Paying for your bus seat doesn’t include a seat for your bags

[EachandEveryone]

Especially when you have plonked yourself in the priority seats and other people are standing. I’ve been getting various London buses home from my weekly appointments and I’m gobsmacked that kids travel for free and this means they no longer have to sit on their mothers Laps or even in the seat next to them oh no a two year old can sit on their own in a side seat whilst mother sits in a priority seat with her bags on the other seat AND father does exactly the same thing behind her.

I’ve never met so many entitled people than what I have done on the buses.

I was in a train carriage in Switzerland a few years ago. This train was very busy as it was on the Lucerne-Zurich route. All seats were taken, except for one which had a large laptop/briefcase occupying it.

The gentleman who was sitting beside me glanced at me and quickly looked away with no intention of moving his briefcase.

Now most people in Switzerland understand English, so I said very clearly: “Do you have a ticket for your bag?”. He looked horrified that I’d challenged him and he quickly moved it so I could sit down.

All the surrounding passengers burst out laughing and he spent the rest of the journey looking out of the window 😊

My sister does this on public transport completely oblivious. We were travelling back on a bus in Spain. Bus was packed but nobody only spare seat was next to my sister that she put her bags on. I did say to her not to in case more got on. She ignored me a little spanish girl and woman got on the little girl was trying to get her attention to move her bags. Obviously didn’t speak English I had to say to her move your bags that little girl wants to sit down. They got off before us and she put her bag’s back on the seat. She’s quick enough to point out other peoples faults but hate’s anyone doing it to her.

Love this I’ll have to remember that one. 😂😂😂

I’m always standing with a pram so am not guilty of any of these but there’s no where to put luggage or shopping on buses so it’s tough. Unless it’s a small handbag, then they’re obviously being selfish. And I don’t have an issue with non paying kids in their own seats because free travel goes up to 10 now and they got there first.

It's much safer for a child to be seated on a moving bus than standing.

I get glared at from elderly people quite often when I use our (hourly) bus service because I occupy the priority seat due to disability.

It is much safer for child to be seated that standing. For all you know the lady sitting in the priority seat could have a hidden disability. Don’t judge!

Her bags may have been too heavy for her to pick up off the floor or she may find it difficult to bend down .

A toddler sat sideways on a bus and the bother not sat next to him? Safer? Nothe safest thing to do-is to get your toddler move your shopping to your knee and put the toddler on the inside seat. I dont drive and even when Im vulnerable and feeling shit with my treatment I wouldn't dream of taking up two seats. Even better to get the seats with the luggage shelf infront.

No really she just found it difficult to get offthe phone. Her husband behind her had actually took his shoes off and also had his brief case and files on the spare seat.

she might have had an invisible disability but how would anyone know? So have I and have no problem accepting that. Like hell I would take up two seats. Maybe it should be a thing that we all have to wear our dissability lanyards id thats the case.

I usually just smile nicely and plonk myself down and budge up the offending bag. They soon grab it.

So you would leave people standing rather than sit a young child on your knee?

I absolutely love this - Hilarious 😂😂

As I said my youngest child is in a pram and therefore I am always standing… So no I don’t leave anyone standing.

When I take the bus without my kids then I see no issue with a child occupying a seat. If it’s busy I’m perfectly ok to stand. And I see people struggling with shopping and just have sympathy tbh. Typically kids in seats are older like 4+ anyway as I only tend to see younger ones in buggies. You don’t know what journeys people are doing, they could be on the bus for an hour for all I know and I don’t blame them for not wanting a lap child all that time. And the OP mentioned free kids, which now include 10YOs in London, surely they’re not expected to get on a lap! I agree this family sound strange and annoying though- 2 adults, a toddler, shopping and 5 seats is excessive by anyone’s standards. But IMO the main issue is when people sit in the priority seats when they don’t need them.

You need to be assertive and say "please can I sit?" as you approach the seat with the bags on and start lowering yourself into the seat.

