BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Dead Horse
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 06:21 PM

As an ex-bus driver I can tell you that it is illegal to have push chairs blocking the aisle or the platform of a bus. Before the advent of low slung single deckers with sections for push chairs, all such had to be folded BEFORE a passenger was allowed to enter.
It may seem harsh to young mothers, but in case of an emergency it could be the difference between life and death for all on board.
The driver is also liable to lose his license if he allows any infringement of this rule.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Penny S.
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 04:11 PM

I can back up V-Tam on behaviour. I damaged my leg after a fall in Stroud (I have a song), and had to walk around Cirencester with a stick for a few days. There were two changes in people's behaviour. Older people (older than me, I would have said) smiled and greeted me as one of them. Mums with baby off-road vehicles expected me to get out their way, when they approached from behind without any indication, and glared at me. These were not the sort of Mums inhabiting the Jilly Cooper levels of Cotwold society, but the indigenes. I was glad to be able to put the stick aside. V-Tam can't.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 04:00 PM

That's alright then.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 11:15 AM

Well, I gain comfort from the fact that I'll never be as grumpy as Bozo :0

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Becca72
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 11:12 AM

If only the rest of the world were as perfect at the 'cat, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: theleveller
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 11:06 AM

"!And leave it to a grumpy old fat to throw fat people under the bus (pun intended) when the topic was something unrelated."

Yup, I AM a grumpy old fart at 7 in the morning when I have to stand on my journey to work while someone half my age but twice my size takes up two seats - often while stuffing their face with a pile of Macshit.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 30 Sep 11 - 08:01 AM

My issue is not whether or not prams/buggies should be allowed on buses, it is the attitude of the two owners in this instant who lacked consideration for other people to allow enough room to get past them to get off the bus.

MAybe the driver shouls have moved the starcase whike he was driving?

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 02:13 PM

I recently took my African husband into Mothercare in Norwich, to show him what is available for little ones in the West. He was delighted with the beautiful clothes (they were cute), but when he saw the prices of pushchairs he could hardly believe it. African women of course carry their babies on their backs tied on with a large cloth. I've often seen a heavily pregnant woman with a largish baby on her back, another led by the hand and a huge pile of things in a dish on her head, sailing along like a queen!

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Becca72
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 01:48 PM

*old faRt

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Becca72
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 01:47 PM

"buggies is yet another example of Americanisms creeping in. You're right, Richard, pushchairs it is, always was, in Britain, always will be."

Not in my part of America. In the North East they are "carriages" or "strollers"


And leave it to a grumpy old fat to throw fat people under the bus (pun intended) when the topic was something unrelated.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 01:19 PM

in the Virginia area of US we don't call em buggies or push chairs. We call em strollers.

Kat in more than one place in southeast UK I have suffered damage to my lower limbs from young mums pushing overlarge "strollers" around shops. Even when I am using my walking sticks. No apologies. Usually they don't even look at me. Occasionally they glare at me for being in their way and / or for being to slow to get out of their way.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 12:40 PM

Stairs are a problem of course, and East Croydon (busy as London at peak times) has long ramps down to each of the platforms thank goodness.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 12:33 PM

I can recall a man helping me down the massive amount of steps at Ruislip Manor Station, when my daughter was tiny and in her pushchair. I was just about to begin the slow 'bump bump bump' down them when he said "Would you like a hand?"

I smiled and thanked him, and he kindly took the bottom of the pushchair, by my daughter's feet and off we set...

By the time we'd got to the bottom of the steps he looked a little pale!

"I had NO idea how heavy pushchairs could be!" he told me. "So many times I've seen women struggling and never again will I walk past them.."

Yup, it's bloody tough being a Mum with a little baby. At least these days you CAN take your pushchair on the bus, then park it, with your baby still sleeping soundly inside it, rather than having to unpack baby, take shopping off pushchair, fold pushchair, find your purse, whilst holding baby, pushchair AND shopping, then take the ticket too, then heave the pushchair up into the luggage rack, deal with screaming baby, who by this time is almost dangling dangerously..throw the shopping on the floor, put purse into bag, hang on to ticket, then deal with now screeching, unhappy, tired baby!

Ah, the memories.... :0)

So yes, spare a thought for Mums, because you rarely see the men doing all that, nor carrying all the shopping home for the family either..

