Getting pissed off with buggies

Had a low floor Dart the other day and I picked up two buggies. One was an ordinary buggy while the other was an enormous double buggy that only just fitted on the bus and took up the whole of the proper buggy bay, the other buggy was parked in the smaller bay opposite along with a old guy with a wheeled Zimmer frame. Anyway a couple of stops later there are two women with buggies wanting to get on. I point out that I have two buggies already on and can't take any more unfolded ones. The two bitches with the buggies started having a go, claiming that they can get on. I had to repeatedly tell them that there was no more room for unfolded buggies and that they'd either have to fold them or wait for the next bus.
Later on in the day the same thing happens, two buggies (one a double one) and a Zimmer frame taking up all the spaces for buggies. Pull up at stop where a woman with a large buggy was waiting and says she'll have to fold it if she wants to bring it on. She moaned and said I had to take her, but I pointed out that two is the maximum legally allowed on a bus and that if I let her on the bus too people would not be able to get past. She'd be blocking up the aisle and causing a danger.

What's the rules down your way if a wheelchair and a buggy want on at the same stop and you've only got space for one who gets on?

Depends on the ethnic origin....

anyone see the crap about the baby being flung off the bus for crying in the news yesterday?

First come, first served.

If the buggy is on first, then the wheelchair don't travel, and vice versa

freedompaisley wrote:What's the rules down your way if a wheelchair and a buggy want on at the same stop and you've only got space for one who gets on?

Normal practice on most buses is to politely ask any pushchair owners if they would mind folding them to allow a wheelchair user to board. If the people refuse to cooperate well there is not a lot that you can do other than apologise to the wheelchair user. It is possible to squeeze a small pushchair in when there is a wheelchair on board. But no big buggies.

ITS the LAW

If a Wheelchair needs the space and pram in the space then the pram/user has to piss off!

So Daisy you can actually switch off the bus and wait inform the bitchy pram user that "there are breaking the Law"

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/conditionsofcarriage.aspx

5) Carriage of Wheelchairs, Small Prams and Buggies

We are constantly investing in updating our fleet to improve access and space for the disabled in wheelchairs and certain approved mobility scooters and for passengers travelling with young children in small prams and buggies.

Wheelchairs, approved mobility scooters, small prams and unfolded buggies may only be carried on suitable low floor vehicles. Wherever possible, the use of low floor vehicles will be shown on all timetable publicity and, whilst we will endeavour to operate a low floor vehicle on all advertised journeys, we reserve the right to substitute a non low floor vehicle when no low floor vehicle is available.

Subject to space being available and the discretion of the driver, we will carry small prams and unfolded buggies on low floor buses within the designated area. Prams and buggies must not block the aisle of the vehicle at any time.

You are, however, required by law to ensure that the designated wheelchair space is made available if a customer wishes to board with a wheelchair or approved mobility scooter.

You are required to co-operate in allowing proper use of the designated wheelchair space by vacating this space if it is required by a customer in a wheelchair or approved mobility scooter including repositioning small prams, folding any buggies and storing them in the luggage space.

Detailed guidance on accessing our services with a wheelchair or an approved mobility scooter is available by telephone from the local Stagecoach operating company’s Disability Helpline, in writing in the form of a local leaflet and on this website.

I;m sure if Wheelchair person can not get on a "Trentbarton" bus there get a free taxi ride

People soon forget the days of step entrance when everybody had to fold their prams, they managed it then, why can they do it now.

LynxZF7 wrote:People soon forget the days of step entrance when everybody had to fold their prams, they managed it then, why can they do it now.

the amount of people who still say this at the bus stop is rising!

Havin a pram isnt a disabillity

I was reading in the new drivers handbook that they were handing out today. You can't force a pushchair owner to move or leave the bus, if a wheelchair user wishes to board. You are only permitted to ask them to fold it to make room for the wheelchair. Sort of flies in the face of buses being wheelchair friendly and disabled persons rights if the wheelchair bay is full of buggies and a disabled person is denied travel.

