Using your intelligence in a bus queue situation

All things considered, it was just a gamble and not an intelligent one. She took a chance, and it succeeded, but could just as easily have resulted in her being further from her destination and finding that others were ahead of her again. In doing what she did she knowingly placed others at a disadvantage, so there’s nothing much to admire about her action.

Before the railways introduced single queueing for ticket counters I used to join one queue for one counter and then change queues, joining at the end of course, if I thought one was moving faster than another. I made some assumptions about people in the queues in making the decision to stay or move. By and large moving was usually successful in shortening my waiting time. Now they have dumbed down queueing with a single queue one can't exercise ones wits.

cc
One of the benefits I find of advancing age is to be outspoken, yet look on innocently with others to identify the one who spoke to the offender (whilst keeping said person in my peripheral vision). A quick, “There’s a queue here!” is seldom expected from little old me!

I don't think this was queue jumping, she could easily have missed the next bus whilst she was walking back. Or the bus could have been full.
I watched as someone was asked to leave the bus the other day because the only other buggy (single, not twin) on the bus was so vast that it would not fit in half the space available.
I am regularly pushed aside by queue jumpers at our local stops, they quite blatantly walk to the head of the queue. Another annoying thing is that the seats which are meant for the elderly are often occupied by children, I don't see why small children can't sit on their mothers' laps, this is what always used to happen. (I should add that I wouldn't use one as I am older but able-bodied).
And don't get me started on those who use the adjoining seat for their shopping and sign if I ask them to move it!

I suppose I'm thinking back to the days when buggies folded down, were placed in a rack at the front and the child sat on your knee.
Manhandling a buggy, child, handbag, shopping bags wasn't easy but better than missing the bus or not getting on it you'd risk being late picking up other child(ren) from playgroup, school.

Now they have special seats with wide spaces so pushchairs don't have to be folded down.

The buggy story does not add up but we've got a lot of mileage out of it!

Just now I see on Facebook that a local to me, but privately owned, bus company is dropping a popular service in the spring due to rising costs. Disappointing as it's the only bus for a very large area linking Edinburgh and Dumfries.

Why would anyone boast they'd done this on social media?
Boast. Yes, this is my perception but then I do seem to view the situation differently to the majority.
Presumably mums with buggies sit immediately behind the driver so are visible from the door. They occupy priority seats as do those with walking frames, wheel chairs and service dogs. To them I give priority. I always do. They get on the bus first, choose the places they want even though I might have been waiting for a long time and might have two small DGC with me.
Had I known these particular mums and they’d pulled that stroke on me previously, I’d have had no qualms in doing what she did. Otherwise, I just wouldn’t have done this, preferring to wait my turn.

I read this on MN and, despite the anomalies, it was believed.
I thought it might be a tall tale.

When she'd gone back to the other bus-stop how did she know there wouldn't be two other parents with buggies on the bus already?

I'm still puzzled how they knew she was on the bus, unless she smirked at them through the window.

There are holes in the story, or am I just cynical?

Why would anyone boast they'd done this on social media?
And as for the language from the others! 😲

Not everyone has the energy or ability to walk back a stop and if everyone could and did do it, we'd end up with some sort of weird buggy Olympics 😁
I'm with VioletSky on this.

You know, grans take grandchildren out in buggies too and grans need priority seating at times

If any one of you did this, I wouldn't be shouting, pushing and calling you names because that is worse.

But I would genuinely think, "I wouldn't do that to you"

Not everyone has the energy or ability to walk back a stop and if everyone could and did do it, we'd end up with some sort of weird buggy Olympics

VioletSky

I would not do this, I would not see there were two people waiting and go and join the queue in different place

It doesn't matter if people agree with me or not

I feel its jumping the queue and I would not do that to you or anyone else

We're never going to agree on this, are we?

In principle I suppose she was queue-jumping, but it is not mandatory to join any particular bus queue.

