Was told I don't give a shit about my baby today.

[Flossam]

My pram is (unfortunately) too big to fit through the front of the buses where I live (london) but luckily buses here have back doors too, which many people use to get on and off them. I got on the bus today at the back, and as I was doing so heard the hydrolics go for them to shut, but obviously the driver realised I was getting on and stopped. Anyway, I went to the front to pay and the driver said to me 'You pull a stunt like that again on my bus and you won't get on' I had to ask him to repeat it, and then tried to explain to him that I was sorry but I couldn't fit through the front. He said I should of 'asked' first. Anyway, I wasn't too bothered, walked away having paid and two more passengers got on. To the first he said 'did you see here with that bloody pram?' And to the second he said 'obviously dosen't give a shit about here baby'.

To this I saw absolutely red and went to the front of the bus again, when he repeated what he said again, and told me I could of killed my baby (I don't think so strapped in to a secure, if bulky pram). I told him I would complain and asked him his name, he laughed, asked him the bus number, again he laughed. I decided I couldn't stay on and got off the bus at the next stop, then thought about it and asked for my money back. Surprise, surprise, he refused. I went home again, cried all the way home, and have phoned a complaint through, but still felt the need to rant here, sorry. Did he really have any right to call me that? I think it's hard enough to be a new mum without people casting such dispersions over you.

It was HIS fault since he didn't watch you getting on the bus (I bet no-one offered to help when they saw you struggling to get on??)
He could have shut the doors on someone struggling on crutches, or an old lady similarly struggling.
He should be the one taking care!

on your behalf!

All this is why I bought a car.

Ken, are you reading this?????!!!!!!

Well, he now has two small children, including a newborn like flossam's, so he should give it a whirl. Agree with whoever criticised the design of many modern buses to make it additionally hard to get a pram down the front aisle - quite apart from manoeuvring round other passengers' bags, feet etc. You have 2cm clearance either side on most of the single deckers round where I am, and that's with a quite narrow Maclaren XT.
Please come out to the suburbs Ken, don't just assume that all of London is like your nice trendy family-friendly zone two enclave...

Marina you have made the point I was trying to make but so much more succinctly. Ive only ever had to fold my buggy twice thankfully (dd is now a year)the first time was to let a wheelchair on which as far as Im concerned was fine. They withour question take priority. the second time was becuse two mums of strapping toddlers (one of whom was 5!!! I know cos I heard them talking) refused to fold up their buggies (and no they had no shopping or anything and no sn either and there was plenty of seats). That annoyed me as dd was small and asleep and the next bus was 30 mins later and I had to get to an appointment grrrr. Dp is now at home with dd and he says that hes rarely had anyone say anything to him (or in his hearing) about the buggy. Personally I dont think theyd dare . Just pick on vunerable(or so they think) mothers.
Flossam Id follow up the complaint I writing or by email and cc to Ken. Im gobsmaked at the rudeness of this driver.

just to add when my 16 year old was a baby there wasn't any provision for buggys on a bus. (i lived in croydon) You always had to collapse no matter how small the baby. I still have horrible memories of having bags of shopping, screaming baby and having to collapse the buggy. It used to be a nightmare. At least I suppose we can wheel the buggy on some of the time!

I haven't got time to read this all but it made me think of the old Routemasters. They used to be the only main bus in the part of London I used to live in and you cannot get on them with a buggy (there are still several around!). But they all had conductors - I must say, I never had a bad experience on them - even when I had a toddler and a baby. The conductor used to fold the buggy and help me on while I got on with the kids.

The advent of these newer buses (not the bendy ones, the ones with just the 2 doors) has meant no conductor and almost every time I have travelled on them, I have got stick from the driver or been pestered to fold the buggy up. Also, several times when I have folded the buggy up they've driven off too soon and thrown me and both kids down the aisle and onto the floor. No complaint has ever got me anywhere but good luck to you if you do write a letter in!

Caligula

Also why I got my car - got seriously p*ed off with travelling on public transport and there was no way I was going to attempt it with 3 kids under 4.

The buses here are not even full-size (mini Arriva type things) so you cannot get on without collapsing prams fullstop. The local Taxi firms do a roaring trade around here - firstly with the disabled (no room on the bus for wheelchairs), and a lot of parents with young kids rely very heavily on taxis.

The Government bleat on about getting us out of our cars and onto public transport - yeah right .

