Pregnant women, kids and busses...

[disneyjunkie]

Does anyone else think that it's a bit dangerous for young children to stand when the bus is moving? They can't reach the "standing straps" to help brace themselves.

I don't think it's dangerous. However, I live in an area where it's not uncommon for kids to stand on the bus or subway.
Heck, most kids would rather stand than sit.

 

[aubriee]

I've seen it both ways. I don't stand on buses (or I should say I try not to stand). If I see the bus is getting full I always let others go in front of me and wait for the next bus. However after waiting for that next bus I'm probably not going to be very willing to give that seat up. When I go with my 9 y/o GD I will always have her sit on my lap in order to open up another seat. She has said she didn't understand why, when we were willing to wait so long for another bus in order to ensure we got a seat. I simply tell her it is the right thing to do.

When I go with my mom we are always ensured a seat because she is loaded first due to her scooter. I feel sortof bad about it, but also don't want to take a chance of not being on the same bus with her, so do get on with her. However at those times I have also been the most willing to give up my seat to a pregnant woman, little child, or someone elderly. I'm in my 40's (and female), by the way.

I don't understand or agree with families getting on a crowded bus with very small children then expecting that someone to give up a seat for them. They should wait for the next bus (like me and my GD do).

 

[aubriee]

To continue my above post: we saw both kinds at WDW this past May. Some very well dressed young 20 somethings got on the bus at DTD and got seats (like us). There was an obviously pregnant woman holding a baby (about 9 months old) that was left standing. The baby was crying and kicking. It was all she could do to hold onto him. I just couldn't believe one of those young men wouldn't offer her a seat. They were all just looking at her and laughing. As I got up to offer her my seat the bus driver turned and very nicely said 'this bus isn't moving until someone acts like a gentleman and that young mother has a seat'. You wouldn't believe how quickly those young men moved.

Last January I got on a bus at DTD with my GD. We were lucky and got seats. At the second stop a young pregnant woman got on trying to hold a large shopping bag and also trying to hold a 3-4 y/o's hand. Two young 20 something ladies also got on. No one offered a seat. Finally one of the young ladies smiled flirtatiously at a couple of young men and said "I can't believe one of you aren't going to be a gentleman and offer us a seat." Both young men jumped up and the two young ladies sat down grinning at the young mother. No one offered the young mother and child a seat. I had my GD sit in my lap and we balanced her big bag between us so that she could sit and hold her child.

A few day later we were leaving MK mid afternoon. I know buses usually are not that crowded that time of day but this bus was. We got on first due to my mom's scooter and then a very large rough looking family got on. We had noticed them earlier being very loud and obnoxious in line. They just appeared scruffy and even a little dirty. Anyway they sat across from us and continued being loud and rather off color. However, just as the bus got ready to leave it was two of their teenage sons who jumped up and offered their seats to a couple of young mothers holding small kids. There was still another young mother left holding her daughter, but none of the better dressed, more affluent looking young people offered a seat. It just goes to show good manners have nothing to do with education, lifestyle, or wealth.

The worst thing we saw was leaving POP one morning. The bus was packed and there were several women standing holding very small children. A family across from us had a three year old sitting in her own seat and kicking her feet, kicking the man standing in front of her. Everyone was placing their kids on their laps to make more seats available. Several people glanced at the young family across from us, so the mother finally started to put the little girl in her lap. The little girl started throwing a temper tantrum yelling that she didn't want to sit in her mommy's lap. The mom just put her back in her own seat, shrugged, smiled, and apologetically said she wanted her own seat, 'sorry'. Excuse me but who is the mom and who is the child? After a few minutes the man standing in front of the little girl polietly said, " if you're not willing to make her give her seat up for someone who needs it, at least keep her from kicking me please". I couldn't believe it when the mom gently patted the little girl on the leg and said "Abby, please try not to kick the rude ol' man".

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Taxis are exempt from car seat laws. Of course, it's safer to ride with a car seat/booster seat but you would not be breaking the law.

I thought they were too but I wasn't sure. I just would never put the kids in a car without one.
Oh- and BTW- (not directed at you!) I don't expect anyone to do anything for me- some of us just think it is a nice thing to do.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

FYI--Any taxi stand--or even another cab at WDW can call for a cab equipped with car seats.

Also if you wait more than 20 minutes for a bus, you can ask the next bus that pulls in headed anywhere or even marked *SPECIAL* to call dispatch and let them know you've been waiting for awhile. They will send another bus.

