Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Pram on bus etiquette...or lack ....of gggrrr

11 replies

BdumBdum · 07/04/2007 14:04

just got the bus back from bit of shopping on high street. I walk a little further and get the bus from the start of the route otherwise a couple of stops on and it would be too packed to get on with the pushchair. next stop and another mum with pram gets on, no probs, two pushchairs can fit fine. Next stop is the busiest (and the one i walk further to avoid)lots of people get on including 2....TWO more prams! one gets on at the front, cant fit into the recess area where the prams 'park' so blocks up the aisle completely. Literally, people either have to climb over or get back off in come in the exit doors. I try to be sympathetic, i know how awkward getting around with a buggy can be but i check before i get on a bus, if there are 2 prams already i wait for the next bus (and yes this can be really frustrating, a few days ago four buses went by before i could get on one)but this mum just didnt seem to care that everyone was now blocked, just sort of stared out the window or fiddled with her phone (i know she may have been feeling embarassed but it ddn't seem like it). Then another pram gets on the back door completely blocking the exit! I'm amazed the driver didn't say anything (they're not normally shy about having a moan!)but he seemed oblivious. The journey was then really uncomfortable with the lady who got on at the front trying to wedge her pram in betweeen mine and the other mums though there was clearly no room, this then woke my son with a start, cos of all the squashing and pushing i couldn't get near him so he couldnt see me just a bunch of strangers and the poor thing screamed the whole way. The worst thing is that all the other passangers looked thoroughly pissed off and they were staring daggers at all of us mums although me and the mum next to me had done nothing wrong. I felt so annoyed and really wanted to say something about checking before they got on the bus next time i didnt want to make them feel any worse than i presume they must have been feeling (tho they seemed to hide it well!)and you know that feeling of mums should stick together and all that crap! Anyway, what would you have done, should i have said anything, is it wrong to feel annoyed about other mums?...Oh and to top it all off, when it came to my stop i couldnt get off cos the aisle was blocked by the other prams, trying to get this one mum to move so i could get off proved impossible and the driver obvioiusly got bored waiting so drove off (despite me and other passengers calling to him to wait)so i had to get off at the next stop and so had an extra ten minute walk home...which to be honest probably wasn't all bad as it gave me the chance to do some serious deep breathing and calm down as by now, as you can imagine, i was fuming!!!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
mishw · 07/04/2007 14:13

Poor you, no real advice to give but this is the reason why when DD1 got to 6m I insisted we got a car as I was sick of the attitude of bus drivers, other passengers (who would huff and puff even though I wasn;t blocing any exit or seats) and waiting forever until I could get on a bus.

glitterkitty · 07/04/2007 14:15

I agree it sounds awful! My guess is they were probably thinking they had a right to get on and not their fault bus was packed. And I would probably have done the same as you- said nothing but fumed!

People used to fold up their buggies before getting on buses, why dont they do this now? Is it because all the prams are these enormous tractor type things that dont fold easily?

BdumBdum · 07/04/2007 14:15

Good thinking mishw, i had driving lessons when ds was a few months old but just couldn't concentrate being away from him at that time....think it may be time to start again!!

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

BdumBdum · 07/04/2007 14:19

GK, I kn ow that i dont get on if it would mean folding the pram as usually i would have a little bit of shopping in the basket and i cant imagine anything worse than (on a busy bus) trying to fold a pram, hold a baby and juggle handbag , bags of shopping etc! but the sad thing is, if us with prams are not considerate then i'm sure the bus companies will start to enforce the folding thing.

OP posts:
glitterkitty · 07/04/2007 14:23

When I used to childmind I used to have to fold the buggy every time- and it was a total pain in the bum! Having said that this was ages ago when there was less room and you got shouted at if you didnt by the driver, so no choice.

Just wondered cos now its rare that anyone does fold them up.

I dont mind prams myself, dont see why people should have to wait longer in the cold etc because the bus is busy. Schoolkids who dont stand up for people drive me nuts tho!

BdumBdum · 07/04/2007 14:33

Maybe folding them is the only answer, i do feel sorry for everyone else getting squashed cos of the prams, just seems a shame that a little thought could avoid this sort of situation, anyone with a pram knows before they get on if they can fit comfortably or not! Btw, its ironic as this was my first trip on the bus with new slimline pram....bought specifically to make my life easier on the days dp is working and i need to get the bus!

OP posts:
theUrbanDryadLovesCremeEggs · 08/04/2007 18:50

i don't know if it's the same in your town but where i live there are "kneeling" buses which are like RORO buses for buggies and wheelchairs. i love these cause it means i don't have to fold up buggy which is massive and juggle ds (12 weeks) - however if i know i'm just going into town to do shopping (rather than meet someone for lunch etc) i'll use the sling because some people's attitudes to buggies on buses is absurd!!

personally, in your situation, i think i'd've said to the mum when she was getting on "Erm i don't think there's room, but there should be another bus along in xxxxxxx". it might've alerted a slightly dull-witted bus driver to the situation as it's illegal to have the aisles blocked in case of emergency!!

monkeymonkeymoomoo · 08/04/2007 18:53

THis is why I put my DD (13mths) in a back carrier, my hands are free so can carry more shopping and I don't feel rushed when I get on the bus. My bug bear is the elderly people on my route that put their shopping on the seat next to them on a full bus and you can't sit down...grrrr...

EasterChickenBunny · 08/04/2007 18:55

Our bus drivers are only allowed to let 2 unfolded prams on at any time

princesscc · 08/04/2007 19:09

Bus drivers round here only allow 2 prams on and they don't budge on this, for safety reasons. If I've got a toddler with me, I do try to fold the buggy, but on the days when I have a 6mth baby, its impossible. Luckily I don't have to do my big shop on the bus, but some people do and I think it is unreasonable to expect them to empty the buggy of shopping, carry/guide child onto the bus and be able to pay the driver!

burstingwithminicremeeggs · 08/04/2007 19:18

Buses & pushchairs really wind me up. Most of the time I use my double buggy so unable to fold it with DS's 25mths and 7.5mths. The other week I had to wait for the 7th bus before I could get on it, and I was at the 1st bus stop on the route! The norm is that I'm waiting for the 3rd bus before I can get on it.
I do remember 1 journey with 7 pushchairs, but 4 of those had to be folded.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread