Garda called over crying child on bus

Lepidoptera

foggy_lad wrote: »

The mother was sitting down the whole time!

She was sitting in the fold up seat that faces backward. This is the least stable seating in the bus. Facing backwards means that you will not be able to see when stops or traffic lights or turns are approaching. The seat is small and folds up, so that combined with facing backwards means that you have to brace yourself continually against the bus' movement to stay seated. It is not a comfortable or very safe seat, but it is one that parents generally use because that is where there is space to put a pram. I can understand why a mother would feel uncomfortable sitting there with a baby in her lap. While it is common to see parents sitting in that seat with their pram, it is not very common to see them with their baby in their lap on that seat.

There is a lot of jumping to fast conclusions in this thread. Things like the mother was ignoring her child just because she did not remove her child from the pram or fuss over him. However, she is clearly rocking the pram back and forth and a couple of times makes shushing noises/gestures to the baby. There is a middle ground between the extremes of "neglect" and "making an obvious fuss over the child".

I can understand that it must be difficult to drive a bus under those circumstances. This must have been a miserable bus journey for all involved, but I don't think the bus driver's actions improved the situation. Calling the guards is a very odd choice. He could have asked them to get off at one of the earlier stops if he felt he flat out couldn't drive any more, though even that seems a bit extreme. I don't really see why it had to go from "tell the woman how to comfort her child ---> call guards". A lot worse happens on Dublin buses and they don't get called, but that was the choice he made. Of course someone is going to be defensive when the guards are called out on them and they are publicly escorted off a bus as if they were behaving in a criminal fashion when they have technically done nothing wrong. The involvement of the guards escalated the situation.

Mostly, though, I think the oddest choice of all was from whomever decided to film and post it, complete with some obvious exaggerations to fuel the polarisation.

JBTM

She should have left the pram behind her at the bus stop, sure the government would have sorted her out with another.

Karl Stein

JBTM wrote: »

She should have left the pram behind her at the bus stop, sure the government would have sorted her out with another.

Lol. Shure there are so many prams left parked around bus stops these days they're used like an informal bike sharing scheme.

Anyway, you'll get a brand new Fiat Punto off the dole if you can prove you need it. I wouldn't be surprised if abandoned Fiat Puntos replace abandoned buggies as the next great welfare scandal.

Gatling

The excuses just keep getting worse maybe its the fact it's 3:30 am so why not its all the seats fault

anncoates

Gatling wrote: »

The excuses just keep getting worse maybe its the fact it's 3:30 am so why not its all the seats fault

Attachment parent alert.

Grab All Association

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

The creep who filmed this on his phone makes me very happy that I don't use buses anymore.

It was a woman who recorded it. 5:09 handbag on her lap. Apologize to the men here please thanks

Gatling

anncoates wrote: »

Dettached parent alert.

Should be the thread title

JBTM

Chris___ wrote: »

It was a woman who recorded it. 5:09 handbag on her lap. Apologize to the men here please thanks

+1. Her name is on the user account the video was uploaded on to YouTube with.

APOLOGIZE!!!!!

B.A._Baracus

anncoates wrote: »

Attachment parent alert.

Ann,
It's said that the general boards.ie demographic is 18-25. So I guess that explains alot.

You are a mother right? and I am a bloke pushing 30. So perhaps, and I know people will quote me on this one posting all sorts of crap :rolleyes:, but perhaps our mentality is in the minority on this one, if you get me.

JBTM

Charlie Rock wrote: »

Lol. Shure there are so many prams left parked around bus stops these days they're used like an informal bike sharing scheme.

Anyway, you'll get a brand new Fiat Punto off the dole if you can prove you need it. I wouldn't be surprised if abandoned Fiat Puntos replace abandoned buggies as the next great welfare scandal.

Sure I'll give it a go. Seems like it's worth a PUNT anyway

JBTM

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Ann,
It's said that the general boards.ie demographic is 18-25. So I guess that explains alot.

You are a mother right? and I am a bloke pushing 30. So perhaps, and I know people will quote me on this one posting all sorts of crap :rolleyes:, but perhaps our mentality is in the minority on this one, if you get me.

Just grow some balls and ask her out

Karl Stein

Ann is a happily married woman. Leave her alone you brutes.

