Have you ever been asked to fold a double buggy on a bus

[nipper]

I've been quite lucky so far in that when I take my double mountain buggy (which looks big but is only same width as a single pushchair) on the bus, the drivers usually roll their eyes and let me on. Today however I got the firm impression that their good will is running out. The thing is, one day on the return journey from town (which is a good two-three mile walk) I was told that there was no room on the bus for me...so I got off and walked.
When I think about it, if I had my 18 month old and 24 month old mindees, they would probably sit on a seat while I folded it up, but if I had the 10 month old with me forget it! I would be relying on the driver's good nature not to pull away until I had seated myself.:panic:

Anyone experienced a similar thing?

[caz3007]

I wouldnt be happy to be told there was no room for me, especially if there was. We have a small local bus and buggies can go where the wheelchairs go, but we are expected to obviously give the space up for a wheelchair. Only one buggy fits in that space, so if another wants to get on you can be asked to fold it up.

I dont drive and if I need to go into town it involves a bus ride and I certainly wouldnt fold my buggy unless there was someone else already on the bus or if they had a smaller child than I did

[loocyloo]

our local buses don't seem to have room for a wheelchair, let alone a buggy! (unless folded, and even then it doesn't fit anywhere!) i don't need to use buses, but when i do i wait until children don't need a buggy at all, or are capable of standing whilst i fold buggy down before we get on the bus. i have been known to put a LOs reins round my legs so they can't run off whilst i fold buggy! luckily, there is generally ALWAYS someone desperate to help me & children on & off the buses! :D one elderly lady shouted at the bus driver today because he was about to drive off and we hadn't sat down!

if i have a LO and won't be able to use the bus locally, but we still want to experience the bus, i drive and use the park & ride buses! i can get the double buggy on and off, and if too full/no room for us, its not long to wait for the next one!

sorry, not much help for you nipper!

[singingcactus]

I always used to fold my pram when my twins were babies. I would fold it a few minutes before the bus arrived and be ready holding my boys as the bus pulled up. I had an appropriately sized twin buggy for the bus, which i could strap to my back whilst carrying my twins in each arm and my back pack on my back. Sounds tricky but really is simple if you don't have a massive, tricky pram to lug and loads of unnecassary junk in the nappy bag. Plus, if you have made the effort to be organised the wonderful people of this world come out of the woodwork, the gentlemen, and ladies, will pick the pram up for you, the old ladies will spring out the boiled sweets and goofy voices to keep the little ones entertained, and the bus driver is lovely.

[nipper]

Plus, if you have made the effort to be organised the wonderful people of this world come out of the woodwork, the gentlemen, and ladies, will pick the pram up for you, the old ladies will spring out the boiled sweets and goofy voices to keep the little ones entertained, and the bus driver is lovely.

Ha ha love it!

[Mouse]

In the days when I used to use buses there was no way you could get an open buggy on a bus.

Before the bus arrived you had to fold it down, while holding a baby, then carry buggy, baby and bags up a couple of steps, negotiating the bar in the middle of the steps, throw your buggy onto a shelf, find a seat while the bus moved away. Just to add to the fun I'd usually have a couple of toddlers to shepherd along as well.

The only people who ever really helped were the little old men who could hardly walk themselves and, in their efforts to help, actually made things ten times harder.

Then to get off the bus, you had to do it all in reverse, while the bus was still moving and the driver was tutting at you to hurry up.

But we did it because we had to. There was no other option. If you wanted to get the bus you had to be able to do it all yourself. It's amazing how quickly you can learn to fold or unfold a buggy while holding a baby and stopping 2 toddlers from running away :D

If you think the bus drivers are being awkward, email the customer services department and find out what their policy is on taking a buggy on the bus. If they specify a certain size and you can show your buggy is that size, you shouldn't have a problem :thumbsup:

[marnieb]

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In the days when I used to use buses there was no way you could get an open buggy on a bus.

Before the bus arrived you had to fold it down, while holding a baby, then carry buggy, baby and bags up a couple of steps, negotiating the bar in the middle of the steps, throw your buggy onto a shelf, find a seat while the bus moved away. Just to add to the fun I'd usually have a couple of toddlers to shepherd along as well.

The only people who ever really helped were the little old men who could hardly walk themselves and, in their efforts to help, actually made things ten times harder.

Then to get off the bus, you had to do it all in reverse, while the bus was still moving and the driver was tutting at you to hurry up.

But we did it because we had to. There was no other option. If you wanted to get the bus you had to be able to do it all yourself. It's amazing how quickly you can learn to fold or unfold a buggy while holding a baby and stopping 2 toddlers from running away :D

If you think the bus drivers are being awkward, email the customer services department and find out what their policy is on taking a buggy on the bus. If they specify a certain size and you can show your buggy is that size, you shouldn't have a problem :thumbsup:



Aaahhh, the good old days!!! :p

[Mouse]

[/FONT]



Aaahhh, the good old days!!! :p

I really wonder why we refer to them as the good old days. Some things certainly weren't that good :laughing:

[caz3007]

When it was the days when I couldnt get a buggy on the bus, my buggy was an mcclaren and when it folded down, I could leave my dd still strapped in until I saw the bus, but the buggy was collapsed. Made life easy.

Our buses around here are just small local ones and they have drop down ramps and only seat about 25 people and they have fold up seats where a wheelchair or buggy can fit instead. They are a good idea.

