To let my daughter have a seat?

Yes, that's what we were explicitly taught, at home and at school. It was being polite and respectful to elders, we were told.
Times have changed of course, but I suspect on a crowded carriage, a small child could go on a lap, but clearly not in this instance.

Nope not unreasonable.
I would have stood if a pregnant lady, elderly or someone on crutches and kept a child on the seat. But not for a perfectly capable adult!

So you think you are right so why would it matter what we say if we say you have a bad attitude would this be ok?

Also - I have a disability and I have chosen to stand and let my young child have my seat in the past. It's safer for them to not be standing in the gangway being barged past, knocked into by backpacks and suitcases, coffee spilt on them etc. If they really needed to stand I would be right next to them blocking all that or at least helping, I wouldn't make my child stand if I was sitting.

If it was a pensioner then I think he has a case, as a man in his mid 20's probably an incel.

I don’t remember ever being taught to give up my seat for an adult. Is this what some people were taught as kids? These days adults are more likely to give up their seat for a child

Er he was being a dick OP, I’ve seen adults fall on buses when standing etc, I doubt he was disabled because he would have requested the seat nicely not just shouting randomly. If there are elderly, disabled people or pregnant women then yes they would take priority, but a twenty something man? Piss off

If he was such a grump about it I might have stood up and said ‘you obviously need this seat more than me’ and hopefully he would be embarrassed. A five year old kid is just as entitled to a seat as an able bodied 20 something.

His argument that he should sit and a 5 yo should stand is ridiculous. She got the seat first. However if the train was packed, like other posters have said, I’d have put her on my lap..but maybe you had lots of bags on your lap or something. In which case, the child should have the seat. People on the tube often get up to offer my 5 yo a seat. If he’d asked politely if I could put her on my lap I would but if he was rude about it & started mouthing off there’s no way she’d be moving for him. What did he say exactly?

Yeah he was an arsehole, I don't think you should have to put up with a man intimidatimg you and your child.

Regardless of whether your child could have sat on your lap, I don't understand why the man felt his needs were more than your child's (reading your post). Then when he didn't get his way he became vocal. That's a more pressing issue then whether your daughter should have sat on your knee.

That's what we were always told as children, to give up our seats for an adult. Perhaps that's his experience. No need for him to be rude, though.

Yes - the OP drip fed there was a reason she couldn’t do this 🙄

I think these situations are sometimes nuanced, there are all sorts of reasons why someone should/shouldn't sit in different circumstances (as have already been mentioned - disabilities, space issues etc). But an able-bodied twentysomething male is usually bottom of the pecking order imo 😂

I travel on public transport a lot, and for many years and have never witnessed small children "flying around".
They're usually on seats or on carer's laps.

What a big man, picking on a small girl child.

Probably when he was a child he was made to stand for adults, but he's misremembering it. Children might have been made to stand for pregnant women and the elderly, not young men.

Unless I suppose he had a hidden disability in which case he needed to use his words and maybe ask someone his age to give up his seat.

I'm surprised at people suggesting she goes on your lap unless it was a very short journey. 5 is quite big for that, I'd have been in pain myself after more than 5-10 minutes with a 5 year old on my lap.

Personally I feel in general children should stand for adults though unless it's late in the day, exceptionally tired etc. It's how they learn balance! My dd used to cling on to me if she couldn't reach a handle. He was of course out of order to have a go.

😂

I would also have put her on my lap.

I don’t think people realise it’s dangerous for small children to stand up on buses etc.

I travel by bus often and on a busy bus they end up falling around all over the place if standing, I have to pin them in a corner. God knows what would happen if we crashed!

Funnily enough in that situation the likely candidate for offering me a seat is older adults - perhaps they remember doing the same!

Right. So she couldn't sit on your lap. That clarifies it somewhat. We don't have perspex in our trams where I live, there is ample space for small children to sit on carer's laps.

oh come on the shopping can be on the floor/ in the designated area for bags, the kid can sit sideways on your lap etc.

Yes, I appreciate that. I wrote it, without wanting to be too over-sharing as such, then realised it sounded flippant, more so than I meant to be. Unfortunately the disability is true… but I suppose so too would be the dead leg!

I think it's fine, Melbourne trams are really bad for sudden stops and there isn't much for kids to hold onto.