To have asked a 4 year old and 2 year old to let me sit down in the Doctors pharmacy?

[CandyLoo]

At a small, tightly packed, busy pharmacy opposite Doctors surgery.
3 chairs (barely any standing room).
A lady, and the 2 children taking up the 3 chairs.
2 children not ill, in there with their Mum collecting a prescription.
No free chairs, I asked if I could sit in one of the chairs.
Mum moved one of her children, the other moved to stand with her sister.
Mutterings from the lady next to me, and when she left, said rather pointedly to the child, 'Here you are love, sit in my seat'. They left soon after.
By this stage, the pharmacy was very busy, I have no qualms giving up my seat to anyone older than me or simply if anyone needs it.
AIBU? The lady sitting next to me obviously thought I was, rude comments about me to her husband when she was outside.

Yabvu, children don't have less of a right to a seat than you do. I would rather an adult without a condition which makes it diifficult to stand than a child who was ALREADY sitting, the child was there before you so you didn't really have the right to ask them to stand just so you could sit

The thing about cultural expectations though (the ones mentioned) is that everyone is expected to adhere to them, so it is fair in that sense. Whereas, to my mind it's never fair when one group of people is expected to give way for another group, who has more rights, just because. I can't understand the sense in that.

There are very few of us who wouldn't try to make sure there was space for everyone, and of course if someone is more in need then they should be given priority. But that is all about fairness too and makes sense.

well after 23 pages I conclude that if you want a seat get on a bus with Rountoit, Saintly, & I.
If you are happy to stand get on a bus with fanjo, hmc & all those others with firmly seated children.

it's not about rights. Where I grew up, when I grew up it was expected that children gave up their seats to adults. It was seen as rude not to. So I did, and my children do. I don't think they're losing their rights to a seat when I tell them to stand, I think they're just being polite. And I think they're rude if they stay seated.

Much as ds2 and ds3 aren't losing their rights when they say thank you. Or use a knife and fork. Same thing.

mymatemax- our kids can have fun swinging off the hand rails (used to love that as a kid) while we sit and gossip on our comfortable seats.

I wouldn't say it is 'manners' to move just so someone older can sit in their seat which they rightfully sat in before you. In fact, I would say an adult shouldn't be telling a child to move just because they feel like sitting down

But we are all expected to say thank you and we are all expected to have good table manners. And saying thank you is an acknowledgement that you appreciate someone has done something for you - so I think that does make sense. The same as saying please means you wish to make clear you are asking for something, not demanding it?

Anyway, I think we'll all have to agree to differ

Apologies if this has been said before but what really pisses me off is small children taking up seats on the tube - while paying adults have to stand.

What if you lived in a land with no seats?

We are never going to agree!

yep & pushing the button for every stop just to annoy the driver.

Actually, we dont use the bus as ds2's w'chair wont fit on. What with all the pushchairs (empty cos the babies have their own seats of course)

Im going to leave you with this:

pickled, thats why we all have an arse!

Im not fussy, I`ll sit in the luggage rack if there is nowhere else (No one else bothers me in there)

Pickled, I notice the adults at the FRONT! [GRIN]

I remember sitting on the train once and the girl opposite me refused to move her bag from the seat next to her so someone could sit down because she 'wouldn't be able to reach it' - now that was rude!

People that dont move bags really annoy me.

Mr Manners max scarey or what!

Good god this thread is hilarious.

Manners are simply about the adults and how they want to be precieved by society and the things their child does or says are simply a reflection of that. I like to be thought of as a nice, polite person so I move or move my children to make room for someone else - for no other reason than its nice to do something good each day. And if someone wants to sit down for no other reason than they want to or are tired it makes no difference to me.

Children at this age are much less able to wait or being in an enclosed space without much to do so it's only normal to let them sit. at the notion of paying adults on transport. Today children will pay for your free bus passes when you are old - it's just a matter of time.

"Yes, you're right (does that make you feel good, by the way?)"

Yeah man!

Especially cos it reminds me of

Bups thanks for awesome link. There is no day that can't get better with watching a bit of Stefan D.

Spot of David Essex on the radio but Stefan knocks him into a cocked hat I say!

My god OP, you sound like YOU could do with learning some manners!
You are NOT better than these children just because you are older, I would in fact give my seat up for a young child I wouldn't expect a young child to stand so I can sit on my backside instead just because I am older than them.
What a horrible selfish attitude to have!

If I was the mother in question I most definitely would not have moved my child for you and you would have got a piece of my mind for telling me to move my child!

If it had been me with the 4 and 2 year old and we were using three seats, I like to think I would have told one of them to come and sit on my knee so someone else could sit down.

However if I hadn't said it soon enough, or had been preoccupied, I would have been very surprised and at an adult asking them to move, I think.