Children having their own seat on a packed train.

Although other posts on this thread have made it clear that I am right in thinking that particular thing!

On the tube children travel free up to the age of 10. I don’t think it’s expected to sit a 10yr old on your lap.

No why does your request and want of a seat trump theirs....

If you want a guaranteed seat you either use a line which let's you reserve a seat or drive a car. A ticket is not a reserved seat as usually stated on your ticket.

How do you know he was 3 years old? Also some 3 year olds are heavy.

I always booked (and paid for) seats for my DC when they were under 5. Far more civilized. It often worked out cheaper overall because I could use friends&family discount on my own (adult) seat. If you really want a seat, you organise yourself and book one in advance.

I wouldn’t have let my 3 year old sit on their own seat on a packed train or bus. In fact, DS is now 9 and if we are on busy public transport he either stands or sits on my knee.

I don’t know if I would ask someone else to move their child though

Oh! Having re-read the OP, I am changing my answer.

The question was "would I ask a 3 year old to sit on an adult's lap."

My answer was to the imagined question "should a 3 year old sit on an adult's lap."

I wouldn't ask, but I would get a 3 year old I was travelling with to sit on my lap, yes.

Because the child got to the seat first! That's how finding a seat on a train works, unless you've reserved a particular seat.

No

A child of three is much less safe standing than a fit adult who can reach holds, and not so easily tired. An adult is also much less likely have have someone fall on top of them, A nonogenarian with advanced osteoporosis is clearly more vulnerable than both.

Yes.

Of course.

The correct thing to do in a crowded train should be to get as many people as possible to travel as comfortably as possible.

It's much, much better for the average child to sit on the average adult's lap comfortably than to leave someone standing on a train for a long period of time.

I wouldn't.

This is a reason why I hate public transport. I recently got on an incredibly busy train in the summer holidays to the point my son's wheelchair had to be folded as his was the 3rd wheelchair to get on and DH carried him to an available seat.

The train got busier and someone asked my son to stand up and had the audacity to roll his eyes when I quickly jumped in and pointed out that the folded up wheelchair belongs to my son and he's unable to stand. There was no way I was moving him to sit on my knee making us both uncomfortable but even more so after how rude he was about my son's mobility issues.

Will always travel by car now, it's completely put me off.

Of course not.

I wouldn't ask someone to move unless I had booked a specific seat. I think the "rules" are that children travel free and are entitled to a seat if no-one else who has paid to travel actually needs it though, here in Scotland at least.

I wouldn't stand to offer a seat to a child either unless it was eg mum with little one who she could bring onto her lap.

You thinking something doesn't make it so.

I would be interested to know if there is any evidence for this new idea that it is far more dangerous for children to stand.
In some situations it’s more difficult because they can’t reach the strap or handle they’re meant to hold on by, but generally they have less far to fall, are more stable because they are shorter and are likely to recover much quicker from any minor injuries than an elderly person.

Ah, fair enough. I just checked the situation here in NI and it’s exactly the same. It’s kind of irrelevant to me in that I would always have sat my child on my knee if an adult was standing, but interesting to know there are actual rules about it.

Same

We perhaps have more respect for Kinder nowadays.

According to the railway rules quoted above ONLY if the seat is not required by a fare paying passenger

I did used to book a seat for DC on long journeys when they were under 5.

Most train companies allow under 5's to travel free, with the expectation that in busy times they sit on their parents lap.

My kids and I usually squish into a row of 2, so putting the little one on my lap wouldn't make a difference. I don't make them move for other passengers unless they look vulnerable/like they need a seat. If an older or otherwise vulnerable adult comes on the bus or train, I will stand myself and make my kids sit cross-legged on the floor.

If I had a half hour journey then I might put my three year old on my lap. If I was travelling for eight hours with a three year old then absolutely not. And bear in mind if we are leaving London in rush hour we might well already be six hours into our journey as London is a significant change point. I would very unimpressed if someone who was travelling just half an hour up the line told me to put my exhausted three year old on my lap during a long journey.

I think on a busy commuter train the child should go on a lap - unless there’s a good reason they can’t which you wouldn’t know by just looking.

I wouldn’t ask them to put the child on their lap because you don’t know if the parent does have a medical reason etc why they can’t be sat on.