Has anyone offered to give up their seat on public transport just for being a woman?

It would be nice if anyone would give up their seat for heavily pregnant women on the train or bus. Didn’t seem to happen much when I was pregnant.

IMO you can’t possibly call yourself a feminist if you would happily take a seat from a man who offered you it if you knew he was only offering you in based on your sex

What a silly statement.

Disagree. If a man wants to offer his seat, even if there isn't a significant difference in core strength and muscle mass in a specific case, let him. We know men and women have different norms here. No need to complicate it by deciding exactly what age / degree of discomfort / probability of pregnancy an offer should kick in.

So many people base their hatred of London and Londoners on one journey on the tube and feel it's genuinely acceptable to speak proudly that Londoners only think of number 1 or other judgemental prejudice. As you can see from this thread, people offering up their seat actually happens quite a bit and not everyone even wants it, so enough of the lazy judgement and stereotyping thanks.

I have noticed that men often seem more comfortable standing than women. My partner can do it for hours but my back and shoulders (for some reason) start hurting quite badly after a while. Maybe it is a centre of gravity thing as PP suggested.
I think that the days when women were automatically offered a seat every time are long gone, but I notice that on the train I often get offered a seat by men whereas my partner doesn't, and he's considerably older than me.

That is such a shame. There’s not a chance I’d be offended. I wouldn’t expect it but I wouldn’t get my proverbials in a twist if I was offered.

I think actually it is a hangover from when roads were filthy and horse drawn carriages would kick up lots of mud--the gentleman was protecting the lady's more elaborate dress!

It happened to me in London last week for the first time ever. I’m waiting to be prescribed HRT and was clearly about to combust into flames. I wasn’t offended at all, I don’t think the guy was thinking.. Weak little woman who can’t stand up, he clearly noticed how uncomfortable I was.

I never really thought about it at the time, but that's what was considered good manners. My own view is that being considerate, while making interactions with others as pleasant as possible, is what's important.

Yes, I’ve been offered a seat on the tube just for being a woman; under 40 (size 8-10 so obviously not pregnant).

Two middle aged men on the very crowded bus recently offered their seats to me and one other lady (both of us in our 70s). It was noticeable that two young men did not.

I offered my seat on the bus to an elderly man recently, he politely declined. I'm mid 40s. A few minutes later a young woman tapped his shoulder and offered and he politely declined again. A few stops later a young man noticed him and offered his seat and he immediately accepted gratefully. At first I was confused then I realised it was because he didn't want to take a seat from a woman. I don't think I've seen that before.

No but two fabulously curvy ladies in San Francisco allowed me to squeeze my massive English bum onto a tiny wooden bench next to them on a cable car. They were so kind and I felt guilty because we were like sardines but they insisted.

Perhaps its a good thing it is dying out given the recent study that showed boys who tended to be chivalrous would have a propensity to become sexist. It's not surprising when you think about it, they see chivalry as bestowing something on someone lesser rather than understanding that though women may be generally physically weaker, it doesn't make us less human and often we are the very backbone that holds families and societies together

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350535300/chivalrous-behaviour-from-boys-may-be-early-warning-sign-of-sexism-study-finds

I'm lucky if I get offered a seat on public transport as a disabled woman,never mind for just being a woman!

I’m in my early 50s and have spent all
my life using public transport in London and the South East. I have never been offered a seat by a man just because I am a woman. When heavily pregnant, builder-type men in work gear would give up their seats and I would be very grateful. Men in suits - rarely.

I think it comes down to perceived ability to stand safely. I am
just as capable as any bloke to stand on the tube/ train/ bus. I am
more than happy to offer my seat to someone who I think may need it more.

My DH will offer his seat to a woman who he thinks is a fair bit older than him - 60s+ and I would expect our teenage DS to do the same. But not just any woman because she is a woman.

I am far more likely to offer my seat to small children than another adult because I know how tricky it can be getting little ones to stand safely on public transport.

But back to the OP, if blokes are moaning about being expected to give up seats to women in public transport because they are women …those blokes be lying.

Yes to this. Although if I say to the guy no you have it he more often than not insists for me to have the seat.

On a number of occasions, men offered me a seat when I was in my 20s, but not the older women around me which made me suspicious of a lot of men’s motives. They would then try to strike up conversation and seemed to think it was some sort of free dating service.

Saying that, my son offered a woman a seat as she was carrying a heavy bags and a cat in a carrier and she was really shitty to him, asking if she thought he was weaker because she was a woman. With a mum like me, very much a feminist, he’s the last person to think women are weaker, he was just trying to be considerate and would have offered his seat to a bloke with heavy bags and a cat.

No wonder its difficult for people to find partners/lovers/friends these days if this the the kind of issues we have with someone being nice.

It must be so hard for people to just try to be nice or drum up a conversation with someone if this the the level of angst at being offered a seat. Is he calling me fat? Does he think i'm pregnant? Is he calling me needy? Is he hitting on me? Is he judging me?

Maybe he just wanted to make your day a little easier than it was 2 mins earlier.

I’d always offer a seat to the pregnant or elderly or those carrying children or struggling
Im perfectly capable of standing and it’s just a matter of showing kindness

I think it does put a long time ago - the only times I've been offered a seat in the past was when I was pregnant and once getting on a bus with a fresh plastered arm in a sling.

I know I'm getting old as I've been offered tube seats 'just because' a couple of times in the last year or so. I was slightly offended (hidden of course) but actually quite relieved to sit down as they were parts of longer out of London journeys home. I must have looked tired!

My husband does that now, he always walks next to the kerb. I think it’s nice to have respect and good manners.

What an odd thing to be offended by. My son is 21 and will offer his seat to older women or men, any one pregnant or disabled. I've even known him stand for a girl of a similar age. He takes after my Dad, who at 89 will still stand if a woman needs a seat.
I have been offered one quite often too. No need to be offended if someone else has been brought up with different manners to you - just a polite no thanks.

Posters moan about rude and entitled men on here all the time - yet one who is an old fashioned gent is also offensive?

I am surprised you have never heard of it or seen it anywhere. Do you not read books, watch TV, people watch?