Daisy Dart wrote:I was reading in the new drivers handbook that they were handing out today. You can't force a pushchair owner to move or leave the bus, if a wheelchair user wishes to board. You are only permitted to ask them to fold it to make room for the wheelchair. Sort of flies in the face of buses being wheelchair friendly and disabled persons rights if the wheelchair bay is full of buggies and a disabled person is denied travel.

Surely then this handbook is in breach of the DDA?

I suppose it's not an easy one. I mean you can't kick off someone who's got a baby or young child, that would just be wrong. But then it's not right to deny a person in a wheelchair. The only option is to politely ask if the pushchair owners would mind folding them while the wheelchair user uses the space. Trouble is if the pushchair owner gets arsey then what can the driver do?

Pull over switch off the engine, not move until the arsehole folds the chair down?

notabusdriver wrote:Pull over switch off the engine, not move until the arsehole folds the chair down?

Damn right, that's what I'd do!

Think of it like this... either you do what the company says and risk the wheelchair passenger making a complaint which will then come back to you, and possibly get outside attention, or obide the law and chuck em off, face them possibly making a complaint, the company questioning you and you can tell them that it's the law. They might not be happy about it, but they can't do anything as you've operated within the law.

The ramp and the space in the bus is made for wheelchair users, people with prams have just got lucky since they can use it too, but it was never made for them. People with prams should fold them up each time, they did it when all the buses where step entrance (if they have a supersize pram that can't fit tough). The wheelchair space should be free for a wheelchair user.

If the driver is in a good mood and you ask him/her niceley they might let you use the space with you pram. Same thing with lowering the ramp for old people. Thats how it should be.

LynxZF7 wrote:The ramp and the space in the bus is made for wheelchair users, people with prams have just got lucky since they can use it too, but it was never made for them. People with prams should fold them up each time, they did it when all the buses where step entrance (if they have a supersize pram that can't fit tough). The wheelchair space should be free for a wheelchair user.

If the driver is in a good mood and you ask him/her niceley they might let you use the space with you pram. Same thing with lowering the ramp for old people. Thats how it should be.

Unfortunately though we live on Planet Earth, where things seldom go smoothly!!!!

notabusdriver wrote:Pull over switch off the engine, not move until the arsehole folds the chair down?

I advise the drivers to do just that,put the pressure back onto the pram user,be nice and ask,then speak firmly and leave the pram user in no doubt your in charge,the bus dont move until you comply with a reasonable request,i did you a favour by lettin you on with the pram unfolded,dont kick the arse out of it or your off,and dont say it wont fold,cos your still off,dont leave a wheelchair user behind .

Search youtube for the below title and you will here me discussing the very problem with Jeremy Whine on Radio 2

Semtex Radio 2 buggies.avi

(Not allowed to post links yet)

I will embed it for you Stu.

I know parents have to transport their little screaming snotty sprogs somehow, & I understand that some buggies are bigger than others but I can't get the idea of why some of them so absolutely huge when there's only one sprog in there! Some are like mobile shopping malls & they take up such a huge space, folded or unfolded its ridicules!

I had a situation recently coming up Foregate Street where this very nice Indian lady got on, she was polite & she only had one babe in a normal sized buggy. Babe was quiet & so was she & she parked in the proper space. Not long after another woman tried to get on with one of those gigantic monster things with the one front wheel that sticks out several feet so everyone trips over it & she ORDERED, not asked, this Indian woman 'MOVE'

Understandably the nice lady was shocked & stood her ground & the other one got really quite nasty so I ordered her off. She screamed all that rubbish about how I should let her stay but I said if she'd have been polite & treated the innocent lady with respect I'd have worked something out with her but as she's so vicious I won't let her on because she's endangering other passengers. I told her I have a son who is now 18 but not once, ever, did I go around thinking that the world owes me something because I chose to have him!

I had one hell of a row with the stupid (bleep) & in the end I told her if she don't get off I'll call the & have her tossed off that way! She got off & threatened to report me but I didn't care less! The Indian lady was no trouble & nor was her babe!

Don't you jut love obnoxious idiots?!

We were told to inform the buggy owner that if a wheelchair gets on they would be asked to fold their pram. Most of them seem to accept this.