Bus suck

[fireheart]

So today's trip home was on a bendy bus, also known as an articulated bus. This was for both the buses I caught, which meant no problem with finding a seat.
For these buses, they usually have sections in the front for those with wheelchairs, prams etc.

Three rules of common sense I've identified with these:

1) If you are sitting there and you do NOT need them, then you move when someone with a pram or wheelchair needs the space.
2) If the stroller is small enough, you could possibly fold it away and sit with your child during the trip. Especially if the child is of toddler age.
3) If you have big wieldy stroller and both the spots are taken, then try to sit somewhere with easy access to get out.

Two mothers decided to not use rule #3 and instead parked their huge stroller down the back. Where there are stairs. Where it's not easy for them to get out with a huge honking pram.

So when the bus driver closes the door because the women take their time getting off and he has a schedule to adhere to, what do they do? They start screaming and swearing at him. he argues back (something along the lines of the fact that when he opens the door, they're meant to get off). They leave, swearing as they go.

(My suck lies half with the bus driver and half with the ladies.)

Best part? The two kids that were sitting just behind me said "that lady was scary and used words I've never heard before." It made me laugh for a bit partially because the school in question is my alumni and the kids there....they waver between good and bad.

[Victoria J]

Definitely sucky - but in my experience not at all unusual.

I mainly blame the bus drivers though. I see why the people with the huge strollers want to get on even if they inconvience everyone else, it's surely the bus driver's job to balance this with the needs of the other passangers. Certainly round here there are signs up saying things like "This space can be used for baby buggies when it is not needed by a wheelchair" and "The driver may ask that buggies be folded at busy times". The driver clearly has the power and responsibility for this.

My favourite was on a little bus with a front entrace and "back"(actually middle) exit. The woman with the stroller asked the driver if she could get on the back as he wouldn't let her on at the front because there wasn't space. He said she could look - opened the doors and she went down. He asked her if there was space :

SC "Yes - there's just people in it". And she made everyone move when there clearly wasn't space. (I was sitting - I think if I'd been standing I'd have argued with her).

My mother was on a bus this week where the driver refused to let a wheelchair on because there were 2 strollers in the space. The woman travelling with the wheelchair user was arguing and saying he should tell them they could either fold the strollers or get the next bus. The women with the strollers weren't involved at all (the argument was going on at the fron of the bus not where they were - the driver wouldn't open the back door or put down the ramp).

While this is going on 2 police (or police/community support officers) wandered up. They do often get the bus - I think they all travel free in uniform and are encouraged to as they both get around quicker and keep the buses trouble free.

They told the driver off and made him get the women with strollers to move and let the wheelchair on. (The women didn't fight it).

Victoria J

[PepperElf]

oh yeah... cos denying entry to the person in the wheelchair because able-bodied people are taking up extra space they don't really need? ... i can see that being an ADA issue

[fireheart]

Quick note folks: I'm Australian, so ADA laws don't apply here. I can't remember what the Aussie equivelent is called though.

The bus in question had a front entrance and a back exit. The front had the ramp for wheelchairs and strollers, the back just had stairs.

There were quite a few people sitting in the disabled section who didn't move...from my point of view, it sort of looked like instead of the ladies being "pleasant" (if they can even be that) and asking them to move, they just went straight for the back row. Which actually, seems to be a common focal point...to get the first row of seats just past the doors.

[CarcinogenCrunchies]

I haven't ridden a bus in awhile, but I would never dream of taking one of those huge, fancy strollers onto one. You can find a small umbrella stroller almost anywhere for about ten bucks, and it serves the same basic purpose without all the unnecessary hefting and folding and annoying the living crap out of everyone else. Somebody with a stroller taking up a needed handicap spot? That's a cane-whacking.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Where I am, bus drivers won't let those giant pushchairs on the bus; only the ones that can be folded up. This is a health and safety rule, so there's no arguing with it... altho, some do. XD

[fireheart]

I do have to wonder-if any mums here can point out-who here has simply folded up their stroller and taken their child with them when on a bus? If it's even possible that is.

[Seshat]

Quick note folks: I'm Australian, so ADA laws don't apply here. I can't remember what the Aussie equivelent is called though.

I don't remember the name, but we do have equivalents.

In fact, I with my motorised scooter was waiting for a train one day. When it came, the front carriage (the only one scooter or wheelchair users can ride) was PACKED. I apologised to the guy at the station carrying the ramp for me, and said I'd wait until a later train.

Oh no, he wasn't having that. He informed the standing people that they WOULD move into the aisles or into other carriages and make room for me. And got my partner and I onto the train, without my wheels running over anyone's toes.

Fortunately, a majority of Australians are kind and generous and determined to see that the disabled are as functional as possible in society.* Whether or not it's required by law, it's required by custom and culture. And frankly, I prefer the latter!


* That's in my experience, your kilometrage may vary.

[PepperElf]

japan's the same way.

the trains get omg-crowded and ... well i've never seen a wheelchair there..

they have strict rules on all trains that the specially marked seats MUST be relinquished to anyone who's elderly, injured/handicapped, or pregnant

[NorthernZel]

Over here we have assigned spots for prams/pushchairs and wheelchairs. The bus is designed in a way that these vehicles cannot be in other spots than the assigned ones.

When a passenger bringing a pram/pushchair/wheelchair wants to get off at the next stop, he/she is required to push a special "pram stop button" so that the driver is notified about the fact that he/she has to check that the passenger is all the way out of the bus before closing the doors.

[smileyeagle1021]

Oh this reminds me of something I saw on UTA once... I feel quite vindicated in seeing my illogical hatred of double wide strollers justified. I'd feel bad for this lady, but she had a double wide stroller and ONE kid
I was waiting for a southbound Sandy train in downtown (important to not, at this point in the system, all northbound trains are Salt Lake Central trains... or at least they were at the time this happened). Her first attempt at boarding was on the wheelchair ramp. The driver politely informs her that the wheelchair ramp is to be used *gasp* only by persons in wheelchairs (ok, so they'll let people with walkers/crutchs use it too... but being an able bodied person who wants to not have to deal with a stroller doesn't count). Tells her that he is behind schedule and she will have to wait to board the next train through one of the doors that is marked for bicycles and strollers (trains run every 7 minutes in that section). I am already looking forward to this show as I see a University train approaching about two blocks away so I have about 9 minutes before my train comes
Next train pulls in 7 minutes later, she actually is at a stroller door... well, she can't figure out how to fit it on the train (which actually would have been easy... and people did offer to help, she just refused help). After two minutes of being halfway on the train and halfway off the driver announced over the intercom that she had 30 seconds to either get on or get off and stop holding up the train. She couldn't get on (because she kept refusing help) and she refused to get off so a transit cop that was on the platform (that was waiting for the train I was going to board to do fare checks) went over and told her "ma'am... you now have 15 seconds before I cite you for interfering with TRAX service, which is a violation of (whatever ordinance it is) and has a $125 fine. Please wait for the next train and accept whatever assistance passengers are willing to offer... or if you prefer, you can take that citation and fine".
Thank you transit cop for standing up to entitled idiots.