Buggy-Gate, Chapter 4

Oh joy, I have another chapter to add to the saga that has been double buggy-gate. So, to update those who haven't avidly reading about my drama with buying a double buggy (what's wrong with you, it makes for thrilling reading!) we started with a Bugaboo Chameleon, then we bought the Bugaboo Donkey as a double, firstly loved it, then found it had a few problems which we didn't like, changed it for a Phil and Teds and today have had serious drama with the P&T.


This morning, I received a lovely email from a friend recommending an amazing beauty product. I obviously, put Fifi in the buggy (Phil and Teds explorer, in case you have lost the thread!), and hot footed it to Boots, faster than Usain Bolt out of the starting blocks. However, at the furthest point from home, the buggy started swerving weirdly and juddering. I thought I might have got something stuck in the wheel at the front, but alas, the entire rubber part of the wheel (the bit you put air in) had separated itself from the wheel rim and was flapping around causing the entire buggy to become really unstable. I struggled to steer it home, so had to basically drag it, with Fifi wanting to wander off at every opportunity (yes, I was that mother who shouts very unnecessarily at her child in public this morning). After 45 minutes, we made it home, and loaded it into the car and headed off to Peter Jones. After srtuggling with horrendous traffic and a serious lack of parking spaces, we got ourselves parked, and did another 30 minute 'drag and hang-on to the child' walk to the third floor of Peter Jones. 


On arrival to the, oh so familiar buggy section, I went up to the first person I saw and told her the problem. Rather curtly she looked at it and ask me if I had inflated the tyres in a petrol station (do people do that?). I said no, and tried to explain that I'd used a hand pump and only done a few pumps (pregnant and lazy). She looked at me as if I was fibbing, and told me that I must have overinflated it, and it was my fault that it had broken and she didn't think there was anything she could do about it. 


At this point, I burst into tears. I am not proud of this, and hate crying in public, mainly as I find it hard to stop and go very red and blotchy, but I was exhausted from carrying the stupid pushchair all over west London, it was Fifi's nap time, so she was getting grumpy, and I just wanted someone to be nice to me. Sadly, Peter Jones was not forthcoming on that front. Luckily, a lovely lady with a baby and toddler came to my rescue, with kind words and the offer of chocolate and sympathy, both much needed and appreciated. 


The Peter Jones staff continued to be less than helpful, talking about me as if I wasn't there whilst standing next to them, and not answer my questions (such as 'what constitutes over-inflated?', or 'is this covered by the warranty?', how silly was I to expect an answer to such difficult questions!?). 


Anyway, to end the story, and hopefully the tome that is buggy-gate, I conceded that Mr. G must have been rather vigorous in his pumping (of the wheels, get your minds out of the gutter), and that is was my fault entirely, in a desperate attempt to get some sympathy. It worked, and the assistant reluctantly gave me a new wheel, and a long lecture in how to pump a wheel. Lesson learned.


So, be warned, do not over pump the wheels of a Phil and Teds Explorer. They should be firm, but able to be indented with your finger (why couldn't this have been put in the instructions?). Any firmer and you can expect to have lots of drama and tears, and need to eat a stranger's chocolate by the shed load. Also, its worth mentioning that the lovely chocolate bearer had suffered the exact same problem with her Phil and Teds, but while transporting a toddler and new born. 

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