As an aside, I haven't been on a bus for yonks but decided to take myself and 3 kids on one during the summer to go into town for the local Airshow (70,000 were expected to attend so no way I would get parked).

£10 it cost me - for myself, 3 kids who were 8, 6 and 4!!! And then Mr Blair wonders why I won't give up my car!!!

My Dh does'nt want our DD on a bus full stop! He hates the idea of her going on one which does make life a bit frustrating for me as I don't drive but TBH I have had soooo many arguments on buses before I had DD that I don't think avoiding them is a bad idea! I think if it had been me I would have slapped him and called him a few choice names! There is absolutely NO need to say those things.
I always say there is more than one way to skin a cat!!!!!

NBG

How does your DH expect you to get about if you don't drive and you're not allowed to go on buses??

Just curious...

He's obviously a pedometer fan!

Does he think public transport is for losers, like Margaret Thatcher did, NBG? Like Slinky, just curious...
Tarantula, you are right about dhs and public transport. Mine comes home Pollyanna-like saying all the old ladies were soooo helpful and kind, people were admiring dd etc...HA.

No he thinks they're not safe. It's caused countless arguments! He's just got me a car though and I'm learning to drive. It's alright for him driving around in his bloody Jag though!!!

He's a brilliant dad though so I should'nt really complain.

Flossam,

Sorry to hear some idiot, with no manners, made you feel bad. Hope the support and ideas here will make you write to both the company and Ken. It sounds like there is no clear policy on using the doors and there needs to be - not your fault - a company oversight.

Don't lose sight of the fact you were, in effect, verbally assaulted. It is out of order . Hugs.

Bah to you all! When you Londoners get rid of your buses where do you think they go hm...hm? Liverpool that's where!! Lol

Sorry about your experience Flossam.

I just wanted to say the the majority of the bus drivers here in Harrogate are quite friendly and helpful. And a lot of them are women, and a lot of the buses do that kneeling thing so you can get the buggy on and off. I use the bus instead of the car as a special treat for ds as he loves them (especially the friendly older people who chat to him).

triceratops I lived in Harrogate - it's bus heaven! (Mainly for me because there are only about 3 routes that I ever needed to go on! Heaven!) We get all your old buses too, and no you cannot have them back batters it's hard enough to find one that doesn't resemble a tin of sardines as it is lol

Oooh triceratops hi, I'm in Harrogate too!

Don't use the buses a lot as I drive, but they are good.

Scares me to death though how they manoeuvre those huge things through some of the littler streets.

In two minds whether to update this, but... I heard back from the complaints man today, with a response from the company. They apolgised and said that this was completely unnaceptable, that all drivers have customer training, etc ,you get the drift. But they said that despite being given the route number, time, pick up point, direction of travel and a description of the driver, they could not identify him. I then told the man that I'd found the ticket for the journey and would that help? Well he couldn't of sounded less enthusiastic but took it, not sure I'll hear any more but thought it might be worth ringing them back in a few weeks to chase... If not then I'll go to the ombudsman. Whatever else is debatable I shouldn't of been spoken to in this way and it has intimidated me out of using the buses on my own . Also feel really embarrassed walking around town, and constantly on the look out for the driver, feel quite frightened of him really .

So I feel something should be done about it. Bus drivers obviously know that minimal effort is made to identify them following complaints, and therefore feel they are able to act or treat customers any which way they want. And something should be done about it. Speaking to friends in RL and people on here its clear I'm not the only one. I have been thinking about writing to Ken about this aspect of things, would anyone else who lives in London(anonymously) like to contribute their experiences? Just a thought

Thanks for the update Flossam. I think that you are right to follow this through. Yes, call again in a couple of weeks if you haven't heard and definitely let Ken know! Can't help you with experiences as the DTs and I stay pretty close to home and walk everywhere, but I am happy to state that one of the reasons for this is the lack of space on buses and the lack of support (for want of a better word) from drivers.

here the drivers get on a bus and have to put something into the ticket machine, like a pod, and then type numbers in, surely this lets the bus company know who worked certain buses. And they number might then be on the tickets

Glad you have complained. You should not put up with rudeness like that. Did you take your complaint high enough in the bus company? Good luck with this.

Thanks for the update flossam. I think it's great you are following this through. I'm sure part of the reason things like this go on is because most of us (me included ) say we will write a letter, complain, etc in the heat of the moment but then somehow never get around to it. I don't have any direct experiences from London but will be happy to add support in any way I can - even if it's only cheerleading on MN .