I am a man with a pram. And I bloody well deserve respect

What the hell is wrong with my fellow man when it comes to the way they treat a father with a pram? Does being a bloke pushing a stroller mean you get less courtesy than a woman?

What the hell is wrong with my fellow man when it comes to the way they treat a father with a pram? (Pic: What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What the hell is wrong with my fellow man when it comes to giving a fellow bro a break in the bloody pram stakes?

Seriously, I am almost shaking with rage, disgust and contempt for the total and utter lack of courtesy or consideration I’ve experienced in the last few weeks.

Our one-year-old son is temporarily visiting a childcare centre which is horribly out of our way until a place opens up at the place we really want him to go to. The journey to and from his temporary daily home involves a trek to the train station, numerous lifts, and battling peak hour in the city.

I should stress at this point that we are car-less as a family and neither do we have grandparents handily placed to help. I appreciate we are not unique in that sense. But I do wonder if there are other train-reliant dads who also have to put up with such utter crapness from blokes.

Three times last week I boarded a train, intending to sit in the middle section (neither up nor down). You know, the bit where SOMEONE WITH A PRAM might need to sit. Three times I boarded and on each occasion the seats were all occupied (or at least the vast majority) by men. No worries, someone will get up for me and let me sit down with the pram. But, no. Not a bit of it.

I couldn’t believe it. Not one of the miserable sods even acknowledged our presence. I suppose I could have said “would somebody mind giving up their seat” but why should I? I simply stood there for the journey shaking my head in disbelief. Then, at the other end two blokes (men again) tried pushing on as I’m trying to reverse the pram off the train.

When my rage had subsided, it got me thinking. Does being a bloke with a pram mean you get less consideration and courtesy than a woman pushing a pram?

Unless you’re David Beckham pushing a pram, chances are blokes will give you little respect. (Pic: Splash)

Women, on the other hand, have been more than willing to give up a seat for bub and me. Something I am always quick to acknowledge and my son usually rewards them with a flash of his blue eyes and a beaming smile.

I conducted a little straw poll with some fellow male colleagues and several (that’s more than one) admitted they were less likely to give up a seat to a bloke. It was tougher extracting specific reasons why. It was a general “yeah, well, you know”.

Not really, no. What difference does it make who is pushing the pram? At least they were honest about it, I guess.

Still on the issue of rail travel and prams, and this is probably something women experience as much as blokes, what the hell is it with the wide gate and idiot commuters?

Again, I am standing there with a pram. I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO USE THAT GATE. Get it???? Clearly not.

No, as I tap my Opal card and the gate swings open, you selfish types waltz through from the other direction without so much as a glance — sometimes bumping my pram in the process.

Men not respecting a man with a pram ... as Victor Meldrew would say: “I don’t belieeeeeeve it”. (Pic: One Foot in the Grave)

The classic was a couple of weeks ago. Bloke ignores the fact I’m standing there, pushes through without paying, and then flicks a V-sign to a member of Railcorp staff on duty for good measure.

I turned to said staff member and yelled “what the hell is wrong with people?” He simply shook his head. He had clearly long since lost the ability to fathom the workings of a minority of grubs and fools riding our railways.

Any British readers will probably think this is turning into an episode of the comedy One Foot In The Grave, but I am happy to channel my inner Victor Meldrew on this occasion.

“I don’t belieeeeeeve it” is an entirely appropriate catchphrase.

Raise your game, gentlemen. Give a fellow bro (and his son) a break.

Jon Ritson is a News Producer on The Daily Telegraph