bus with small kid question

[taximomfor4]

so it's fine to view things differently, but my way is wrong.

PP's specifically said 2 and 3 yr olds, not 18 month olds taking up seats.

I have more small children than arms. I have found through trial and error that I can fling arms across more children while planting my feet firmly when the bus takes sharp curves/turns if no child is on my lap.

I wonder if the busriders silently disapproving of my 3yo in a seat (not on a lap) would judge less if they knew my 3 younger kids are generally in 2 seats (someone is usually on the hump between seats)..that way my arm reaches across even better.

Doesnt matter -- I still don't see wanting to make little CHILDREN get out of seats so we can have them.

Oh, and I have never seen a frail elderly person standing on a WDW bus. Not saying it doesn't happen, but I have always seen them given seats.

Beth

 

[PrincessHeart]

im sorry but why should someone that has been waiting in line longer than you have to give up there seat so that you can sit with your sleeping child if you didnt want to stand on the bus then it's very simple DONT GET ON THAT BUS wait for the next one. On my next trip to disney world i will be bringing my 10 month old and I WILL NOT expect someone to give up there seat for me, if I dont want to stand i will just wait for the next bus, i have done it before and i will do it again if i have to

I think the reason is courtesy. Which unfortunately is sorely lacking in our society. I think if you are able bodied you should stand for someone who is less so - the eldery, small children, women holding babies, pregnant women. I would give up my seat for them and so would my DH. I don't see how it harms you to stand when there someone who needs the seat so much more. But I would never count on it. Why is there such a I was here first attitude?

 

[snugglepeas]

When you're carrying a 40 pound child who is completely and totally dead weight, you get on a full bus hoping that someone will offer to let you sit down. At that point I do remember thinking I'd rather spend the 20 minutes getting back to the resort (possibly standing) than another 20-30 minutes waiting for the next bus to get there and then an additional 20 minutes back to the resort. I also had in the back of my mind that once I got OFF the bus I'd be schleping my son from the bus stop up to the room.

I do not think I said in my post that I EXPECTED someone to give up their seat. I was hopeful that someone would, but like I warned others here on the DIS,....do not EXPECT it.

I'm happy you will only have a 10 month old on your trip. They don't weigh nearly as much as a 3 1/2 yr old! In 3 years, if you find yourself in the position I was in, I also hope someone offers you a seat and you think of me.

my last trip I also carried my 5 year old niece all during a parade so that she could see it and then she fell asleep and I carried her all the way back to the resort.

 

[ohiominnie]

Moms allow their one and two year olds to have their own bus seat when there are people standing.

PP's specifically said 2 and 3 yr olds, not 18 month olds taking up seats.

PP (me) actually didn't say 2 and 3 yr olds. PP (me) actually said 1 and 2 yr olds (which covers the 18 month olds perfectly)

 

[taximomfor4]

PP (me) actually didn't say 2 and 3 yr olds. PP (me) actually said 1 and 2 yr olds (which covers the 18 month olds perfectly)

True...I forgot that my reaction was due to the fact that dd was 2 at the time of our trip...I just remembered that your post included her as a child who should not be in her own seat.

Beth

 

[ohiominnie]

True...I forgot that my reaction was due to the fact that dd was 2 at the time of our trip...I just remembered that your post included her as a child who should not be in her own seat.

Beth

I understand. And seeing as you have 4 little ones, it'd be impossible for you to hold them all on your lap It wasn't a mom with 4 kids that I was talking about. It's the mom with 1 little one. And again....if there's room on the bus, and there is someone that needs the seat, it'd be courteous for that mom with 1 little one on its own seat to at least OFFER the seat.

Now, most of the time, if someone offers any of us a seat, we defer. We're all strong enough and healthy enough to stand and allow someone else to sit (Praise God for that!) It just really irritated me that time when I had a large sleeping child and no one offered (and then had the glare to shoot me dirty looks for bumping into them as the bus moved!)

