A Singaporean mother has sparked discussion online after sharing her experience taking the bus alone with her baby.
In a TikTok video posted on Friday (6 March), content creator Jewels described the difficulty of getting her stroller onto the bus with her child, saying no one offered to help despite seeing her struggle.
Source: lryjewels on TikTok
In her video, Jewels explained that she does not own a car and usually travels with her baby using public transport.
She typically takes the MRT or books a private-hire ride, and only takes the bus occasionally.
According to Jewels, bus drivers generally do not come down to help parents carry strollers onto the bus.
Source: @lryjewels on TikTok
“I know that they will definitely help people in wheelchairs,” she added.
The mother said boarding the bus would likely be easier if she were not travelling alone.
However, she recently had to take the bus by herself with her baby while heading to a nearby location.
In response to queries by MS News, Jewels said she had been on her way to a nearby mall to have lunch with her baby.
She shared that her baby weighs around 12kg, making it difficult for her to carry both the child and the stroller onto the bus by herself.
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During the outing, she had to take two bus rides, meaning she had to lift the stroller on and off the bus four times.
She added that during the second trip, a young man standing nearby watched as she struggled to lift the stroller.
“He saw how I was struggling and didn’t offer to help at all,” she said.
On the way back, she also encountered a large gap between the bus and the bus stop.
“It was quite a huge leap for me to jump over or carry the stroller over, and I almost fell backwards,” she said.
Source: lryjewels on TikTok
She added that other passengers simply watched and did not check if she was okay.
Jewels also told MS News that she faces challenges when taking the train with her baby.
“We can only wait for the lifts at MRT stations to go to the platform level,” she said.
She added that waiting for lifts can take “super long” at stations with larger crowds.
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“There are a lot of people who really need to take the lift, like pregnant ladies, people with luggage or strollers, elderly people, and people on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs). But usually one lift can only fit one PMA and one stroller,” she explained.
She also said she sometimes feels discouraged when people who do not need the lift still use it. “I believe that the lifts should be given priority to people who really need it.”
Jewels added that train cabins may also lack enough space for families, noting that there are only a limited number of areas meant for strollers and wheelchairs.
“I’ve encountered a cabin with about seven or eight strollers before. The space was really insufficient, which made it more inconvenient for everyone.”
Despite her experience, the mother said she does not blame bus drivers for not helping.
“If he’s going to stop at every stop to help everyone with a stroller, the bus is going to be delayed like crazy,” she explained.
However, she felt the situation reflected a broader social issue.
“If you see a solo parent struggling, or any mother or father struggling to carry a stroller, maybe you can lend a helping hand,” she said.
I feel like the world would be a better place if everybody is a little bit kinder.
Source: @lryjewels on TikTok
That said, Jewels mentioned that she has also had positive experiences when taking public transport.
“There’s always a lot of helpful and kind Singaporeans around,” she said. “They’ll usually help me with the stroller or give up their seat on the train so I can sit down and hold onto the stroller in front of me.”
She hopes her experience will encourage more people to offer help when they see someone who may need it.
Her post drew many comments, with several parents saying they had experienced similar struggles carrying heavy strollers onto buses by themselves.
Some commenters also shared that they worry about being judged when they need to lift their strollers onto the bus alone.
Source: TikTok
One netizen said she places her baby in a carrier before boarding to make it easier to manage the stroller.
She also suggested alighting backwards, which makes it easier to pull the stroller down even with the baby inside.
Source: TikTok
Others suggested using the ramp typically meant for wheelchair users to board the bus, saying they use it to push their strollers up as well.
Source: TikTok
Also Read: Woman claims SBS bus driver closed door on her baby stroller, was unapologetic after
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Featured image adapted from @lryjewels on TikTok and TikTok.