Prams on buses

jackieb

PinkLipgloss wrote: »

This reminded me of how things are not always as they appear. For example, when I was heavily pregnant I could easily get away with sitting in the "reserved" seats at the front of the bus (in Madrid they are labelled as being reserved for elderly, disabled (non-wheelchair) and pregnant).

However, at the start of my pregnancy (when I was not visibly showing that much at all) I was frequently severely nauseous / tired and got some really filthy looks from people for sitting in one of these seats as they were oblivious that I was pregnant!

What would you have done or said if a passenger like in the OP had demanded you move for her buggy? Imagining you were on a British bus which has no special provision for pregnant women, and you were feeling faint or just generally unwell.

zaksmum

The old lady couldn't have sat elsewhere in the bus without going right to the back and up the two steps there, which would have been very difficult for her as there were people standing in the middle of the bus who didn't want to bother with the steps.

Only when she was forced to move did someone give up their seat for her near the middle of the bus. She had quite a struggle to get to that seat, never mind the ones right at the back.

How about a bit of respect for our elderly?

Helix

Delivery_Driver wrote: »

Where does the person you quoted say they have a big pram?

Well she took my post as an attack, so I assumed she must be one of the offenders. Otherwise not sure why she would take offence.

PinkLipgloss

But why did you need to sit there because you were nauseous/tired? The whole point is that they are larger for people who need extra space.

I think you are getting my previous post confused!

I was NOT sitting in the pram area. As explained in an earlier post in this thread there are reserved, regular space, seats at the front of the buses in Madrid specifically for elderly/pregnant/disabled (not wheelchair users).

There is a SEPARATE AREA in the middle of the bus for prams/wheelchair users.

Therefore a wheelchair user / person with pram could not possibly wish to use my seat.

Madrid buses are extremely busy. When I got on the regular seats were frequently taken, it was hot, I was nauseous and tired and sat on a reserved seat as I was in fact pregnant. However, "regular" bus users (particularly those standing) frequently glared at me like I should not be using one of these free seats.

If I were in the UK and sitting in the pram/wheelchair area and a person with a pram or wheelchair got on - I would not have to be asked - I would simply move. I can sit in other areas of the bus, they cannot.

polkadot

I was in the situation not much longer than a year ago where I had to use a bus regularly to get up a hill one stop,to get my oldest to school.

I had him in reception and his baby brother-born in August last year-in a buggy-a little MacLaren,the umbrella type ones.Im also disabled,I have cerebral palsy.We live approximately 600 yards from school but because of the hill-I had to make use of my disabled persons freedom pass to get the only bus that runs up my road...and only every 15 minutes.Because of my disability I have very limited use of my left hand,so was unable to knock down the buggy and hold floppy baby at the same time.It got to the point where my 5 year old accepted that his day started at 07H55 and finished at about 17H00 in the afternoon-because thats how many busses we'd have to "wait out" to get to school on time-and then home after in the busier afternoons when the high school kids were on the bus.

I could never get into the buggy/wheelchair park as there were always buggys who wouldnt move for me because I was sans wheelchair...Id always ask the driver to afford me the chance to politely ask other passengers to assist me (it was only one stop)-but mostly I waited.

I took my situation to my local councelor,who took it to my MP,who took it to my Local London Assembly member and I got to the point where I had various high titled staff from TFL in my living room.

I ended up trading my higher rate mobility component for a motability car and learning how to drive.My poor son now loves driving past that bus at the bus stop...and the fact that we now have the kind use of the only disabled parking near school-in the teachers car park.He's a much happier little boy now he's not constantly shattered-even the school staff notice the difference:)