I’m gobsmacked that kids travel for free.

Under 5s have always travelled free (well, at least the last 50 years) and the 5-11 Oystercard has been around since 2008. If you live significantly further out than zone 6, I'd imagine that there, you'd expect children over 5 who have paid for a ticket to sit in a seat their parents have paid for?

Move your bag please is repeated a lot here in Brum! Mostly by me.
Or excuse me when someone is standing in the pushchair bay and I need to get the pushchair in.

Glad my kids (teenagers) always jump up and offer their seats to anyone elderly, or with small child or looks like they just need to sit. My son especially is very good with this. He'll help you carry your suitcase or pushchair up the stairs too.

I never have a problem with asking people - reasonably politely - to move their bags. I do get the odd eye-roll but nobody’s ever refused.

On our buses it’s nearly always young people who plonk themselves in the priority seats when there are plenty further back - and then pretend to be (or are) so engrossed in their phones that they don’t notice some old dear having to stand.
And I don’t for a moment believe that they all have a hidden disability - not if the way they typically hop on and off the bus like mountain goats is anything to go by.

Happened to me once, I'd been on my feet all day working a 10 hour shift, I walked to the back of an absolutely packed bus to find a bloke in the window seat with bags of shopping on the other. He looked at me and continued playing on his phone, I was hot, tired and pissed off so I plonked myself down on his shopping! He quickly moved them and sat them on his lap!

Of course people should be more considerate and move their bags but I don't understand why others seem so incapable of advocating for themselves. A simple "I'd like to sit down. Please move your bag." said brightly works like a charm. I do this frequently with zero negative implications. The bag is moved and I get a seat.

I live in London. Buses can get pretty wibbly wobbly, so it's best for kids to sit down. I've stood up to let a child have my seat before, and sometimes people have stood up and offered their seats to my kids.

Londoners can come across as a bit inconsiderate, but if you actually ask for what you want, they will nearly always help.

When I want to sit on a seat with a bag on it, I usually ask "can I sit there please?" and I've never had anyone who hasn't moved their bag for me.

When I've been pregnant and needed a seat I asked the person sitting in the priority seat "excuse me, do you need this seat?" - said in a genuine tone of voice, rather than a haughty one. Most people would then move for me, and occasionally someone would say "yes, I do", which was absolutely fine, because they needed the seat. It helped that I tended to look pregnant, but you can ask TfL for a badge if your pregnancy/disability isn't obvious.

Similarly, when I've been in dire straits and needed to haul a toddler in a buggy up a staircase, while simultaneously carrying a baby in a sling and a big bag or something. I'd give the odds of someone offering a hand at maybe 1 in 4, but if you asked someone for help, then about 4 out of 5 would.

People put their bags in the window seat while they sit in the isle makes it more difficult. Ive actually not found it to be teens and young people. On my route 9/10 are young women with an over 3-5 year old. Today that wasnt the case.

@EachandEveryone I had a sunflower lanyard but people started thinking it was a mask exemptions when covid hit. So I got a Different style one but nobody seems to read it . I am shy and hate asking but I have to ask for seat now.

I just tell people to move their bag. Or just stand there and look at them until they do. Some people are assholes and some are just thick. Just say something

Well why can’t you open your mouth and say something???

I’m in Zone 1, buses are constantly packed during rush hour and can sometimes be a bit busy during the day. If someone has shopping or bags on the seat, I just say ‘excuse me’ and the bags in question get moved. Yes, you shouldn’t have to do it but this is what it is. Stand up for yourself if you want to sit down or suffer in silence.

As for children getting free travel in London, what are you actually talking about?! Because a toddler doesn’t have a paid ticket, they should sit on their parents lap and not in a seat? Have I got that right?

My just turned two year old will sit in her own seat because that’s what she likes to do. Poor kid is allowed to sit in a seat you know

If they are that small, they can sit on their parents lap.