Children first on public transport

[Vintageclock]

A friend of a colleague is just back from one of the Scandinavian countries -Denmark, I think - and apparently the norm there is for people with children to go to the top of the queue, and for passengers to get off the bus if someone with children wants to get on and there is no room.

Anyone know if this is true? And if so, aibu to think it's completely daft and a totally ott attempt at being 'family friendly'?

[Hugglepuff]

Children other than babies and toddlers should def not get priority on seats. My dc are 11 and 12 - I have to prompt them a bit, but they know that they have to offer there seat to people who are elderly /have disabilities / are pregnant etc .
Surely that's just teaching kids good manners

[dontyouknow]

I wouldn't expect to be let on a bus first or for someone to get off for me if it is full just because I have a baby and child with me. I always offer my seat to an elderly person or pregnant woman or disabled person.

My mum is a very active 70 year old. She said she was slightly put out the first time someone offered her a seat several years ago (thinking do I look that old?) She still said thankyou and sat down then decided actually it was quite nice to be given a seat! Now she loves it when someone offers.

A bit off topic but I hate my train journey home from work in half terms - the entitled Surrey Mummies whose children all have to have a seat each. One time the train was heaving and a woman was sitting with three children, two on one seat, one on another seat and she was sitting on her own. Surely you put the youngest on your lap and make the other two stand? Then someone got up from the fourth seat around the table. I was clearly going to take their seat but had stepped back to let them pass, during which the woman got one of the children who was sharing a seat to crawl under the table and take the empty seat so I couldn't have it - she knew exactly what she was doing as she was saying, "quick, quick, get it first", to him. I was completely .

[TheBigJessie]

Young, disabled people cannot always just go on a parent's lap either, as Mumsnet has taught me. Quite apart from parental disabilities (which aren't always visible), sometimes the child's current condition also precludes it. Again, that's not necessarily visible either.

People don't fit into tidy little boxes. They cross categories.

[SHarri13]

But what about people with more than one child?

I would personally stand and let my children share a seat if the bus was packed.

[EmpressOfTheSevenOceans]

Old and disabled people can't go on their parents' laps, though. Children can. I'd always give my seat up for a parent with a toddler but they only need one seat between them (unless parent is disabled and CAN'T have child on lap).

[Morgause]

I always used to stand for people I thought were less able to stand until 10 or so years ago.

I was travelling (sitting) on a bus with several standing passengers when the driver had to suddenly brake to avoid hitting a person who just stepped into the road.

Two of the standing passenger fell and one seemed to be badly injured. Both were taken away in ambulances and we remaining passengers had to give our names and addresses.

Since then I won't stand on a bus at all, for anyone. If a bus is full and the only room is standing room I wait for the next one. If someone gets on a bus, knowing they will have to stand, that's a chance they take.

[TheBigJessie]

I know this might come across as a bit pompous, but this thread is kind evolving into a disabled versus children thing, and I think we should remember that disabled children exist.

I've seen far too many end-of-tether posts on MN from parents of children with disabilities who'd just been verbally abused, whether on the bus for not giving up their seat, or for using their blue badge.

In real life, I've had to point out to people making nasty comments that a child was in a Maclaren Major.

Can we not go down this road?

[froken]

as someone has already said, part of the reason is that children haven't paid full price for a ticket, and don't have a long day at work.

This is just silly logic, old people and disabled people get free bus travel, should they give up their seat to a fully paying person (if the old/disabled person has no problem standing)

[edam]

as someone has already said, part of the reason is that children haven't paid full price for a ticket, and don't have a long day at work.

[edam]

I was brought up to give up my seat to grown ups. Small children can sit on their parent's lap.

[SHarri13]

I totally get giving up a seat for anyone in need but cannot get the mentality of a child having to give their seat up for a healthy adult. Are children less deserving of a seat because they've spent less time in the world? It goes back to the whole respect your elders BS, surely everyone deserves respect regardless of age, race, gender etc.

[mrsfuzzy]

vintage clock you hit the nail on the head but remember some people would be as likely to bang on about their human rights to a bus seat. i give up my seat for older people, disabled and pregnant women

[vintageclock]

But presumably the woman with the child is healthy as well. I really don't see why you should let them on first. Children don't melt in the rain any more than adults do. In fact it wasn't that long ago that children were expected to walk everywhere with their mums.