[nipper]

When it was the days when I couldnt get a buggy on the bus, my buggy was an mcclaren and when it folded down, I could leave my dd still strapped in

Sorry I just read up until this point and thought to myself...blimey:panic::laughing:

[nipper]

Mouse,the visual image that conjures up is quite amusing! Will defo contact customer services and then carry a print out of their reply to shove under said bus driver's nose if he wags his finger at me!

[caz3007]

Sorry I just read up until this point and thought to myself...blimey:panic::laughing:

It wasnt an umbrella buggy nipper :laughing:

It sort of had a bucket seat that flipped so baby could face you or away and it folded down onto itself onto the solid plastic tray. This is over 20 years ago I will add...lol.

[Candy apple]

My mum is always on at me sayin we don't no how lucky we are taking buggys on buses. She had to fold mine up and hold on to me and My sister at the same time and the bus drivers used to not help at all. I'm glad the good days have gone if it was like that.

[tulip0803]

DH is a bus driver and the buses they have have room for 3 pushchairs that are up or one wheelchair and 2 pushchairs - that said particularly from now to Christmas where we are on the route there is no chance of getting a pushchair on even collapsed! Sometimes you are lucky to actually be able to squeeze on yourself. I have often had my DD2 sitting in the luggage rack alongside other peoples children.

Pushchairs that are up do take away space available standing passengers, as well as 2 collapsable seats, when it is busy and their buses have signs that pushchairs will have to be collapsed when the bus is busy. DH often had babies and toddlers plonked on his lap over the cash tray so mums can get a collapsed pushchair and bags on until they put plastic screens between the driver and the passengers! They also put coaches on at least 3 times a day with all those steps!

Caz I know the pushchair you mean as my DS had one - never took it on the bus though as we had double deckers where I lived then I used to walk. My Mum used it when DD1 was a baby to walk to the school to collect DS she would walk back with DD1 in the seat and DS in the plastic tray! Maclaren Superdreamer loved that you could turn the seat and could put a 5 year old in the shpping tray!

[PixiePetal]

It wasnt an umbrella buggy nipper :laughing:

It sort of had a bucket seat that flipped so baby could face you or away and it folded down onto itself onto the solid plastic tray. This is over 20 years ago I will add...lol.

was it a Maclaren Dreamer? they were about when I first nannied in the 80s :)

That was when I looked after 3 under 5's and used the buses. Folded carrycot wheels (umbrella fold - very forward thinking for the time:thumbsup:) and took wheels,carrycot, baby, toddler and 4yr old on the bus - good job village drivers were helpful and patient and so were the passengers! No choice then - but glad things have mostly improved. A side by side buggy of any description would not fit on my local bus now so I bought a P&T.

[bunyip]

It's worth contacting your bus company and asking what their policy is on pushchairs. They have a legal requirement (Equality Act) to provide wheelchair space and ask others to vacate it to accommodate a wheelchair user. There isn't really a legal requirement to have a buggy space but, where present, they usually give the buggies priority over other passengers; this will depend on the company's policy.

If you can't get to the buggy space cos too many people are standing between it and the entry door, there's a good chance that's because the bus is overloaded, so you might mention to the driver that he's committing a road traffic offence which you can report to the company and/or police. I recall this was a huge problem when I lived in London, especially with all the children having free travel and clogging up the buses to bursting point twice a day (and usually only to go 2-3 stops; no wonder there's an obesity epidemic, don't get me started. :mad:)

Drivers have a duty of care for passengers. If they are moving off before your buggy is secure (brake on, etc.) then you may need to ask them to wait when you get on. This is why they put up stickers telling you to ring the bell and stay seated until the bus has stopped. That way it's the passenger's fault if they stand up whilst the bus is moving and they have a fall. But, yes, many drivers expect people to do the opposite.

We have very good drivers with our local company, who 99% of the time make sure you have the buggy in place and are seated/holding on before they move. They're also good at clearing people out of the buggy/wheelchair zones to make room, and help mums etc. on and off where necessary.

I'm always ready to fold the buggy to make way for someone else if I only have 1 lo - much harder with 2. Or I'll get off a couple of stops early if needed.

The real problem in our area is the OAPs who feel they absolutely must sit in the first few seats. This often results in them demanding that people move, or taking up buggy/wheelchair spaces, when they could just walk another 6 feet to an empty seat. Or they produce lots of purile tutting when asked to clear out and make room for a buggy/wheelchair. There's really no need for it cos the drivers are so good and always give plenty of time to get on/off, so the OAPs are not left struggling down the aisle of a moving bus. They still manage to moan about it though. I think the drivers must get sick of it. One long-suffering driver shuts them up by saying, "I could give you a refund, love, if you'd actually paid for the ride." Love him. :thumbsup:

[caz3007]

Caz I know the pushchair you mean as my DS had one - never took it on the bus though as we had double deckers where I lived then I used to walk. My Mum used it when DD1 was a baby to walk to the school to collect DS she would walk back with DD1 in the seat and DS in the plastic tray! Maclaren Superdreamer loved that you could turn the seat and could put a 5 year old in the shpping tray!

Yes it was. My DD was 3 when I had Ds and she used to sit on the footrest with her legs in the tray holding onto the front of the buggy. Those were the days.

I also had a big coachbuilt silver cross for my Ds that I loved and my DD used to go to sleep curled up up in the basket under that when I used to walk to town.

Those were the days. I dont really remember there being many doubles available at that point and if there was they were probably expensive x