Mum faces backlash after asking man in wheelchair to move so she could sit beside daughter on bus
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Featured Image Credit: Transport for London / Steven May / Alamy Stock Photo
A mum is facing backlash online after asking a man in a wheelchair to move so she could sit by her daughter on the bus.
The anonymous mum took to the 'AmItheA**hole' Reddit forum to explain the full goings on and whether they think she is in the wrong.
The woman, who did not specify her location, explained how she got on the bus and how there were very limited seats available.
However, she did say that there was one available next to a man who she believed to be 40 in a wheelchair.
On Reddit, she wrote: "I asked the person if they could move their wheelchair to another spot so that my daughter and I could sit together, but the person declined, saying that they needed the space for their mobility device.
"I was taken aback and frustrated by this response. I explained to them that my daughter was very young and needed to sit next to me for safety reasons, but they still refused to move.
"I ended up having to stand for the entire ride with my daughter in tow, which was uncomfortable and tiring for both of us."
After the incident the mum told a friend exactly what had happened on the bus, with the woman claiming that her friend told her that she was being 'insensitive and ableist'.
The friend apparently said that the wheelchair user had the right to use the space on the bus and that it was 'unfair' for her to request him to move.
As a result, the mum admits that she is now questioning whether she is in the wrong for asking the man to move and has asked the users on the Reddit forum for their opinion.
Well, it is fair to say that the vast majority of the 2,500 users that have commented on the post do think that the woman is in the wrong.
"It’s hard enough to get on the bus with a wheelchair, but the audacity to be asked to move is just wow," one person wrote.
A second added: "I'm so sorry your legs were tired from standing. Must be hard when the person in the wheelchair can sit the whole time."
A third remarked: "Just because you have a child doesn’t automatically give you priority over others. If the bus is too crowded, take a cab. Otherwise you’re going to have to deal with the downside of public transportation."
And a fourth wrote: "Your kid can sit on your lap or you can ask someone else to move."
