Who should be given the priority seat?

[Munchcrip]

If there is only one priority seat on the bus and there is one elderly, a pregnant woman (let's say third trimester), and a mum or dad with their toddler. Who should get the priority seat?
What's the etiquette?

Whoever got there first.

Elderly person definitely

Why would any fit, healthy person need to take up a priority seat? Their age is irrelevant.

Although other people would look at me and think that I am elderly - I am 70 the only time I have sat in a priority seat was when I had sciatica as I feel the seats are designed for people who are frailer than I am.

I had a situation where I had to ask some elderly people to move out of the designated buggy space so that I could get my pushchair is. The bus was very busy and I was made to feel very bad, even though there were several people sitting in the priority seats who didn't need seem to need to be there and did not move. My only other option would have been waiting for the next bus as there was no where else to put a pushchair.

You can't know. My elderly PILs were actually fine standing up - FIL into his 80s. Some pregnant women are sick as dogs, have spd, whatever. Some with a toddler might have been up half the night. It relies on people not taking something they don't need and asking others if they need it.

The least mobile person should be given the priority seat, whether that be the elderly person with a stick or the pregnant woman with SPD. Anyone else should be sitting elsewhere.

For all the posters stating that the toddler needs to be seated, I assumed there was other seats for the mother and toddler to be seated at, the question was about priority seating?

Elderly, pregnant woman then child with toddler. When I was pregnant, even in my 3rd trimester (with pgp) I was still that much more capable of standing or moving further down the bus than that of my 73 year old nana.

@Tdcp

For all the posters stating that the toddler needs to be seated, I assumed there was other seats for the mother and toddler to be seated at, the question was about priority seating?

If there are seats elsewhere its not an issue really!

I'm elderly and would stand for someone less able, but surely the bus isn't choc-a-bloc full of people with disabilities who have to look on helplessly while the old man and the pregnant woman fight it out?

@Coyoacan

I'm elderly and would stand for someone less able, but surely the bus isn't choc-a-bloc full of people with disabilities who have to look on helplessly while the old man and the pregnant woman fight it out?

Same here. I’ve stood up on the bus to let an obviously frail person sit, whilst younger, physically mobile travellers bury their noses in their phones. It’s unlikely they all have hidden disabilities. If those who are fit and able didn’t choose priority seating, it might also helpthise who genuinely need it.

I live in a very diverse city, and occasionally wonder if the young, fit looking person who has chosen the seat nearest the door perhaps doesn’t understand the signage? Having said that, the good manners of some international students towards older people put the locals to shame!

‘Help those’

To me its the risk of falling and impact of the fall if the bus stops very suddenly. So the toddler loses the seat as they fall all the time and are fine. The elderely person could break bones on a fall v pregnant person who is not very stable.

Either the elderly person or the pregnant woman. My mil is 77 and can still quite easily stand on the bus so if the elderly person was like this then they could perhaps stand.

I'm of an age where any 'gentleman' would stand up for a female - whether elderly, pregnant or with a toddler . I am now probably in the 'older' category myself but woukd always stand up for anyone who I felt needed a seat more than I do - whether it is a priority seat or not. But old fashioned manners are just seem as .... 'old fashioned' these days.

I find many people on public transport are very selfish, engrossed in their mobile phones and don't seem to have any common courtesy.

Elderly trumps pregnant. I’m pregnant (and nauseous 🤢) but offered my seat to an elderly gent recently. He was unsteady on his feet and no other fucker offered their seat. He didn’t take it but I would have felt like a shit if I hadn’t offered (I was grateful that he said no thank you, though!)

Definitely the elderly person and I think most people irl would feel the same I think Most people aren’t very keen on giving up their seat for someone who is pregnant as that see that as a choice, I have been pregnant 4 times and I was never offered a seat on the bus, maybe once or twice but not at all in my last pregnancy.

Problem will be solved if able-bodied people gave up their non priority seats for one of these 3 to take up.

@Fernandina

I wouldn't consider 65 as elderly Nor me - I'm only five years off that. I can't even retire till I'm 67.

In any case, do people not give up ordinary seats any more as a courtesy to somebody who really needs to sit down when the priority seat is already taken?

Yes they do,

signed mother of toddler, whose toddler gets offended if big people stand up on the bus to give her a seat.

@Ragwort lots of people zone out on public transport. It's just a way to cope if you live in a city/large town.

However I've seen plenty of young men, especially on the tube, give their seats to older looking people. It's amusing as some of the older people look shocked as they don't think they look that old.

Pregnant person? I think you meant to say pregnant woman.

I agree, if it's a pregnant man he can stand up.

Having done it, I don’t see that toddlers are necessarily unsafe, as long as a parent who’s holding on to something, is also holding their hand.

IMO it’s usually pretty obvious when an elderly person gets on, whether they’re most in need of a seat or not.

Might add that more than once I’ve suggested to someone in a priority seat - nearly always young and so engrossed in their phone - or pretending to be - that they haven’t noticed some wobbly and evidently frail old dear having to stand.

And before anyone mentions ‘hidden disability’, not once has any such person declined for that reason or any other - whether there’s been an eye-roll or not.

Most importantly do not wait to be offered a seat and then get in by a huff when it doesn't happen. Simply ASK!

Some pregnant women are more comfortable standing than sitting especially in late pregnancy. It was in early pregnancy, when I wasn't showing that I felt the worse, often faint and wobbly.