“People have to know their families are going to be safe…”
Our community has been enraged by an incident that happened on a city bus on Sunday, October 5th. According to an article in the Ottawa Citizen, a bus driver tried to restrict two women with their strollers from boarding the bus . The driver advised the women that only one stroller was allowed on the bus at a time. The mother, Sarah Pacey told the driver that there was no restriction on the number of strollers allowed on the bus (which the Ottawa Citizen described as being partially empty). While the mother argued with the driver that both women should be allowed the board the bus, Sarah Paceys 2-year old daughter boarded the bus. Then Sarah Pacey was trying board the bus with her stroller, but the bus driver closed the doors and drove away.
With her 2-year old on the bus.
The scene on the bus was described as passengers “screaming” at the bus driver to stop, who drove approximately 100 metres down the road. Sarah Pacey was chasing after the bus screaming for the bus to stop. After the bus stopped, a passenger helped the crying child off the bus to be reunited with her mother.
I relate to Sarah Pacey as a mother who is trying to protect her rights and that of her children. I applaud her courage from a direct quote from the Ottawa Citizen: “She said mothers have to know the company won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour, and that anything less than the driver’s dismissal is unacceptable.”
I do not know the facts around the argument with the driver, but I believe that the driver knew that that child was on the bus. I have called the OC Transpo in support of Sarah Pacey and ALL of our children.
October 7th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Great article. We must all stand up and speak out for all single mothers and fathers who use public tranportation. I see enough of them being passed by almost on a weekly basis here in ottawa. If this isn’t discrimination I don’t what is? What this driver did was disgusting. Furthermore, the Drivers union head is now reporting that he finds fault with the mother and that she wasn’t taking care of her kid. He must not be a parent, however I don’t have kids myself but I did think that the mother would have to have her two year old board the buses ahead of her and the stroller. I’m sure that’s when he closed the door.
Go Sarah GO - fight the fight we stand behind you!
October 7th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
From the Ottawa Citizen - — The union that represents OC Transpo workers has issued a statement defending a bus driver who refused to allow a mother and her stroller to board a bus this weekend, and inadvertently drove off with the mother’s oldest daughter on board. Click for more information: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=86872e0a-16e5-4d51-8ca7-7279f02b8345
I have reached out to Sarah Pacey for more details.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I don’t understand why OC Transpo would impose a limit of one stroller per bus. It seems odd to me that there is more place for bicycles on the front of the bus that there is for strollers in the bus. I realize strollers take up a lot of room, but come on, give me a break. What’s a single mom or dad to do if they need to use the bus. It’s as though the bus company does not want people with small babies on board. That’s discrimination, and it’s not acceptable. By the way, how exactly does the Union support the driver, ethically not technically, in driving off with Miss Pacey’s daughter?