JBTM

Sorry Ann x

Lepidoptera

Gatling wrote: »

The excuses just keep getting worse maybe its the fact it's 3:30 am so why not its all the seats fault

People on forums certainly do love to jump straight for the black and white extremes. I guess it does make life simpler.

I was replying to someone's comment and providing a further explanation to another poster's comment on why some parents may not feel comfortable sitting with a baby in their lap in that seat, clearly not claiming that the entire situation was "the seat's fault". People are responsible for their own actions, but their environment factors into the decisions they make. You can seek to understand some of the possible reasoning behind the choices people make before judging them for those choices.

I posted about a variety of issues, but you chose to ignore that and take one concept, strip it of its real content, take it to a ludicrous extreme that was never claimed, and then use your new construct - now devoid of its original meaning - as a point of argumentative mockery.

LizT

Mod
Threads merged.
Let's keep it civil

itac

Killer Wench wrote: »

Should there be a poll? Is allowing a baby to cry for 20 minutes or more considered neglectful?

Depends on the child, sometimes no matter how hard you try, they will not be comforted. I was looking after my niece in a hotel room once when she was 8/9mths old. She bawled non-stop for over 30mins ( i know this because she started crying just a few mins before a footy match started on the tv and didn't stop til the 28th min!)

No matter what i tried, rocking her, carrying her walking round the room, attempts to keep her soother in her mouth, bonjela type stuff for her teeth, toys on the bed, putting on kids dvds on a small wee dvd player, rocking her in her pram, tucking her up in cot.....i was genuinely starting to think she was either in extreme pain or the reincarnation of Damien from The Omen.

I could barely concentrate on how/what i could to distract her next because of her ear-splitting soul-destroying screams....i can understand how the bus driver lost it and might not have thought of any other way to get them off the bus-it's not like he can just pop out of his seat for a chat with her whilst driving....And if the kid's mother was on one of those foldup seats and was trying to take her out of the pram, then she'd want to have been a practised commuter who can anticipate when the bus is suddenly gonna speed up/slam on the breaks, and throw you from one side of the bus to the other instantly. I don't envy either driver nor the mother.

And i don't understand why someone would film it all either....


TL:DR? Crying babies can turn your brain to mush when driving, being a mother with a crying baby on public transport is hellish and i don't understand why folk film & post these videos...

Gummy Panda

I blame Sinead O'Connor

It's very very clear if you actually watch the video that the mother is continually rocking the child back and forth and you can hear her saying shhhh shhhh to him, there is also one point in the video where rubs his face while saying shhhh.

To say the child is being completely ignored for 50 minutes, when you can clearly see in the 8 minute video that she is trying to sooth him by rocking his buggy back and forth constantly, is ludicrous.

JBTM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's very very clear if you actually watch the video that the mother is continually rocking the child back and forth and you can hear her saying shhhh shhhh to him, there is also one point in the video where rubs his face while saying shhhh.

To say the child is being completely ignored for 50 minutes, when you can clearly see in the 8 minute video that she is trying to sooth him by rocking his buggy back and forth constantly, is ludicrous.

Thanked and +1'd Whoopsa!

Well said 'doodles! It's important to keep an open mind in situations like these. There are two sides to every story and both sides of the story shall be heard. Fair play to you 'doodles, on the ball despite the early hour.

valknut

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's very very clear if you actually watch the video that the mother is continually rocking the child back and forth and you can hear her saying shhhh shhhh to him, there is also one point in the video where rubs his face while saying shhhh.

To say the child is being completely ignored for 50 minutes, when you can clearly see in the 8 minute video that she is trying to sooth him by rocking his buggy back and forth constantly, is ludicrous.

Halfheartedly rocking the child really isn't tending to its needs now is it.

Id wager if this woman was white the same people defending the African lady would class her Jeremy Kyle material and say social services should get involved. Different standards I suppose.

Saying that its stupid this video even seen the light of day, but with cameras on phones YouTube and social media, it ain't a surprise.

aob85

fussyonion wrote: »

Surprised not to have seen a thread on this today..

The Gardai were called to the number 66 bus to deal with a mother whose child had been screaming crying for fifteen minutes.
The driver called the Gardai as he had enough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGolYIl_Cgc

Was the driver right to call the Gardai? Or is this something petty?