And no-one knows in advance of the bus arriving whether it will already have its quota of buggies / wheelchairs anyway.

If this is a true story - then it just highlights the inadequacy of our public transport system. And possibly bus-design, but I'm not an engineer. Not to mention the size of some buggies...

I read this on MN and, despite the anomalies, it was believed.
The poster arrived at the bus stop after the other two mums, should have considered they’d been waiting longer than her and knew the effect of her mean and selfish action. In that I’m in total agreement with you VioletSky.
I know how to use my initiative/not to be held back with the best of them but anyone with a small child and buggy top trumps my need.

Well I'm going against the grain. It was quite sneaky of her. That's the risk you take when you try to get one over on other people.

I would not do this, I would not see there were two people waiting and go and join the queue in different place

It doesn't matter if people agree with me or not

I feel its jumping the queue and I would not do that to you or anyone else

Lothian Buses which run the majority of the services near me are municipally owned.
When something seems wrong or when services are altered without warning, I write in and get a reply although recently 2 buses have been withdrawn so that 400 houses being built in the village of Auchendinny have no bus service or school etc

Much more joined up thinking is required.

Grantanow

Surely what this is all about is the woeful inadequacy of public transport in the UK - poor bus design and not enough of them, especially where they are needed most including rural areas.

... exactly!

A functioning, co-ordinated, and affordable public transport system is what the country needs - one that operates as a service.
Privatisation has destroyed this public service. Private operators have profited at the expense, literally, of passengers. The service is ineffective and confusing. Thatcher's promises of lower fares and more services rings very hollow.

argymargy

I’d probably have walked home.

I used to employ the "previous stop" tactic when I was a schoolgirl as my bus was hourly and it was often full.

I would not have wanted to walk the 6 miles home carrying my schoolbooks and enormous art portfolio.

I don't think I'd want to have done it with a pushchair either to be honest.

Walking isn't always a practical option.

Sorry just noticed lots of people saying this was nonsense too.

Did they believe it on MN? It sounds like one of the posts designed to create reaction.

VioletSky

I think she jumped the queue, yes.

Smart but she knew that the result would be one of the other two muns being forced to miss the bus and did it anyway.

I also think the reaction by the other mums resulting in the police being called is not OK at all. There were babies present.

Everyone is unreasonable here

Nonsense, the parent with the buggy used their initiative, the other two women were vile. I dont understand your reasoning at all VS.
The Police also agreed this person did nothing wrong.

I’d probably have walked home.

I have read this thread and didn't believe it was a real case however it does highlight some of the games people play.
I travel by bus a lot and notice behaviour.
I have recently had to stand for the entire journey of well over an hour due to lack of drivers and of buses.
I go to the bus station if I want to be sure of a seat for the bus home.

One country bus which is hourly, always gives preference to school children at 3pm so I avoid that one.

I think both people with buggies and wheelchair users are brave and drivers are efficient. I have never heard any of these three groups swear

I saw this thread on MN and didn’t believe a word of it .

How could the woman have had a rant at the OP if she wasn’t allowed on the bus in the first place?
Also I don’t believe that the bus driver would have involved the police either, even if he could have found one!

In theory though there would be no problem doing it.

I have got off a previous stop if I have my trolley to make sure I get a space for my trolley aswell, if I am at the stop & few people have trollies ... I walk to the previous stop, no harm in that ... their choice if they want to do it ... not queue jumping at all, using initiative !

Surely what this is all about is the woeful inadequacy of public transport in the UK - poor bus design and not enough of them, especially where they are needed most including rural areas.

Squiffy earlier made the point that maybe this would make a good question in a job interview to demonstrate how much, or how little, initiative a candidate had.

That reminded me of an article I read once about how the boss of a large company took short-listed job applicants out to lunch.
He then proceeded to watch what they did when the food arrived.
Those who started to shake salt all over their meal without tasting it first were immediately out of the running for the job.