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.

Glad you’re not the bus police! Luckily there’s no such thing so I’m sure many parents will keep on sitting a child down in their own seat

But up to at least age 5 the parent can sit them on their lap if bus is busy, that’s the fair thing to do so as many as possible can sit

If they are in full-time education, children in London get free bus travel until they leave school/college at 18 and reduced rates on underground etc.

People pay for a ticket, not for a seat. It's a bus, not a plane.

If there is not a bum on the seat it is available, shopping, briefcases, whatever are usually moved (with much grumpiness) if you just ask.

I used to walk to an earlier stop just to pretty much guarantee a seat with my kids... for safety reasons. I'd give up my seat if someone needed it, (and have).

Haven't noticed people getting worse to be honest. The arguments on our buses peaked about 10 years ago with the pram/wheelchair/shopping trolley-seat debate.

Ask politely, don't just get upset about it.

Just ask them to move their bags.... they usually will

Glad you aren't either! If they wish to be that selfish, then that is their choice. I wouldn't be so inconsiderate.

How is it inconsiderate to have a young child sit on their own seat just because they didn’t pay for a ticket? Are you actually thinking about what you’re saying here?

So when I go on a bus and see 2/3/4 year olds sitting on their own seat, I must think ‘wow their parent is so selfish.’ How about don’t be so entitled? Just because you’ve tapped your oyster doesn’t mean that you’re automatically going to get a seat

When did it become a thing for small children to have their own seats on a packed bus rather than have them sit on their parent’s lap? I always made my children sit on my knee to make space for an adult, it was the done thing at the time.

Of course I know what I am saying, do you?

If an adult can have a small child sitting on their lap to free up a seat for another passenger, then that is the considerate and polite thing to do.

I think in many cases a toddler can go on their parents lap. But maybe not if the parent has a disability causing pain and discomfort. And as they were sitting in the priority seat in guessing they were disabled.

Oh and you're paying for the journey not the seat.

Well thats debateable, isnt it? And cant be prooved, myself included unless i whisk my hair coveing off. Its tempting sometimes 😃

I've been on packed train's and told to fold my buggy. I wouldn't use public transport with a pram that can't easily be folded. Some these days are the size of a tank. But I was lucky enough to have a seat with my 18 month old on my knee. The person next to me got off and a lady let her daughter in law know there was a spare seat. Heavily pregnant so very silly to get onto a packed train. And before you say it If I had noticed she was pregnant I would have offered her my seat. I would have waited for the next one. It wasn't that packed when we got on. But I had to say give me a few seconds so I can pick our water bottles up. In the middle of summer with all those people rammed in was obviously sweltering. But even worse when you've dropped your water bottle and no room to pick it up off the floor.

Absolutely this. @ItsBritneyBitchhhh you are the root of problems like this. Your entitlement is astounding

Entitlement in regards to what?

When I take my 13m old in the buggy and my 24m daughter walks beside me. Once we’re on the bus and I park the buggy in the wheelchair user space, myself AND my daughter will sit on the two seats that are free. My 2 year old will sit on the inside and I’ll sit on the outside.

If there’s only one seat available then she’ll sit on my lap. I’m not going to ask someone to get up for her now am I? However, if she’s already sitting down, how the hell is it entitled for a CHILD to be sitting on a SEAT. Can you people actually hear yourself?

I’m in South London where people don’t hold back. I’ve never heard anyone say anything to myself or anyone else that a toddler should not sit down on a seat because they didn’t pay for a seat. What is that even about?!

Putting your shopping on the seat so someone can’t sit down - unnecessary.
Letting a child sit on a seat when they didn’t pay for a ticket is also meant to be unnecessary now? Okay👍

Also I’m the root of what problem? The problem where people put their shopping bags on the seat? Didn’t know a child and a shopping bag was on the same level

Shopping bags - yep obviously don’t need a seat

Children - plenty of reasons why they need a seat. it’s pretty uncomfortable having them on your lap in the last few weeks of pregnancy. It’s hard to breastfeed with the big one on your knee too. Parent may have a disability etc….

I usually stand with the pram and sit the bigger children on their own seats. Even my 5yo struggles to stay upright with some bus drivers! I suppose a random observer would think my 2yo should sit on a knee but it would be the knee of a stranger sitting next to her.

having said all of that if I’m sitting with them the rule is they can have their own seats unless people are standing then one needs to shift to a knee!

I had a bike today occupying the standing seat section of the Overground. Even though there are clear announcements saying bikes not allowed on the overground. Owner of said bike didn't decide to stand up with his bike either, nope, he was sat in the priority seat next to the two spaces his bike was taking up. So he took up 3 spaces. This was during rush hour when the overground was packed due to train strikes.

@Cheeseandlobster 👏👏👏 completely agree with you, it’s massively entitled to have a small child taking up a seat. Pop them on your lap and let an adult sit down.

I know, right? And apparently I'm the one with a problem.

Curious to know what age a child should be ‘allowed’ to sit on a seat by themselves then? 4/5/6 or older? Just trying to understand how this theory works.

All children under 10 (I think) can come on the bus for free without a Zip card. So if they don’t pay to come on the bus then what age are they allowed to sit on a seat? I’d genuinely love to know the answer to this?

I just disagree. I regularly have to take a 1.5hr tube journey across London by myself with a 2 year old, the pram, bags etc only to then have a journey on the other side. I purposely go to the station further out and get the second train so it will be quieter and then more likely to get seats. Then 2 yo and I park up in our seats for out long journey.
Why should I have to cram a big toddler on my knee, while pregnant, as well as having a bag at my legs too because someone gets on the train later?
It isn't entitled. It is how the tube works, first come first serve unless you need a priority seat. If a load of adults were already sitting before you got on does that make them entitled?

If someone visibly needed the seat I always make room for them. I'm usually the pregnant woman getting up for a more pregnant women or an older person.

Why ask as you clearly will not be doing it?

Because @Sissynova response hits the nail on the head. Despite not being pregnant anymore as my youngest is now 13 months, I’m often on the bus with both kids taking very long journeys.

As a pp said, people who pay bus fare via their oyster or contactless card are paying to get on the bus. Not paying for a guaranteed seat. As soon as I get on a bus/tube/train, I’ll sit down and my 2 year old will sit next to me. I’m not going to put her on my lap just because someone may want to sit down some stops along the way. As Sissy said, it’s first come first serve.

If someone very clearly needs to sit down then I may put her on my lap but as we’re sitting in the priority seat, it wouldn’t cross my mind (unless the person was elderly/pregnant etc). Seems your issue is more that a young child shouldn’t sit in their own seat because they didn’t pay for a ticket. So I’m genuinely curious as to how old someone should be before they can sit on their own.

It’s a free world, you don’t have to engage with me if you don’t want too