OAP’s | Polythene Pram

Muminmeltdown” commented on my last post about mobility scooters being just as leathal as buggies, and of course she is right – and she must also be psychic because she must have predicted my next post.

My dear old dad has a mobility scooter (god help us all) to get him to the shops and to and from the pub for his occasional pint (or ten). He always makes us laugh as he rides along on it, as for some reason he wobbles from side to side like a deranged weeble (here’s me showing my age again). He also has no sense of danger and will speed out onto the road as if he has forgotten that the odd car might just happen to be passing that way… And yet it will be my Dad shaking his fist and muttering “drivers today…don’t know what they’re doing” when yet another car has had to swerve ridiculously around him..

And as for his parking…don’t even get me started on that – it’s dangerous even to watch.

But as it goes, he is not such a bad example…

I have seen several scooters running into pedestrians as if they were human bowling pins, I’ve seen them run over toddlers (yes really…) and one even hooted at my brother for daring to take too long to look at an item in a shop (yes some even come complete with bl***y horns on them)

Don’t get me wrong, these little motorised marvels have been a blessing for many frail or immobile individuals. But I can’t help thinking that some pensioners could do with taking a basic driving lesson before being let loose on the general public. Certainly a reminder of decent manners and common courtesy would not go amiss.

Get me – I sound like a proper grump…..Oh no, perhaps the metamophosis is beginning….

I have been reading about this new phenomenon of buggy rage which has hit our great nation. I mean Jesus, what has happened to our society where over 40 percent of mums have experienced an attack of some description while pushing buggies, mainly by OAPS and women (source NetMums)

Is there some kind of hate campaign being drawn up in the WI meetings or coffee meetings at the local church groups, where little grey haired folk decide they must seek revenge on anyone pushing a small, squealing body around. Did they not have children in the OLD DAYS? Or did they just never take their children out and never inflict the general public to the monstrosities that were prams in those days (those wheels could have had someone’s foot off).

I’ve had people cut me up on the pavement and then glare if I accidently catch their ankle (what the hell did they expect?). I have had other buggies shove me off the path. I have also witnessed “bus rage” where rows have developed over the lack of space in the b****y things (hmmm I can see “I hate buses Part 3″ developing). But luckily, so far, I have never been beaten up or screamed at for simply pushing my baby in the street.

I must admit, I do look forward to the day when my son’s chubby little legs are strong enough to carry him around most places and I can leave the pram behind – as I find the whole thing a damn nuisance and living in a place surrounded by hills I can feel my back crumbling by the second.

I also hate the “mum envy” that develops, as each woman looks over each other’s metal contraptions and makes an immediate comparison:

“Oh I was going to have that one – but I find this one so much more compact.” Or “that was our pram number two – we are actually on pram number 5 now!”

It seems these days the more you spend on a pram the better it is and the better your “cred” on the street. My cred can’t be worth much as I brought my prams on Ebay…

As for the rage that seems to be developing towards us pram pushers – I can only remain somewhat bemused. I just hope that when I’m old and wrinkled and wearing sensible shoes – I will remember what it was like to struggle along with a screaming baby in pram and will remain freindly and helpful at all times.

Alterantively if I am an evil old crone I hope I have dementia so I don’t know about it, otherwise I would turn in my own lonely grave..

Polythene Pram

A skint, frustrated mum of two with a deranged Dad and mentally unstable cat – making sense of the world.

Tag Archives: OAP’s

Scooter Rage – Another Evil?

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