Buggy Wars part 1

One thing that is quite apparent on this bus is the status of push-chairs, they are king and you must obey them! 

When they are boarding you scatter (if you know whats good for you) in order to let them through. When they are disembarking you all hop off the bus in order to give them a wide space in which they can safely off load in; and when they are loading or unloading the bus - driver you WAIT!

My first example is not on the No12 but whilst waiting for it. I was at my usual stop, St Giles Church when the 171 to Holborn arrives, I stepped forward in hesitation as to whether to ride this bus to Elephant & Castle and change as I was a little late, however I decided not to and gosh I am glad I didn't!

The bus had not moved after a minute of sitting there which was odd as they never wait at this stop as it was not one at which they change drivers. As I scanned the bus from the driver along to the passengers my eyes stopped at the buggy section.

Now on double-deckers there is only room for 2 push-chairs. 

Already on the bus was one push-chair at the furthest end of the space, with the mother, a large white woman dressed in a track-suit sitting on the chair next to it. On the far end of the space stood a young chinese lady with 2 suit cases.

A tall thin Jamaican lady had boarded the bus with her push-chair, which is fine seeing as there is room for 2 of them. However the bus was not moving, indicating that there must be a problem. As I observed the woman who had just joined the bus she seemed to be ramming the other buggy with hers with a frustrated face. The next minute she starts shouting at the other buggy owner to move her buggy over, the lady did this without saying anything, pulling it towards her as much as she could. The new lady continues to ram her buggy at the other, taking small run ups each time. Whilst this is happening let me point out that the luggage holder, the part on your right as soon as you board the bus was empty and the lady with the suit cases was still standing there, watching.

The Jamaican lady starts to shout again,

 'move!' 'move yur chiald!' 

This was something that even I could see was rather impossible now unless the lady got off the bus with it. However the track-suit lady tries again and does what she sees possible, trying not to wake her baby. This still is not good enough for the agitated lady so she begins to grab the other ladies buggy that is in HER way and tries to move it for her, this makes the other lady angry

 'let go of my baybay!'.

At this point the driver started to open his door to see what all the commotion was about, but hesitated, not knowing whether to get involved. Still, the lady trying to fit her buggy in, did not once ask the lady with the suit cases to move them, nor did the owner of the suit cases take her own initiative and move.

As a last result the Jamaican lady suddenly lifts up her buggy into the air, still with her child seated, and rams the buggy in from above! Eventually it fits, awkwardly, but it fits!

After assessing the situation and whether she could adjust the buggy anymore the lady seems happy with it, gives the large white woman a kiss of her teeth and turns to the driver waving her hand

 'okay drivur, we can move now dearrr!'

So with that the 171 leaves, and the 12 arrives.