 

[taximomfor4]

I understand. And seeing as you have 4 little ones, it'd be impossible for you to hold them all on your lap It wasn't a mom with 4 kids that I was talking about. It's the mom with 1 little one. And again....if there's room on the bus, and there is someone that needs the seat, it'd be courteous for that mom with 1 little one on its own seat to at least OFFER the seat.

Now, most of the time, if someone offers any of us a seat, we defer. We're all strong enough and healthy enough to stand and allow someone else to sit (Praise God for that!) It just really irritated me that time when I had a large sleeping child and no one offered (and then had the glare to shoot me dirty looks for bumping into them as the bus moved!)

That would be quite frustrating. Once, when I had one of my kids (6yo at the time) across the aisle from me and the bus turned suddenly, she went flying forward off her seat. I was not there to throw an arm in front of her. I was SHOCKED at the glares she got because she landed against the legs of other people. That is when we started waiting for another bus, so we can sit together!

And if someone got on who needed a seat (holding a sleeping child, etc) That is when I would jump up and offer my seat IF there was a pole to hold in front of my kids (that way if they were in danger of tipping off their seats, I was right there to block them still. Definitely easier with them in seats!

BTW, I have fielded many, many stares and glares (and even stage-whispered complaints) because my kids were "taking up seats WE could have had." I think it's pathetic to glare with malice at a small child because they are sitting in a bus seat!

Beth

 

[bopper]

im sorry but why should someone that has been waiting in line longer than you have to give up there seat so that you can sit with your sleeping child if you didnt want to stand on the bus then it's very simple DONT GET ON THAT BUS wait for the next one. On my next trip to disney world i will be bringing my 10 month old and I WILL NOT expect someone to give up there seat for me, if I dont want to stand i will just wait for the next bus, i have done it before and i will do it again if i have to

Exactly...and the person you expect to give up their seat for you may very well have waited a bus so that they could sit down. However, I do try to use the least amount as seats as possible and have small children sit on my lap (well, I did when they were small!).

 

[ohiominnie]

I think it's pathetic to glare with malice at a small child because they are sitting in a bus seat!

Beth

Agreed here. I'd never glare with malice at a small child!! Heck, I'm the weird stranger that plays peek a boo with the baby on your shoulder or waves and giggles with the toddler!

 

[awaldo]

I guess I would never take issue with a child sitting in a seat. I guess I don't view that as a big problem. I do, though, take issue with the common courtesy issue that a few think is now acceptable. Personally, I don't care if you waited for 5 buses to get a seat. If there is no reason you HAVE to sit down, you should let those that need to sit. Our older folks, like my grandparents, would be sorely ashamed at how common courtesy in our country has degraded. Sheesh, I suppose holding a door open for a person pushing a stroller or in a wheelchair shouldn't be done either, because you've been waiting to get through the door longer than they have!

 

[jessica52877]

I actually have never expected anyone to give up their seat for me or my child, he is just 4, so usually in my arms. Everyone pays the same price and yes, my husband will often give his up and I would too if there was someone more needy then myself but I wouldn't feel entitled to a seat. I also would not feel that I am lacking common courtesy if I waited for the next bus, my son and I sat (him in lap still, no problem with that) and didn't offer to give up my seat.

 

[awaldo]

Jessica - I agree with everything you said. All that is entirely within the realm of "common courtesy". What I was referring to mainly would be, for example, myself, 32 YO healthy male, at least not offering you my seat! I could be the vast minority here, just the way my great-grandfather taught me to be.

 

[NotUrsula]

Originally Posted by MeMom
I agree with the gripe about parents letting small children take up seats while older folks stand. I always wish silently that the bus driver would announce, "Please put small children in your laps, if at all possible, to make room for others". I really don't think that would be rude, and it might wake some parents up to the fact that they should've already done so. I've seen people who are just totally oblivious to the fact that an elderly woman is fighting to stand up while their two or three year old takes up a seat.