RainbowDreamer

For those of you moaning about "large" prams and saying people choose to have prams built like tanks.. consider this for a moment.. I have 2 children. One who is a baby and needs to be in a pram, and eldest who cannot walk long distances without getting tired and is not road safe etc.
Therefore I use a p&t's double buggy. Obviously a double pram takes up much more space than a single pram. But should I stay indoors or only go to places within walking distances just because my pram is on the large side? Should I put my youngest in a single pram and struggle with the eldest by carrying him while pushing my pram just to spare peoples feelings on the bus? No certainly not.
And in a view of a single mother who struggles on buses and loses confidence easily because of ignorant people, there are many ignorant eldesrly people with their trollies who seem to think that the pram / wheelchair bay is for their trollies to be parked in! And some even refuse to move for prams.
When I get on the bus, I rely on the bus driver to decide if he has adequate room for me and my pram. If he allows me onto the bus then this means I am allowed to park in the pram bit regardless to who is already sat there.
Obviously if someone in a wheelchair got on, I would happily remove myself from the bus with my pram and wait at the bus stop for the next bus.. as stated in the signs they have right of way so to speak. And I would expect that their needs were greater than mine. Though I have known people in my area to kick off and argue that they were there first.
Anyway, there is more than life to moaning. Signs on buses are there for a reason.

marywooyeah

where I live only one bus goes past my house, it's so crowded in the morning that I walk to nursery with my buggy because even if I wanted too I couldnt get on. usually walk back (weather and tiredness dependent!) as I've lost count of the amount of times I've stood at the bus stop and couldnt get on because of people sitting in the buggy bay.
Similarly there have been times when I've got on and people have moved out of the bay into other seats (why they were sat in the buggy bay when there were other seats is anyone's guess) so its a bit hit and miss. I actually agree with the old lady moving, its not like she had to stand is it as she got a seat? You dont say what tone of voice the girl used - theres nothing wrong with saying "excuse me please/sorry I need to get the buggy in there" if someone's sitting in the buggy bay and not having the sense to move if a buggy gets on.

smileylondongal

The space was reserved for a buggy so technically this is all it should be used for and anyone sitting in that space risks being moved on.

There are a few things here, though, which only a couple of people have picked up - firstly, the young lady was rude to the elderly lady. Whether the elderly lady should have been there or no, you do still need some manners.

Secondly, when the elderly person got up, someone else should have offered their seat so she didn't have to traipse to the back of the bus. The driver should have insisted this.

I do sometimes think, however, it's too easy to tar everyone with the same brush. I don't own a car so I chose a buggy that was easy to drive on to a bus and even had handles which went inward so it didn't interfere with the gangway. I also got off a bus a few months ago to let a wheelchair on. I always say please and thank you, nothing wrong with my manners.

BUT I do wonder about those who don't have more consideration for those around them INCLUDING those with prams. I appreciate it was my choice to have a baby but it's not my choice when people bring hundreds of shopping bags on to the bus, or like to share their music with us, or decide to bring their IKEA purchases on to a bus. At the end of the day, we all use it as a means to an end.

Surely if we were all just a tad more generous to each other, we'd all be better off regardless of all of our situations??

Torry_Quine

The buses here have two bays at the front which take buggies but one of them is also for wheelchairs which have priority and the driver does tell them to fold the buggy for a wheelchair. Behind that are the seats for elderly/disabled with more leg-room and lower bell push.

MamaMoo_2

nellytheelephant wrote: »

This really annoyed me! I've got severe arthritis, I'm only 25, I would be incredibly annoyed if someone asked me to move because they have deemed I don't deserve that seat - I do and I need it!

Around here, you'd be in the minority. 99% of the people sat in the extra space seats on the bus on an average day are either groups of school kids with their feet up, or people who can't be arsed to walk up the bus.
If it was you on the bus, and I asked you politely to move, all you'd have to do is politely say no. It's not like I turn around and say "oi, you, there's chuff all wrong with you, !!!!!! off up the bus."
I recently got asked, no, TOLD to move from one of these extra space seats by a middle aged woman. She put it like this "I've been at work all day, you obviously haven't. And I'm older than you. I'm 50! Stand up and give me your seat"
I said "sure" and stood up, revealing my massive baby bump, and moved. The look on her face was priceless. I just took it as a compliment that at 35 weeks pregnant I looked thin enough to not need the extra space and young enough to be able bodied