Daily Lessons from Life 12 July 2013 - Driver was only following safety rules: SBS

"Driver was only following safety rules: SBS - AsiaOne Jul 10, 2013 SINGAPORE - A bus driver who allegedly forced a couple to fold up a stroller before he would drive off was just following safety rules, SBS Transit said Wednesday. According to Stomp, the mother got into an argument with the bus driver when he refused to drive the bus if she did not fold up the baby stroller. As her destination was only 2 bus stops away and her baby was fast asleep inside, her husband carried the stroller with the baby sleeping inside. The transport service provider said in a statement that passenger safety is of paramount importance and that there are safety policies in place for passengers travelling with young children. "For parents who travel alone with their young children, our bus captains are trained to assist in folding their prams /strollers should they request for help."" I find this story quite amusing. Not just the story itself but many contributors to the AsiaOne Forum suggesting that and that alternative and this and that 'reasons' why the mother is wrong or the bus driver is wrong! Lessons for me are: 1. I witnessed in London recently, the bus has enough space for mother with baby stroller and there is NO need to fold the stroller up. It makes a lot of sense especially when the baby is sound asleep. There was no fuss about the whole thing. In fact, the only fuss was when another mother with stroller expressed displeasure that the other mother with stroller did not try to make room for BOTH strollers to be 'parked' side by side!; 2. there seems to be no rush on the part of the bus driver. Slow and steady it goes. We got to our destination safely. No issue at all. Perhaps the critics will say: this is why the London bus companies do not make profit?! I don't know; 3. who is right to insist on 'folding the stroller' when they will be there for 2 bus stops only? Of course, IF there is NO INCIDENT or ACCIDENT, everyone is happy. What if there was an accident and the baby got injured from being thrown out of the stroller or the stroller got thrown around and injured other commuters? Will there be a fair trial or the bus driver will get the 'you did not follow company's regulation and you are at fault'. Also, the SMART lawyers for the mother will sue the bus driver and the bus company for NOT following the safety rules of 'getting the baby out of the stroller and fold the stroller up'! How ironical that will be. So, it is a matter of the bus driver taking his initiative and bear the risk too. How would the bus company treat him? If the bus driver will be penalised heavily by the Company, it will be unfair for the mother to take it out on him. Go on. Try the London's way. Go on, try to take some risk. Go on, let the bus driver know that if he takes initiative and reasonable risk, the Company will still back him up. Go on, declare that you will not sue the bus driver and bus company if something bad happened to your sleeping child in the stroller due to an emergency break or what not.