To let my daughter have a seat?

We live in London, and there are often children sitting in the priority seats during the morning rush hour when there are few people who genuinely need them. Nobody objects.

If I was travelling alone with them I couldn't have 1 sitting alone. Both have severe autism ADHD and epilepsy. Wasn't often we could get a table on a train so I would squeeze the 3 of us onto 2 seats. DS being a runner would be squashed in the middle of me and DD.

I would definitely have put her on my lap/knee to make may for others...

I think it would have been reasonable to sit her on your lap; but that young man needs to zip the lip!

Yes, mine were often on my knee. I think it’s partly because they looked so small taking up a whole seat. It felt like a waste! Esp on a crowded train.

I am five 2 with very slight build. I was still bigger than a five year old child!

Good manners.
Their ticket is free or cheaper.
Their legs are younger.
They can sit on a knee.

Lots of reasons

Depends on the size of the 5 year old and the size of the lap! I'm 5'1". Dd3 was on 99th centile line
She would not have fitted on my lap. I think the days of kids standing to allow fare paying passengers to sit are way in the past.

100%

Why? Unless they are elderly, have a disability or are heavily pregnant there is literally no reason why a child should give up their seat for an adult.

Mid twenties?? No way would I expect a small child to give up their seat for a young adult. Presumably he was able- bodied? In that case I’m afraid it’s first come first served.

Absolutely not and I'm not putting a big child on my lap either as I'll get a dead leg, why should someone who came later be able to sit comfortably whilst I can't feel my leg?

I'd rather stand tbh and then it goes back to why do I now have to stand whilst they get to sit on a seat when we were there first?

You are not being unreasonable at all. a man in his mid 20’s is much safer to stand than a child is and the fact he was vocally annoyed about it would have made me even more inclined to NOT give up the seat.

Had it have been an elderly person, disabled, pregnant lady then I would have moved my child onto my lap.

I would’ve moved my child to my knee regardless of bag and space.. he absolutely would’ve offered his seat too (he’s 6)

I've always believed that children should give up their seats when adults are standing.

It’s because so many adults are so full of self importance.

If aid seen all the seats were taken Us have put her on my knee. Why let a situation develop for no reason?

I am slightly older than your Mum. I too was taught to stand for adults when I was a child and did. Fortunately, along with a lot of other things, people have realised that this is not a great idea. We care more about children now.

I am slightly older than your Mum. I too was taught to stand for adults when I was a child and did. Fortunately, along with a lot of other things, people have realised that this is not a great idea. We care more about children now.

Yeah my mum was taught to give up seats for adults and is shocked it doesn’t happen now. She thinks all adults should be respected.

I’ve debated with her about this as i am team ‘i will stand up for little kids’.

She then got annoyed as she claims to be elderly (she is 67) and no one stood up for her, but also looks super young for her age so i told her she can’t have it both ways.

Yes I was taught this as a kid, and so were all my friends. We were also taught to stand up in class as soon as any adult walked into the room.

Are kids just less able now, due to less physical activity?
Mine all stood from an early age. Apart from anything else they enjoyed it. We have vertical poles though, so easy for them to hang on. They particularly liked standing with one foot on each side of the curvy area that moves- that was fascinating.
Generally my kids were likely to be less tired, wearing very comfortable shoes, agile, less likely to hurt themselves or anyone else if they did fall. Plus I was poised to grab anyone that looked unsteady. They can also stand next to you leaning on you, with your arm around them. Totally safe.

The only thing I worried about was them getting swept along when it was crowded. But I’d corale (corralle?) them in when we approached a stop.

and it still wouldn't surprise me if others simply ignored it because they don't want to get involved.

That's how it tends to be on public transport. With a wheelchair, I have it quite often when we're on it with seats on trains like my recent situation or wheelchair spaces with pushchairs.

There used to be a woman on my tube who I saw every day when I worked in the London office. She always made a big deal of insisting her 4 year old boy got a seat. He'd then proceed to clamber all over the seat and jump up and down on it. Perfectly healthy kid. Entitled mother was all.

Another woman I saw once on the bus in Chelsea felt that her two young kids needed a seat and proceeded to scream like a fishwife at all of us on the bus about how her kids deserved to sit down, and how evil we all were. Even her kids were telling her to be quiet.

In all cases the kids easily could have stood. In the tube case, he could have sat on his mum's lap.

Unless the guy on your tram had a hidden illness, then no he didn't deserve your child's seat. But he should have said, if so. I will always get up for elderly or pregnant people without a second's hesitation. (although one very old lady told me to fuck off once when I got up for her).

I presume a ticket needs to be purchased for a child of 5? In that case they are just as entitled to a seat (not a lap) as anyone else.
The man had no more right to ask the child for the seat than to ask any other passenger. Unless he had a hidden disability, I think he was being a dick!

A 9 year old is too big to be on a lap