Anne

Thanks for the info but I am not putting my kids in carseats that I don't know the history of. That's just my choice. Also- the one night we did have a problem at the boardwalk we told the bus driver that there had not been any buses for over an hour and he shrugged his shoulders. There were NO OTHER buses that even pulled in before him! Like I previously said- this had never happened to us before. Again- I don't expect anything but it was a safety issue. My kids were very young and it was dangerous for them to be standing. I was holding my 8 month old while trying to hold onto my 2 year old while trying not to fall. Young adults saw me struggling and thought it was funny. Sorry- but that is just plain rude. If you don't want to get up then fine- but don't chuckle at us. That annoys me immensely.

 

[noodleknitter]

"Recently, after he was given a "feminist" scolding by a women for holding the door, my 13yo asked (privately, after we got home) "Mom, not all women are ladies, huh?"




So you let your little attitude-lippy teenager say that since a woman was trying to tell him that just because she is a woman doesn't mean she can't open a door herself, she is not a lady? You actually let your sons think and talk like that?

Ummm, yeah, the 50s are calling, they want their idealogy back.

IF YOUR SON OPENS A DOOR FOR ME I WOULD LET HIM KNOW THE EXACT SAME THING. FYI. I have arms. Thank you very much.

Now if he holds the door behind him for others, women AND men, *thats* polite. But picking out women and opening the door for them? And then being offended because someone points out that she is perfectly capable???? PLEASE.

If my son made such a comment about ladies vs women, I'd seriously think about backhanding him. And then making him read The Feminie Mystique.

TIA! NFT!

I'd take an astute teen-ager over a witchy rude woman any day of the week. How rude to condemn someone who is being couteous. The 70's are over. Most people have gotten over the fanatical behavior. Thank goodness most have overcome being a victim of a male society.

 

[java]

"Recently, after he was given a "feminist" scolding by a women for holding the door, my 13yo asked (privately, after we got home) "Mom, not all women are ladies, huh?"




So you let your little attitude-lippy teenager say that since a woman was trying to tell him that just because she is a woman doesn't mean she can't open a door herself, she is not a lady? You actually let your sons think and talk like that?

Ummm, yeah, the 50s are calling, they want their idealogy back.

IF YOUR SON OPENS A DOOR FOR ME I WOULD LET HIM KNOW THE EXACT SAME THING. FYI. I have arms. Thank you very much.

Now if he holds the door behind him for others, women AND men, *thats* polite. But picking out women and opening the door for them? And then being offended because someone points out that she is perfectly capable???? PLEASE.

If my son made such a comment about ladies vs women, I'd seriously think about backhanding him. And then making him read The Feminie Mystique.

TIA! NFT!

ALl I can say to that is wow. Well maybe a little more. Talk about needing a wake up call- I think it is you. The 70's are calling and the feminist movement has charged on without women berating men for being polite. How do you know if he holds doors for men or children or others- but you just took the opportunity to call him attitude lippy? Um I think not.
FYI you may have arms that you seem to use for a variety of things like backhanding your child but maybe it is your brain you might want to use.

 

[my4kids]

I have and rode the city bus back and forth to work during my entire pregnancy, and rarely got a seat. I just fail to see what the big deal is about being pregnant.

If you are healthy enough to spend a day on your feet touring around WDW, then you are healthy enough to stand on a bus for ten minutes.

Anne

Again, everyones pregnancies are different. And the issue with me was not the standing but my balance being way off in late pregnanciy along with my height (or lack of height) making it very hard for me to reach the rails (and by the way I have never been to Disney in late pregnancy, I am talking about busses and subways in general) i have been to Disney with a sleeping 1 yr old in my arms however, and it is dangerous to try to balance on the bus when you can barely reach the bars with a aby in your arms. And even though not everyone was raised by parents who taught kindness,courtesy, and politeness, I will still think it is rude, selfish and unkind when a young obviously healthy male sits and looks at me when I am in that situation. however I will not be as angry at his behavior as I am with his his mother who did not teach him the right values.

 

[ducklite]

Again, everyones pregnancies are different. And the issue with me was not the standing but my balance being way off in late pregnanciy along with my height (or lack of height) making it very hard for me to reach the rails (and by the way I have never been to Disney in late pregnancy, I am talking about busses and subways in general) i have been to Disney with a sleeping 1 yr old in my arms however, and it is dangerous to try to balance on the bus when you can barely reach the bars with a aby in your arms. And even though not everyone was raised by parents who taught kindness,courtesy, and politeness, I will still think it is rude, selfish and unkind when a young obviously healthy male sits and looks at me when I am in that situation. however I will not be as angry at his behavior as I am with his his mother who did not teach him the right values.

Why is he any more rude than you are for expecting the seat? You have the option of waiting for the next bus. You also have the option of leaving before the buses get crowded at the end of the evening, or before your children are asleep or falling over from exhaustion.

