Children having their own seat on a packed train.

Having a three stone deadweight on your lap is not comfortable.

I agree it will depend.

But you are only putting forward the pessimistic scenario.

It could well turn out that a tired three year old falls asleep and the two adults sit comfortably.

Also, the seated adult who have had to stand feels reassured that not everyone else in the world is behaving selfishly and only looking out for themselves.

How am I deeming myself more important than the 3 year old.

I agree it will depend.

But you are only putting forward the pessimistic scenario.

It could well turn out that a tired three year old falls asleep and the two adults sit comfortably.

Also, the seated adult who have had to stand feels reassured that not everyone else in the world is behaving selfishly and only looking out for themselves.

You seriously think most people act with total disregard for other people?

Even if most people do, do you think they should?

It will depend. On a short journey probably popping a toddler on your knee for 15 mins is fine for you, the toddler and whoever takes their seat

On a long journey you are looking at 1 person being uncomfortable standing vs 2 people (parent and toddler) being uncomfortable sitting, the person who takes the toddlers seat potentially being uncomfortable sitting next to them and quite possibly the whole carriage being less comfortable if the toddler gets upset about being confined (as some very much do) and gets distressed.

On the whole with long journeys it seems to me that even the compromise to make the most people comfortable overall is to leave the toddler in their seat 🤷🏼‍♀️

You're now adding caveats to the premise

A well-behaved, quiet three year old doesn't.

You're now adding caveats to the premise

A well-behaved, quiet three year old doesn't.

I actually think everyone is entitled to have a comfortable seat.

But that gets us nowhere.

Because there aren't enough seats for everyone to have a comfortable seat.

So what's the best compromise to bring about the most comfort as a whole?

You seriously think most people put strangers before their own family? This thread is getting more and more absurd.

Letting the three year old have a comfortable seat. An overtired upset three year old can certainly make life unpleasant for a whole carriage.

I actually think everyone is entitled to have a comfortable seat.

But that gets us nowhere.

Because there aren't enough seats for everyone to have a comfortable seat.

So what's the best compromise to bring about the most comfort as a whole?

That makes no sense.

I actually think everyone is entitled to have a comfortable seat.

But that gets us nowhere.

Because there aren't enough seats for everyone to have a comfortable seat.

So what's the best compromise to bring about the most comfort as a whole?

I am troubled that asking a small child to share a seat makes you uncomfortable.

Do you not see strangers as people?

You seriously think most people put strangers before their own family? This thread is getting more and more absurd.

I actually think a 3 year old is entitled to have a comfortable seat

I am troubled that asking a small child to share a seat makes you uncomfortable.

Do you not see strangers as people?

You would go out of the way to make your child potentially less comfortable to make a stranger more comfortable? Do you not see your child as a person?

Yes.

Of course they are able to stand.

But that's not really the point.

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's generally preferable to sit on a moving train, partly because it is more comfortable, especially over long distances, and partly because the movement of the train can make it more awkward to stand than it would be on solid ground.

(I believe the train companies are aware of this and that's why they have, for quite a long time now, put seats on trains.)

As a result, seats on trains can be quite a desired commodity. Even though, as you quite correctly have observed, grown humans are perfectly able to stand (unless they have a disability), most grown adults choose to sit down on the train when they can.

In those circumstances, and call me a snowflake if you like, I will try and do my best to make the journey more comfortable for my fellow grown humans. I will, for example, move my bag or coat off a seat so they can sit (even though they are, actually, perfectly able to stand).

And I will, if I have a 3 year old child with me, get them to sit on my lap. Even, yes, if they have paid for a ticket. Even though they are entitled to have a seat of their own. Yes, I will go out of my way to make someone else's day a little bit more comfortable even if it might make my own day a little bit less comfortable because that seems to me to be the sort of little act of kindness that makes the world a happier place.

But you do you.

Yes.

Of course they are able to stand.

But that's not really the point.

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's generally preferable to sit on a moving train, partly because it is more comfortable, especially over long distances, and partly because the movement of the train can make it more awkward to stand than it would be on solid ground.

(I believe the train companies are aware of this and that's why they have, for quite a long time now, put seats on trains.)

As a result, seats on trains can be quite a desired commodity. Even though, as you quite correctly have observed, grown humans are perfectly able to stand (unless they have a disability), most grown adults choose to sit down on the train when they can.

In those circumstances, and call me a snowflake if you like, I will try and do my best to make the journey more comfortable for my fellow grown humans. I will, for example, move my bag or coat off a seat so they can sit (even though they are, actually, perfectly able to stand).

And I will, if I have a 3 year old child with me, get them to sit on my lap. Even, yes, if they have paid for a ticket. Even though they are entitled to have a seat of their own. Yes, I will go out of my way to make someone else's day a little bit more comfortable even if it might make my own day a little bit less comfortable because that seems to me to be the sort of little act of kindness that makes the world a happier place.

But you do you.