complained get off the bus.

I wish she´d let the driver call the police.

susanwesty · 26/02/2010 12:15

yeh i seen this on the news too here in uk.. im so angry about this and being a mum myself who breastfeeds. i have set up a facebook group calling for the sacking of the driver

Sack The Bus Driver Who Did This To A Breastfeeding Mum

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=361360580069&ref=ts

JaxElla · 26/02/2010 12:48

Young mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed not given grief for doing so. If people do not like it they dont have to watch do they, i am sure this young mother would have preferred it if people did not stare at her doing the most natural thing in the world feed her baby. I am sure people would have complained if the baby had been crying all the journey. In a pub recently a man complained about a woman feeding her baby and the landlord asked him to leave if he had a problem "well done". Breast is best, but is hard work to start with so well done to the yound mum, and to the person who complained "get a life".

Chil1234 · 26/02/2010 12:59

The bus company is obviously embarrased and has apologised instantly. This is less a story about the prevailing culture on breastfeeding and more a story about one sad, grumpy passenger on a bus egging on a sad, grumpy bus-driver to indulge in a little ego-trip bullying. A character trait that certain bus-drivers, in my experience, are rather prone to....

StealthPolarBear · 26/02/2010 13:01

Chil, I agree, except not one person on the packed bus stood up for her!!

Chil1234 · 26/02/2010 13:05

That doesn't surprise me in today's 'let's not get involved' society. Who's going to stand up against a bus-driver that's already thrown off one innocent young woman and is taking advice from some Victor Meldrew-type (I'm guessing) passenger?.... Most people travelling on buses look like they've been taken hostage at the best of times. Miserable lot.

TweedyneeCole · 26/02/2010 13:06

I was on a bus once when the driver pulled off and asked a woman to get off because her baby was crying.

I honestly felt like punching him in the head.

PeedOffWithNits · 26/02/2010 13:39

DH works in senior management in a national bus company NOT the one in this story - when I told him he hmm'd and said, well, the individual driver was at fault BUT the company should have had a policy on what was and was not acceptable behaviour, and that HIS company have not given any regs/guidelines to drivers re BFing either

if I was on that bus i joly well WOULD have said something to stick up for that poor woman - I have never seen a woman BFing in a way which would show off more flesh than necessary, they are always very very discreet and sitting BFing would have looked not much different to sitting holding a baby asleep in yr arms

PeedOffWithNits · 26/02/2010 13:42

DH also said (and apologies for use of extreme stereotyping but this is based on 20+ yrs in the business)

that bus drivers, esp of a certain age brackett, are probaly more likely than average to have partners who did not BF and more likely than average to look at page 3 models, so their perception of what boobs are for is skewed!

StealthPolarBear · 26/02/2010 13:48

Suppose the answer is if you're in a position of authority (driver of the bus, owner of the cafe...) make damn sure your reactions are reasonable and not based on prejudice before you let loose!

ejvw · 26/02/2010 14:06

I believe I would also have stood up for her if I'd been on the bus - I like to think that if I'd realised what was going on I'd have told the driver that I'd report him if he did throw her off. What sort of screwed up society do we live in where a significant proportion seem to believe it's perfectly acceptable to have boobs all over page 3 of the biggest selling daily newspaper and I would have to sit next to some bloke perving over them on the train, but that it's inappropriate for a woman to feed her baby the way nature intended in public?! Bloody outrageous...

Original poster
aquavit · 26/02/2010 14:06

thanks Bunny, that other thread has answered my question very well!

And now I shall be writing to my MP...

Also, I flipping well would have said something too if I had been on that bus. Even if she wasn't being 'discreet'.

OP posts:
OtterInaSkoda · 26/02/2010 14:20

The busdriver was an arse, but I don't think he deserves to be fired. Unless he's got form perhaps.

Nellykats · 26/02/2010 15:16

He shouldn't be fired, but he should apologize to the mother in question, if not in person then via letter. That attitude is disgusting, breastfeeding is a gift and should not be frowned upon. How embarrassed the poor woman must have been!

DorotheaPlenticlew · 26/02/2010 15:21

I have breastfed on a bus before. DS was hungry and needed food, and we were stuck in Edinburgh traffic.

I would have been devastated if anyone had reacted badly -- that poor, poor woman Here in Scotland we have the law definitely on our side and I would have mentioned that, but I still would have felt absolutely furious and miserable at people condemning me for feeding DS.

verylittlecarrot · 26/02/2010 15:24

Well, I think this would constitute gross misconduct and could therefore justify firing him.

Can you imagine if he chucked someone off the bus for any other discriminatory reason (insert your own)...

LilyBolero · 27/02/2010 09:59

According to today's Evening Post, the mother made it up story here - CCTV shows the driver didn't speak to her at all, and had no complaints made. He was apparently distressed at the thought that he might be falsely accused of this, but knew he hadn't done anything wrong, so just hoped the CCTV was working.

If this is true, I hope he gets an apology from all the people who have so far pitchforked him!

choosyfloosy · 27/02/2010 10:02

Blimey. Can we restart the thread??

paulaplumpbottom · 27/02/2010 10:10

Maybe we should all complain everyTime we are exposed to page 3.

LilyBolero · 27/02/2010 10:16

ppb - read the update - incident didn't happen!

StealthPolarBear · 27/02/2010 10:22

what do you hvae to say to that 7?

BitOfFun · 27/02/2010 10:49

Starting up a facebook group to get him sacked??!

I hope the poor bloke gets an apology.