Thursday 12 August 2010

Looks Like You Boobed, Love…

The ‘Mail’ had a story yesterday about a ‘young mum’ thrown off a bus for breastfeeding her infant. Outrage ensued, with the commenters equally divided between the ‘I really don’t need to see it on my morning commute’ and the ‘it’s natural, get over yourselves!’’ factions. The bus company initially issued a press release deploring the behaviour of the bus driver.

Sadly, it seems Andy Warhol was right, and some people will do anything for their 15 minutes of fame. Later that evening, the story changed:
Doubts were raised tonight over the story of a young mother who claimed she was ordered off a bus by the driver for breastfeeding her six-week-old son.

Lauren McKenna, 22, said she was forced to walk a mile home with son D'Marion (Ed: Yes, really…) after being told to 'put them away or get off' as she nursed the infant.

But service operator Stagecoach said CCTV and sound recordings showed that no such exchange took place and robustly defended its staff member.
Oh, yeah! The CCTV that’s plastered all over buses these days! Didn’t count on that, did you, sweetie? Whoops!

And what does this brains trust do for a living, if anything?
Yesterday nursing student Miss McKenna, of Beswick, Manchester, who is planning legal action, told of her alleged public embarrassment.
Double whoops! Let’s hope that nursing career is now as much history as her planned compo claim…

Mind you, she’s not the only one blushing. The ‘Daily Express’ and ‘Metro’ both carried the original story this morning, unaware it had changed…

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well I did it, on a train about twenty years ago. I had a baby blanket over my shoulder. No-one saw anything. A non-event.

I do hope that this story is true. It does seem that we are jumping to conclusions here. Maybe the sound quality didn't pick something up?

I don't know. The benefit of the doubt would be nice.

Mike said...

they only come out at night, mostly

Anonymous said...

I couldn't get past the little brown baby's bloody name! It won't have much of a chance in life if the mother is anything to go by as it is. D'Marion? I wonder if 'daddy' is around? Silly question really, if he was he'd be there posing for a picture entitled 'Angry Parents upset at bus driver' playing the race and victim cards for all they're worth!

Ross said...

Anon makes a good point, there isn't actually any need for anyone to even see anything when breastfeeding in public is there?

Mike said...

considering the appropriateness of feeding habits I wonder how the Pakistani Muslims affected by flooding are getting on with Ramadan. Is it appropriate to offer food aid to a starving displaced Muslim during the daylight hours of Ramadan?
I can’t understand why anyone would attempt to breast feed a baby on a moving bus. It can’t exactly be a life or death consideration for a journey that can only last upto a few minutes and would probably pose more difficulty attaching the child to the dispenser effectively. I for one would be less concerned with being witness to an attempt than being sprayed with milk and having to listen to the increasing volume of a frustrated baby that the responsible parent should have learned to pacify before thrusting themselves on me.

Woman on a Raft said...

That's strange. It's not the first time a similar story has happened.

Exactly the same course in the (pun alert) Bristol story, too. Amy Wootten

RAB said...

I knew there was something fishy about that story, and I only read the headline.

The first thought that occured to me was " I will certainly feel safe travelling with that driver, he appears to have eyes in the back of his head!"

But when I got to the "Put THEM away" part, a Pete and Dud like voice went off in my head saying "Funny? Funny? What kind of greedy little monster has she got that can handle both at the same time?"

It looks like pure bullshit to me, but hey it is August!

English Viking said...

Anon @ 08:32

You burgled my house this morning. Unfortunately, the CCTV didn't pick it up, but you'll be pleased to know that the Old Bill are going to give me the benefit of the doubt and you are to arrested and sacked from your job.

A prime example of why universal suffrage is a wickedness.

JuliaM said...

"It does seem that we are jumping to conclusions here...I don't know. The benefit of the doubt would be nice."

The jumping to conclusions bit happened when the story was reported, and everyone believed her. That's when she was given the benefit of the doubt, because who'd lie about it?

"I couldn't get past the little brown baby's bloody name! It won't have much of a chance in life if the mother is anything to go by as it is."

Yes, I had to read it a few times myself! There was another story that day with two similar unbelievable chav names, but I can't remember where I saw it now, or even what it was...

"I can’t understand why anyone would attempt to breast feed a baby on a moving bus. It can’t exactly be a life or death consideration for a journey that can only last upto a few minutes..."

Indeed!

"That's strange. It's not the first time a similar story has happened."

Good find! I wonder what prompts this? She's sticking to her story, and now claims she wants to see the tapes herself...

"But when I got to the "Put THEM away" part, a Pete and Dud like voice went off in my head saying "Funny? Funny? What kind of greedy little monster has she got that can handle both at the same time?""

Quite. As anon and Ross point out, there's no need for anyone to be even aware of it...