And yes, we ARE Saints! :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 12:01 PM

What was a pain when taking our children on the train (and for disabled people) was that the only way from one platform to the other at our local station was by a foot bridge with lots of steps or being escorted across the tracks by a station attendant. Instead of a pushcair, we used a stroller, which are light, small and easily folded.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 11:42 AM

Hi

I can understand the problems of the mums too.
They have to get around and bus is often the only way they have.

I don't mind the buggies on the bus. Usually ( in fact aways around here) the mums are polite and aware if they are blocking access and try to clear a way. Other passengers often help and it is accepted - usually most gratefully.

What I do find a bit of a bind is the way in which mums leave the buggies all over the place when going into public places like cafes, bars pubs etc. They just appear to abandon them where-ever they feel like and often it is difficult to get to the bar etc.

Of course things have changed - years ago you could leave your kid in the pram outside .....not today !!! And if the mums leave the buggy and take the child in.......it will probably get nicked !!!

It's not the mum's fault it is society today that is mostly to blame.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Bert
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 11:10 AM

Yes Katmeluv. And while we are at it will Supermarkets please leave at least one cart in the corral when you are collecting them. Then Mums and Grandparents can get into the store without having to hand carry a couple of wiggling brats.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: BTNG
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 11:09 AM

buggies is yet another example of Americanisms creeping in. You're right, Richard, pushchairs it is, always was, in Britain, always will be.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 11:05 AM

Indeed they were - "Fold your push chair or off you get"!!

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 10:40 AM

Proper buses, Routemasters, and such, were much better for this. And conductors were better at sorting out stuff like this than drivers.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Narrow
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 10:26 AM

Eliza, thanks for the empathy for what it entails for a young mother to get around with a kid and the necessary accoutrements. The rest of you sound like a bunch of generalising mogs and I don't mean the feline variety!

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: theleveller
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 09:37 AM

I think the problem is that more and more people are too wide. It's becoming a real problem on trains (which I use daily). I'm tempted to say that if you take up two seats you should pay double the fare.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 09:31 AM

Very true.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 06:30 AM

Surely the conductor used to assist, no?

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 06:28 AM

Push chairs always had to be folded up and placed in the compartment just inside the bus. Fortunately I rarely need to travel on a bus. The same problem exists on Croydon Trams where it's not unusual for 3 or 4 young mothers with their Croydon Facelift/leggings appearance and hideous accents, to be most inconsiderate to other passengers.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 05:47 AM

To be fair, I suppose it's a bit difficult for mums to get themselves, baby and any shopping on the bus, around the city and home again. They always look exhausted. No-one helps them to fold up the buggy, and it's hard to do that while holding the little one. I always offer to help, but the latest princely chariots are complicated and huge. (I bet they cost a mint to buy!)

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 05:02 AM

Pushchairs fold, the average buggy these days seems to be the size of a small car

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 04:40 AM

Reminds me of the Knight Bus in Harry Potter. The driver pulled a cord and the bus shrank to a very narrow size to get through the traffic! From what I saw during our visit to London last week, the traffic is so horrendous, all vehicles could do with being extremely narrow!

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 04:36 AM

Whatever happened to pushchairs? Another ghastly neologism "buggies".

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Fossil
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 04:18 AM

Mothers with buggies are usually wiqd. And thiq. And so are their spaqwn. Some of the mummies can be yuqmmy, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 03:40 AM

the mummies with buggies are a danger everywhere... they seem to seek me out to bang into my legs no matter how much space is available around me. next time I fall to the floor and start yelping about being mowed down.

Subject: RE: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 03:29 AM

Nothing wrong with the width in the bus (which has to fit in London streets) but the thickness of the mothers' heads. Louder and less polite requests next time.

Subject: BS: Are London Buses Too Naqrrow
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 29 Sep 11 - 02:23 AM

Travelling home last night, I was one of 4 people getting off at my stop from the upper deck. En route between the stairs and the exit door were two large baby-buggies, the mothers were standing behind the buggies not leaving enough space for anyone to get past, and talking loudly to each other toally ignoring the polite requests of the two people in front of me for enough room to get past.

It seems that they may have been doing this for a number of stops as an older passenger sitting on the seat opposite leaned over the passenger he was sitting next to so those of us with bags could get past - with a knowing look on his face.....