I feel like Adrian Kennedy now

That link doesnt work anymore, here you go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXdDv7LUgqg

aob85

Lepidoptera wrote: »

Except that the 66 takes around 50 minutes to get from city centre all the way to its terminus in Maynooth (unless there has been a serious accident during rush hour or something). Lucan village is around the midway point. It takes about 25 minutes from city centre. So yes, I'm guessing there is some exaggeration going on here, but that isn't really surprising coming from someone who decides to film and post in so many places about this.

Having to deal with crying children in public spaces is a common occurrence. Most people get on with their life. Some decide to film it because...shaming people is fun?

I feel sorry for the people - the women with the baby and the other passengers and the guard - who were filmed without their consent just so someone could get a little vindictive pleasure for having their commute disturbed instead of just moving on with their day. I recognise that there is nothing stopping people from filming things like this and posting them online, but it's still in poor taste. I'm glad that I wasn't on that bus, and my reasons have nothing to do with the crying baby.

I was on the bus, i witnessed the incident. the bus driver kept pulling over asking her to get off/or calm the baby down. They kept telling him they were one stop away or to mind his own business... so believe me. it took 50 mins to get to lucan garda station.

aob85

aob85 wrote: »

I was on the bus, i witnessed the incident. the bus driver kept pulling over asking her to get off/or calm the baby down. They kept telling him they were one stop away or to mind his own business... so believe me. it took 50 mins to get to lucan garda station.

Is it your video?

aob85

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it your video?

no not my vid, found it on youtube tho so posted it here

Hootanany

Khannie wrote: »

I don't quite understand. Can you elaborate on that?

Well can you tell is she employed or hand out for her entitlements .

KwackerJack

From what I seen and heard the baby was being ignored full stop. He was right to call the Guards as some people don't have the brains to be parents.

You need a license for a dog and a tv yet the government would let any brain dead half wit have an innocent baby!

Doc Ruby

Deleted User wrote: »

It's very very clear if you actually watch the video that the mother is continually rocking the child back and forth and you can hear her saying shhhh shhhh to him, there is also one point in the video where rubs his face while saying shhhh.

To say the child is being completely ignored for 50 minutes, when you can clearly see in the 8 minute video that she is trying to sooth him by rocking his buggy back and forth constantly, is ludicrous.

Yeah the bus driver was bang out of order here and should be sanctioned for wasting garda time, especially since the guards pretty much have to respond to a call from a public transport operator, they can't ignore it like a cranky neighbour. Sometimes kids cry, that's life.

valknut

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Yeah the bus driver was bang out of order here and should be sanctioned for wasting garda time, especially since the guards pretty much have to respond to a call from a public transport operator, they can't ignore it like a cranky neighbour. Sometimes kids cry, that's life.

If the bus driver told a group of people to stop drinking and they ignored him he would be dead right to call the guards.

If the bus driver asked her to calm her child down a few times and she ignored he might be concerned about the child and other passengers being uncomfortable. In that case, he was fully justified calling the guards.

I'll bet if this was a white mother with a North Dublin accent the same people defending the African lady would be calling for her head thinking the guards should check the babys buggy out for heroin etc.. Different standards for certain people.

TwoShedsJackson

valknut wrote: »

If the bus driver told a group of people to stop drinking and they ignored him he would be dead right to call the guards.

If the bus driver asked her to calm her child down a few times and she ignored he might be concerned about the child and other passengers being uncomfortable. In that case, he was fully justified calling the guards.

I'll bet if this was a white mother with a North Dublin accent the same people defending the African lady would be calling for her head thinking the guards should check the babys buggy out for heroin etc.. Different standards for certain people.

I'm sure she would take the heroin out of the buggy before leaving it at the bus stop because the HSE will buy her another one, before getting into the free car the government gave her and driving home to the free house she got.

Doc Ruby

valknut wrote: »

If the bus driver asked her to calm her child down a few times and she ignored he might be concerned about the child and other passengers being uncomfortable. In that case, he was fully justified calling the guards.

Sometimes kids just won't calm down. It's a fact of life. For all we know the bus driver was nursing a hangover and that's why he overreacted.

valknut wrote: »

I'll bet if this was a white mother with a North Dublin accent the same people defending the African lady would be calling for her head thinking the guards should check the babys buggy out for heroin etc.. Different standards for certain people.

Are you kidding, any women with north Dublin accents should have their handbags regularly checked for heroin.*


*except Imelda May**
**no, her too