A persons lack of planning does not constitute and emergency to others.

Anne

 

[my4kids]

What would be rude was if my mom and I boarded the bus, couldn't get her a seat, and then made everyone get back out of our way so my mom could get off the bus. My mom can barely make it up the steps. She is good at walking but with two bad knees steps are a nightmare for her. When I say she is blocking the doorway then she is just trying to get up the steps. It takes her a long while to creep up those steps. By the time I have hopped on the bus,did a quick looksee, and got back off, my mom has just now gotten one foot on the first step. Let me tell you that if you don't like it, tough luck. Deal with it. My mom has a real disability. You haven't met "rude" until someone gives my 70 plus year old mother a dirty look for blocking the doorway. I've met the type before. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the nasty comments and saw the ugly eye rolling simply because my mom has a hard time getting up the steps. These people are in such a hurry, pushing and shoving, and acting like animals. Believe me when I tell you that I have no qualms of putting such rude and ignorant people in the place right then and there.

This is why, when I saw your mother boarding the bus, I would approach you and offer you my seat. I can't imagine watching you let her get off the bus to wait for another. I just can't believe, that even though you have to go through this, you would not return the favor to someone else.

And rest assured, I'm am confident that you have no qualms putting rude people in their place "right then and there"

 

[my4kids]

Why is he any more rude than you are for expecting the seat? You have the option of waiting for the next bus. You also have the option of leaving before the buses get crowded at the end of the evening, or before your children are asleep or falling over from exhaustion.

A persons lack of planning does not constitute and emergency to others.

Anne

What is rude about me thinking in my head, with out giving so much as an eyeroll that someone is rude? (See I was taught to look the other way and ignore rude people) so I don't put people "in their place right then and there")
And as everyone here has said, I don't "expect it" I don't ask anyone to give me a seat, I don't even give a dirty look. I'm not that rude. I just stand in quiet amazement that there are people in the world that are so unkind.

 

[powellrj]

these threads can get really, really nasty very quickly.
One thing I have learned on the Dis, NEVER make a judgement call about things other people are doing that you may not agree with. There maybe a good reason that has nothing to do with manners.

I am quoting my own post from yesterday because I wanted to add this thread reminds me why we always rent a car!

 

[delilah]

I have to say on our last trip to WDW, I only met very nice, accomodating people on the bus. I am not elderly or pregnant, only female and relatively short (I can't reach the grip bars up high, but I can stabilize myself with the seat backs of forward facing seats). We were staying at Beach Club Villas, and we really only took the bus once, to AK. On the bus coming back, my son got the last available seat. The nice man sitting next to my son offered me his seat, but, I said, "no thank you, I can stand", which I did. I am sure that alot of people had achy feet and tired legs like I did. I can stand for the few minutes it takes to get back to the hotel. However, I really appreciate the kindness of that gentleman on the bus.

 

[taximomfor4]

I am quoting my own post from yesterday because I wanted to add this thread reminds me why we always rent a car!

I liked your post, personally. I find that the lesson in it is getting ignored by many, however. These threads get ugly NOT because people don't teach their kids manners, but because not everyone agrees what manners consist of. As I posted yesterday, it's not good, it's not bad, it's different. I refuse to believe that I am raising my kids to be terribly rude and discourteous just because my 2 yr old had her own seat on the bus. Nobody walked in my shoes, and had our previous WDW bus experiences. We do what we do out of trial and error...put each of our kids in their own seat, let the OLDEST stand (she was 11 last year on our trip) if someone seems to need her seat, and let DH stand. It's not particularly anyone's business why we are not pulling our 5,6,+ 2 yr olds onto our laps so that 3 more people can sit down. I think it is rude of fellow passengers to ASSUME that we are rude and uncaring because we DON'T put the kids on our laps.

 

[DaisyD]

This is why, when I saw your mother boarding the bus, I would approach you and offer you my seat. I can't imagine watching you let her get off the bus to wait for another. I just can't believe, that even though you have to go through this, you would not return the favor to someone else.

