Children having their own seat on a packed train.

I’m so sorry, that’s really very sad for him and very hard for you and the rest of your family.

DD1’s tonic clonic seizure came right out of the blue on Christmas Day last year, whilst we were travelling on the motorway to visit relatives. It was very scary.

It sounds as though OP wasn't struggling to stand though, she just wanted a child's seat.

I do agree that it's about reading the situation and people can be terrible at it in 'real life' too because a lot of the time, it is really hard to tell. As I've said on previous comments, a man barked at my 10 year old to stand up so he could sit down and then rolled his eyes when I said that he can't and pointed to the folded up wheelchair and said it was my son's.

It's relevant because a lot of pps are banging on about 'able-bodied' adults seeming not to want to acknowledge that we can never know if someone is able-bodied or not.

Ergo, for someone of any age to offer someone a seat who may not be able-bodied even if they look it is a nice thing to do.

Where did I say I felt personally entitled to a seat? I didn't.

And re your second paragraph, no as it happens, it doesn't only go one way. You are quite right that it's not possible to tell who is able bodied and who isn't. The reason I know that is due to my own mobility issues that aren't always readily apparent. Some days I need a seat more, some days less, and on better days I will make a point of offering my seat if someone (adult or child) looks more in need of it than me. But the flip side of that is, yes, I do appreciate it if someone (adult or child) offers me their seat on a bad day when I am visibly struggling myself.

And if I was a parent and saw that someone else was struggling to stand while my child (assuming no disabilities or other issues etc) was occupying a seat, yes I would either give them my seat or ask my child to do so. Probably the latter tbh, due to my own difficulties with standing for any length of time.

It's all about nuance and reading the situation, which seem to have been somewhat lacking on this thread.

It's relevant because a lot of pps are banging on about 'able-bodied' adults seeming not to want to acknowledge that we can never know if someone is able-bodied or not.

Ergo, for someone of any age to offer someone a seat who may not be able-bodied even if they look it is a nice thing to do.

But you changed the issue to frame it about people who aren’t able to stand which isn’t in any way what the debate was about. I’m not sure why it was relevant.

Hang on a minute, let me just check where those claims were made...

Oh yes, that's right. Nowhere.

Hang on a minute, let me just check where those claims were made...

Oh yes, that's right. Nowhere.

Gosh, thanks for telling me what the thread is about, I had no idea.

Doesn't change my viewpoint and I've already made it abundantly clear.

This thread isn’t about offering a seat to someone less able to stand. Everyone agrees 100% that is the case.

this thread is about a packed train and a child has a seat. The OP was essentially complaining that the parent should have given up the child’s seat in order than an able bodied person should sit instead.

Where did I say I felt personally entitled to a seat? I didn't.

And re your second paragraph, no as it happens, it doesn't only go one way. You are quite right that it's not possible to tell who is able bodied and who isn't. The reason I know that is due to my own mobility issues that aren't always readily apparent. Some days I need a seat more, some days less, and on better days I will make a point of offering my seat if someone (adult or child) looks more in need of it than me. But the flip side of that is, yes, I do appreciate it if someone (adult or child) offers me their seat on a bad day when I am visibly struggling myself.

And if I was a parent and saw that someone else was struggling to stand while my child (assuming no disabilities or other issues etc) was occupying a seat, yes I would either give them my seat or ask my child to do so. Probably the latter tbh, due to my own difficulties with standing for any length of time.

It's all about nuance and reading the situation, which seem to have been somewhat lacking on this thread.

Because having a child is a choice and a major inconvenience to the rest of society apparently! Martyrdom of parents is expected didn’t you know?!

You also don't have any way of telling if the strangers seats you feel entitled to are currently occupied by someone who is able bodied, including the child.

Only seems to go one way funnily enough.

Why does a parent’s comfort matter less than that of another healthy adult?

It's not about 'penance' or 'reverence', nor anyone 'jumping' out of their seats, don't be absurd. But yes, it's reasonable to expect as a parent that you will have to make some sacrifices, including sacrificing your own comfort sometimes. And, as a pp pointed out, you don't have any way of telling if that 'able-bodied' stranger actually is able-bodied or not.

It can be, especially if they are rude about it. It's yet another reminder to my son about how much his life has changed.

It's recent for my son too. He had an illness 18 months ago and complications from that illness resulted in his disability.

It's not about 'penance' or 'reverence', nor anyone 'jumping' out of their seats, don't be absurd. But yes, it's reasonable to expect as a parent that you will have to make some sacrifices, including sacrificing your own comfort sometimes. And, as a pp pointed out, you don't have any way of telling if that 'able-bodied' stranger actually is able-bodied or not.

It's not about 'penance' or 'reverence', nor anyone 'jumping' out of their seats, don't be absurd. But yes, it's reasonable to expect as a parent that you will have to make some sacrifices, including sacrificing your own comfort sometimes. And, as a pp pointed out, you don't have any way of telling if that 'able-bodied' stranger actually is able-bodied or not.

Posters seem to parrot "but the child can sit on the parent's knee" over and over again. As if the parent's comfort doesn't matter in the least, because they have to do penance for the fact they had the termerity to have a child. As if the moment you have a child you have signed a contract to be a self-sacrificing mule so some able bodied stranger can feel comfortable. Again, I reiterate that I would move my child and have done so many times, But the the absolute entitlement of some adults who expect the kid to jump out of their seats out of reverence for the stranger no matter how tired the mother and child may be is fascinating.

Of course I get my children to give up a seat for an adult. It’s basic manners and no, I don’t think they’re just as entitled to a seat as adults. I also expect my teens to give up a seat for a person who looks like they need it more, just as I do. Manners cost nothing

Hmm, aren’t the adults expecting someone to move so they can have a seat the selfish ones?