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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:
TheCrackFox · 27/02/2010 10:51

He should sue her for slander. He could have lost his job over this.

StealthPolarBear · 27/02/2010 11:13

Yes, the very least he should get is an apology, assuming they are right and she's lying

violethill · 27/02/2010 11:46

I agree with TheCrackFox.

I hope the bus company take action against her.

Banning her from all their transport would be a good start. Stupid cow.

DuelingFanjo · 27/02/2010 11:49

ok - so are all the threads about this going to be bumped before the woman involved has a right to reply? Isn't this just the worst thing about mumsnet - yet another witch-hunt.

yes if she did lie then that's awful but if the bus driver's actions were only verbal (Ie he didn't get up and ask her to get off) then that may not be picked up on CCTV.

sarah293 · 27/02/2010 12:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BitOfFun · 27/02/2010 12:41

I think the threads are being bumped in the hope that 7days sees one of them. To be honest though, I can't see her coming on to explain if nobody at the bus company has had any joy from her over a few days of trying to contact her about it.

TwoIfBySea · 27/02/2010 22:17

DF I think it would be a noticeable incident on the CCTV even if it was simply verbal - the driver would have at some point had to look at her.

From this it now seems that she is just a rather silly attention-seeker. Thankfully the CCTV can prove she is a liar, imagine what would have happened to the driver otherwise!

houseworkhater · 27/02/2010 22:55

So do we know what actually happened?

mii · 27/02/2010 23:00

the CCTV apparently shows that the driver didn't even talk to her

so given that they have the right CCTV ie she is on the bus at the time she said she was and bfing the baby and then she gets off with no interaction with the driver, it would look like she has made this story up

houseworkhater · 27/02/2010 23:03

Thanks mii.

I was going to give that driver a good piece of my mind, but will let him off now

Chil1234 · 28/02/2010 08:04

I take it all back..... Wasn't a grumpy bus-driver and 'Victor Meldrew' wasn't in attendance on this occasion. Wonder what she was hoping this little stunt would achieve?.... Compensation?

LadyMumma · 01/03/2010 13:18

I think NCT are planning to or maybe have already started a campaign to make breastfeeding in public legal. I can't find the words to express my dismay that it is even an issue. Babies need milk and some of us give them breastmilk. For goodness sakes! And sorry, but I don't agree with comments she should wait. I mean yes she could have, but why should she and why should her wee critter? Hands up how many mums have had half a busload telling them 'baby's hungy' after a couple of stops of crying?!

MillyR · 01/03/2010 13:37

Trying to stop breast feeding in public is a civil offence rather than a criminal one as it is in Scotland. So in England a woman could start legal action if she were asked to leave a cafe for breast feeding, while in Scotland she could refuse to leave and call the police.

'As a result of Durdant-Hollamby?s investigations, the Government Equalities Office has confirmed that:

  1. There is not, and never has been, any law that prohibits a woman from breastfeeding a child of any age in public, for example in a cafe.
  2. The 1975 Sexual Discrimination Act created legal protection for a woman under the provision of goods, facilities and services section. This protection covered a woman breastfeeding a child, of any age, by implication, and meant that she could not be discriminated against for breastfeeding in places such as restaurants, cafes, surgeries, libraries etc.
  3. The 2008 amendment to the SDA brought in more specific cover under the wording of ?maternity? - this also brought in the first mention of a six-month period, as it is tied to broader maternity rights covering 6 months before and after birth - whereby a mother could also challenge the owner under the grounds of maternity
  4. The Equality Bill seeks to make it even more explicit that this maternity protection includes breastfeeding, by including the word breastfeeding in the statute. So, for example, if a mother who is breastfeeding a 27 week old baby on a bus or in a café is asked to leave or to stop breastfeeding, she can take legal action on the grounds of sexual discrimination. If that same mother was feeding a child under 26 weeks, she could take action under the grounds of maternity or sexual discrimination.'
zozzle · 01/03/2010 18:39

Disgusting that she be asked to get off the bus - people need educating out of their ignorance...

I would have refused to get off and called the police.

SixtyFootDoll · 01/03/2010 18:42

I think you'll find the woman in question made it up

ticktac · 01/03/2010 21:29

What a shame, Mums who breastfeed are in a small minority in Britain and subject to predjudices like any other minority group - always a downer to realise people are being agressive and dismissive. But there's always that lovely contented baby face to make up for it

LilyBolero · 02/03/2010 09:05

ticktac - they weren't, it was made up.

tiktok · 02/03/2010 13:43

Seems she did indeed make it up - for whatever reason.

The bus company could have checked before sending her flowers!

LilyBolero · 02/03/2010 14:17

tiktok - I think they wanted to make an immediate statement that they were NOT against mothers breastfeeding on buses!

QueenofWhatever · 02/03/2010 20:59

How do you know it was made up? Because you read it in the Bristol Evening Post, that paragon of investigative journalism. I had coffee with her last week, she didn't make it up. And a very handsome man came up to congratulate her, which the rest of us enjoyed .

scottishmummy · 02/03/2010 21:04

well,she would say that wouldnt she.cctv appears to suggest she got off her regular stop.no altercation

but hey only she and the driver and the cctv really know where happened

she may be a nice girl with an unfortunate predilection for lying

none of us were there
not you not me

LilyBolero · 02/03/2010 21:58

Well, given that the evening post has seen CCTV where she got on the bus, fed the baby, got off the bus at her regular stop - would seem like a fair assumption that she made it up. And that NOT ONE PERSON on the bus has come forward either at the time, or later to say 'yes it happened'.

scottishmummy · 02/03/2010 22:28

given she had harman,mass media and mn support she has gone suspiciously quiet on the issue.wouldnt she refute any challenges and galvinise her supporters.so if she got off usual stop means she didn't get cab.of course she could always ask the £8 cab driver to corroborate her taxi journey.Where is the cabbie driver then,surely the office or he will recall a distressed mum paid fare with baby

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