And rest assured, I'm am confident that you have no qualms putting rude people in their place "right then and there"

I have never said I wouldn't offer my seat to anyone else. I do it all the time. I rarely ever sit on the WDW buses. I wait for another bus for my mom to have a seat because she truly needs one. I am a heallthy female in my 40s and it isn't going to kill me to stand another 20 minutes after walking all day in the parks. I might be tired when I board the WDW bus but I would never sit there while there are those that look to be more tired then I are are standing. I give up my seat to elderly folks, parents with little kids, that goes for dads holding babies too, and yes, even the occasional pregnant woman. What I am saying is that I think anyone expecting such a courtesy and then getting pissy when they don't get it are the rude ones. Even those of you thinking nasty thoughts on the inside. What did their parents teach them? Sounds like they are a little spoiled if you ask me. Doing an act of kindness is still a choice. I don't think bad of anyone if they chose not to do an act of kindness. If someone needs a seat that bad they can do what we do. It is an option whether one wants to admit it or not. If I can wait for another bus with a 70 y/o lady then I'm sure a parent with a baby or two can do it with no problems. The only ME ME ME going on in this thread are the ones that expect a seat for themselves because they think they are more special then the rest of us.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Based on our experiences, next time I might not be so quick to surrender my nice comfy seat to somebody who might be more in need. Help me change my mind on this!

Because you get to go to sleep that night knowing you were not uncaring or unwilling to make a difference for the better in someone's day!

A lot of people have gotten to the point of "ME FIRST" that they miss the point of being generous to others. I go out of my way to do little things for people (like strangers) just because it makes ME feel good about me and I try not to do the "what's in it for me" thing.

Random acts of kindness go a long way.

 

[Tinkerbell2002]

I have been to Disney several times, also with young children and pregnant, and in July will be going back 7 months pregnant and with a young child. I would graciously accept any seat given up for me however I would never expect it. And when I am down there, depending on how the buses are running I probably will end up waiting for the next bus so I can sit, I have done it before. That being said, anyone who has ever stayed at All Star Movies can tell you that waiting for the next bus does not work. The busses come to All Star movies already full. We have waited for the next bus only to find it arrive with all seats taken, so that is why we don't stay there anymore. But I didn't know that till after I had stayed there. Also, for the taxis, we were there in December with a small 3 year old (who people often think he is younger due to his size) and went to take a taxi back to our resort because the bus line was so long and we were so tired. The taxi driver told us he could not take us because we didn't have a car seat. That would have been our first taxi ride, he told us we needed to have a car seat, we believed him. I am sure we are not the only people who have been to disney who have no taxi experience, so if you are told you can't ride, you believe them. So maybe not everyone really does have the option to take a taxi back instead of the bus. I am considering a rental car this trip but am extremely nervous about getting lost (DH not coming with me this time). *Anyone with a lousy sense of direction who has rented car there ... is it hard to find the parks from Saratoga Springs?

When I am not pregnant or holding a young child in my lap, I do give up my seat for anyone elderly, pregnant, holding young children, or even young children who can't reach anything to hold onto. My husband always does the same, and we will teach our children to do the same. I want my children to grow up considering other peoples feelings and sometimes somebody else needs a seat more than we do, regardless if they should wait for the next bus or not. I have been on trips to Disney where the busses are great and come often. I also have been on trips to Disney where the busses are not so great and waiting for the next bus means waiting for a very very long time. Maybe the latter is why people don't wait for the next bus to come, so they can get a seat. If you go to Disney often like some of us, you know the busses can run very efficiently. But if it is your first time there and you are not having a good bus experience, you probably would get on any bus you can. I don't know, just a thought. Maybe it's not all about people being rude and expecting you to give up your seat.

AND ... I can't believe that someone would be offended if a young boy held a door for you because you are a woman. Have you been to a shopping mall on a Saturday night and seen how some of these teenagers act now, things they say regardless of who is around and may hear the inappropriate things coming out of their mouths. To get offended because a teenage boy holds the door for you is silly in comparison to what he could be doing to offend you.

 

[jbdreamer]

I just thought of a wonderful plan. There should be 2 lines at each bus stop.
One line for seats.
And one for standing room only.
Then no one can complain.

 

[ducklite]

BTW--It was pointed out to me in another thread on the Dis earlier this week that car seat laws DO apply to cabs in the State of FL. But many cabs carry them and if they don't will be willing to radio for a cab that does.

Just FYI.

Anne

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

IMHO, and in the eyes of the law, the situation with the elderly mother is entirely different from that of a pregnant woman or someone holding a sleeping child.

It is the driver's responsibility, under ADA, to ensure that someone sitting in the reserved seating at the front of their bus gives up a seat to someone with a disability. If you board with your elderly mother and there are no seats you should say to the driver "My mother is unable to stand on the bus, we will need a place in the handicapped seating area". Probably if you say it loudly enough someone will get up and move before the bus driver needs to do anything. I have been on buses, (public, not WDW) however, where the driver has announced "I'm not moving this bus until this lady (or gentleman) has a seat". I have also had the driver make the same announcement for me when I was carrying a small child, which I appreciated but certainly didn't ask for or expect.