Sigh. The bus driver isn't going to make such an announcement. Not because it would be rude, but because it would be dangerous on most of the current WDW buses. Holding a child (who is larger than an infant in arms) on your lap while sitting on an aisle-facing bus seat is very unsafe. The safest way to seat a small child on a crowded bus is to put the child in a seat and stand in front of him -- if you hold that child in your lap you will not have your own hands free to brace yourself against an impact, and there is a good chance that if you slide off the seat you will land on top of the child.

If the elderly woman is fighting to stand up, then yes, it is the courteous thing for someone more fit to vacate a seat for her. However, if anyone in that family is going to vacate a seat for her, it should be the child's parent, but NOT the child. Most kids don't really have the necessary balance to safely manage to ride standing up (without an adult bracing them) until they are about 8 yrs. old. It takes a certain amount of coordination to be able to feel for and lean into the turns and bumps, but still keep your feet rather than fully hanging on the bar.

 

[MeMom]

I see your point. It actually might be better for me to have the child sit in the seat and me be in front of them as a brace or to cushion a fall, in case something did happen. Good point. We've had some calm drivers and we've had some wild ones in Disney World. Sometimes the bus ride itself is a thrill ride!

 

[PA Princess]

I have no desire to enter the bus politics part of the thread, but I did want to mention to the OP to monitor her child's reaction to standing on the bus. Even if he is physically capable according to some (though as a short woman, I find it hard at times to stay balanced since I can not reach that top bar), standing on a bus may make a young child uncomfortable.

I only mention this because we were surprised when our dd6 got kinda freaked by the idea last trip. It was a park closing and the lines for buses were long so we started talking to the kids (included ds11, ds10, and dd1 as well as ds6) about how it looked like we would probably need to stand on the bus back to the resort.

We do Disney almost every year, but we had not had this dd faced with this situation before. She really go kind panicy at the idea of being packed in with all of the people and having to stand. She was tired and perhaps it all just struck her wrong. As well, she rides the bus to school and standing on there is a BIG no no, so it just seemed more than she could deal with.

Dh boarded the first bus with dd1 and ds10 and dd6 and I and ds10 waited for the next bus so dd had a seat. Since it was the end of the night, the other bus was maybe 1 minute or 2 behind the first bus so it was no big deal to wait. Just thought I would mention a slightly different scenario.

 

[PrincessHeart]

Jessica - I agree with everything you said. All that is entirely within the realm of "common courtesy". What I was referring to mainly would be, for example, myself, 32 YO healthy male, at least not offering you my seat! I could be the vast minority here, just the way my great-grandfather taught me to be.

You are in the minority- but I think you are right to offer to give up your seat! Miss Manners would certainly approve. I am raising my son to be a courteous gentleman and I hope he will give others his seat when he is older.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I would be inclined to have my kids (6 yrs old) stay in their seats and stnd in front of them if someone needed a seat rather than put them on my lap.

I also just wanted to mention that we should really give some people a little slack. Not everyone has been to Disney before and for some it will be their first ride on a "public" bus. They might not know that they should wait for the next bus, or that the driver will let people on even if there aren't seats left. Nobody is obligated to give up a seat to a child, pregnant woman or elderly person, but it would be really nice if they did.

When the twins were 9 months old we went to Disney. We had a really rough year and needed a break from reality. On our first night back to the hotel we got on the bus, not realizing there weren't seats left (actually I know there were seats when we started on the bus, but I had miscalculated the number of people in front of me and by the time I had my bearings, all the seats were taken). Actually we were even seperated by the crowds a little. DH had all the bags and was struggling with the stroller (he did make it on the bus, but we were seperated by about 7 or 8 people and he couldn't get to me). I had taken both babies and gotten on the bus. Before I could figure out what to do the bus began to pull away. Thank goodness a really nice family from Brazil gave up one of their seats for me. As it was, I was struggling to hold onto the babies and the mom offered to hold one for me. I am totally overprotective, and would never have normally allowed it, but I figured it was better than dropping one. I ended up having the nicest conversation with her through one of her party as an interpreter. Their kindness really made my day and always makes me smile when I remember it.

 

[mollyw]

My kids loved standing on the bus and monorail when they were little. It was such a big deal to them. Kindof like a ride