Bus Passenger Rants After Kids Refused To Give Up Their Seat For An Elderly Woman

Aug 03, 2023 by apost team

Public transport passengers are no strangers to the unspoken rule of giving up their seats for those in need, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities. It is considered common courtesy to make way for these vulnerable passengers, ensuring their comfort and safety during their journey.

However, despite the widespread knowledge of this social norm, there are still instances where people fail to adhere to this code of conduct. One recent incident highlighted this unfortunate reality when a woman was taken aback while accompanying her elderly friend on a trip.

On that particular day, the woman and her elderly friend embarked on a bus trip, looking forward to a day at the seaside. The bus was crowded with families and young children as the day coincided with the first day of the school holidays. The elderly woman, in her late seventies, moved with a slower gait and struggled with maintaining balance, making her particularly in need of a seat.

As the bus filled up with passengers, the woman optimistically anticipated that a compassionate young person would offer a seat. To their disbelief, none of the children on the bus made any effort to vacate their seats for the elderly, and even more surprising was the lack of prompting from their parents.

Frustrated and disappointed by the situation, the woman vented her feelings on the online platform Mumsnet on July 2023.

“Many of the seats were occupied by children from toddlers to early teens and absolutely none of them offered her their seat and their parents neither told them to nor offered their own seats,” she wrote. She also raised the poignant question of whether the present generation genuinely believes that children should prioritize their comfort over extending a helping hand to those in greater need. 

Some argued that the adults must offer their seats first, as they are better equipped to maintain balance and ensure safety in a moving vehicle. They also pointed out that young children may not be capable of safely holding onto support straps or poles during the journey.

"Why didn’t you ask someone if they minded moving?" someone in the forum asked, and the woman replied that they did, and they were ignored.

"So, I asked a different mum with a toddler on the seat next to her if she'd mind putting the toddler in her lap so my friend could sit down. She did it, but with bad grace," the woman said.

Conversely, others shared the viewpoint of etiquette expert William Hanson, who said that children above 4 years old should always offer their seats to adults as a sign of respect and consideration. 

"The adult doesn’t need to accept the child’s offer, but this is an important way for children to learn that good manners are about other people - they are selfless, not selfish," Hanson wrote in the Daily Mail in 2017.  

However, Hanson's opinion was criticized on social media, calling his stance "a bit Victorian." 

"No they shouldn't if they are paying customers like us adults," a woman reacted. "I wouldn't make my kids move as they would have paid for a seat!!" 

Amid the ongoing discussion, another incident added further nuance to the topic when a mom found herself criticized for not compelling her 17-year-old son to give his seat to an elderly woman. The mother explained that her son was feeling dizzy and needed to sit due to a therapy appointment, per Mirror. Although some understood her concern, others deemed her action as "entitled” and questioned her decision not to prioritize the elderly woman's needs.

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The incident and the subsequent debates shed light on the complexities of public transport etiquette and the values instilled in younger generations. Where do you stand on this matter? Know someone with a similar experience? Then pass this story along as it might interest them!