[bebanjo]

see i don't understand how anyone can think it safe for a child of 3,4,5 to stand on a moving bus.
i also don't understand how any healthy adult would be happy to get on a bus knowing a women with young child was left waiting in the cold and wet, i know i couldn't do it.

[ToysRLuv]

bright: Homes are (in general) a lot bigger there, with bigger entrance hallways for muddy clothes, etc..

[brightnearly]

I remember being run over by gigantic prams in Copenhagen when trying to get on or off the lovely trains. Gi-gan-tic! And looking very comfy indeed. I still wonder where there were stored at home. realises this is almost completely off-topic

[ToysRLuv]

Yes, I recognise what froken is saying. This is true for Finland, as well. In fact, you might be told off for offering a seat to an elderly person (not with visible difficulties) by the elderly person themselves, in a "do I look infirm to you?" manner.. Nevertheless, while in Finland, I try to gauge need from the way the person is walking. In the UK I would always get up for an elderly person, or someone heavily pregnant. DS (4) sits in my lap if the bus runs out of seats, as he is not steady enough to stand on the floor without falling over.

[primarymonkeyhanger]

Silly phone!

I was brought up to give my seat up to anyone who might need it and I do this happily but I have been caught out on occasion and felt terrible. A man one announced that I was rude not of offer his pg wide a seat. She was not showing at all and she actually told him off for saying what he did. On anogher occasion I took my y1 class on the train (quiet country service off peak) and was shouted at by a group of 4 older ladies for 'taking up all of the seats'. I dont think it is reasonable to ask 26 5 years olds to stand or split them up across 3 carriages. They were moaning because we had used the 4 seats with a table in the middle and they wanted it despite lots of seats at either end :-s

[primarymonkeyhanger]

I was brought up to offer my seat to anykne who

[WestieMamma]

Priority to the front of the queue? Hahahaha.

My experience of 7 years of public transport in Goteborg is that it's survival of the fittest.

[manicinsomniac]

I think children should be last in the queue for seats personally. I make mine (both biologically mine and those I teach) stand for any adult, regardless of fitness, age or sex.

[EmpressOfTheSevenOceans]

I can see the reasoning behind letting people ask for seats if they need them. I'd get up for a parent with a small child but I do at under-6s having their own seats when adults are standing - DD would always go on a lap. I know there are times when that's not possible for some reason but I think when it can be done it's only fair.

[MrsMook]

I was brought up to sit on my mum's knee on a crowded train as my ticket was half price, so unreasonable to expect a full paying adult (or vulnerable person) to stand. That's the standard I'm happy to continue with my DCs. As I have a pram, I end up in the side facing seats to help control that (especially as the bus drivers have a nasty habit of pulling off before I can apply the brakes), so when there is plenty of space DS1 can sit on a normal seat as it's hard to hold on to him and the pram securely at the same time. When it's busy, I have him on my lap. He is too young to manage standing safely.

[froken]

Vulnerable adults are supported much better in Swedenthan they are in the by the state. If someone needed a seat and they asked they would be given a seat. It isn't that people are mean or selfish regarding vulnerable people it is more that people don't think that it is there place to judge another person's needs.

I do live in Stockholm which I am told is very different to smaller towns.

My dp's grandparents are in their 80s and we took them over some mushrooms that we had picked, they said many thanks but we were out picking mushrooms 3 times last week. Mushroom picking is hard work, you have to walk a long way on uneven sloping ground, you also have to bend over or kneel to pick the mushrooms. It would be daft to offer them a seat when they are so fitand able.

I am not sure the child getting priority to get on a bus is actually true. If you have a pushchair you get on the bus in tge middle as you don't have to pay so in theory pushchairs do push to the front of the queue but as I said previously I have never seen a full bus, they are very regular and big so maybe there are just enough of them.

[cathpip]

My mother always used to tell us about when she was pregnant with my twin sister and I and living in Germany, she was pushed to the front of every queue, and when we were babies she was always allowed to go first, even when she did not mind waiting her turn.