AIBU to think DD(5) gets priority over handbags for bus seats?

[iProcrastinate]

DD is 5, we had to get the bus this morning to do some errands (we don't drive) we got on at the terminal, and sat about halfway down the bus (single decker, a few rows behind the priority seats). The bus was quiet but soon started filling up a few stops into the route. By the time the 'incident' took place, all the pairs of seats had at least one occupant, but the majority were taken up by one person and a small bag. I had DD on one seat, me on the other and a few carrier bags at our feet.

Bus stops and two ladies get on, middle aged, I wouldn't say old, they walk past the priority seats to around where we were, looking for a vacant seat, talking to each other. They spot me and DD - and one says to the other, loudly, about children should be standing if the adults needed seats. They ignored the people who had handbags etc on the spare seat. I wasn't paying much attention, until one of them said to me directly that children shouldn't be sitting while adults were standing. I have raging PMT and said to her, politely, there were plenty of seats taken by small bags, could she please ask someone to move their bag, she scoffed and said that that was 'a bit different to children being on seats' and anyway, luggage couldn't be put in the aisle

I wasn't up for the debate so pulled DD onto my lap and shoehorned us both into the window seat with the shopping bags under my knees. She did a rather sarcastic thank you and sat down, her friend sitting behind as someone had moved their bag. They continued to talk about the rudeness of children on seats and children in general and 'slack' parents not teaching manners......

Don't get me wrong, even though DD now pays to take the bus, if the bus is busy and there are only a couple of seats free I do put her on my knee - I can't get her to stand on a moving bus as she has hypermobility and poor balance - walking to get off the bus when it's moving is a challenge on its own. But there were loads of free seats just with small handbags (not big hold alls or suitcases) on, surely a child has more entitlement to a seat than a bag? Was I in the wrong here?

I would have explained that there appeared to be quite a few bags on the bus that day some of them old ones.

YANBU to think DD takes priority over bags.

However, YABU in your casual agaism.

How strange. I've never seen anything like this in all my years of travelling by public transport. I'm middle-aged btw.

YANBU - they were extremely rude.

Yanbu

I am petty and make a beeline for people who put their bags on seats on public transport.

Of course passengers of any age take priority over bags.

I might have known the usual ageist posts would appear on this thread though.

I have limited. Are you suggesting it didn't happen?

YANBU, people shouldn't expect a seat for their handbag. The women were extremely rude and misguided to speak of manners and talk to you in that way.

What has age got to do with any of it?

Of course I don't think the OP is making it up sultan.

Hordes of middle-aged ladies berate young mothers on public transport. You might not know this but it's part of the secret information pack you get in preparation for getting your bus pass.

I've never seen this either.

Ywbu to move

Why did you move your dd?
I think you're a bit pathetic to do that and then moan on here about it.

I feel angry on your behalf OP. It's the kind of thing that makes travelling an unpleasant experience. The fact that the rude cow then carried on wittering about it would have infuriated me. In fact considering you have PMT, I think you were very restrained. I'd have bitten her rude head off (and with PMT I might have stuck a sharp object in her arse as she sat down).

I cannot understand why people think bags deserve their own seat. I routinely juggle shopping bags to let other people sit down. Not to do so strikes me as ridiculous.

There aren't many upsides to being an old bag but one of them is that we don't get PMT.

Why is this AIBU? Not being funny but if this is true why would anyone say you were BU?
I never see this stuff , must live in a lovely area

No way would I have moved, she just wanted to sit near her friend. You had paid for your dd and she had every right to a seat.

In London I've had several horrible instances involving nasty old ladies. One threatened to shut dd1 (2 at the time) up during her tantrum. Another kicked my leg as my knee was jutting out slightly in the gangway. That was because I was sat next to an obese lady and had to twist my body around the other side. My legs weren't in the gangway! I said to her that an 'excuse me would have been more civilised' at which point she threatened to do it again.

Technically any child five or under who travels free is not entitled to a seat where a fare paying passenger needs that seat. All bus and train companies have this in their regulations and conditions of service. If your daughter is a paying passenger then she has 'bought' her seat, if not then she has no entitlement to a seat.

Luggage, shopping bags etc should be placed in the appropriate places and not on seats required by passengers or blocking the aisles.

The adults with bags should have taken them off the seats and allowed the other fare paying passengers to sit. Sadly some people are thoughtless. I personally wouldn't have asked you to move your daughter.

YWBU to move your daughter. Unless you moved her and then put your handbag on the seat instead

I refused to move my (huge) bag off a seat the other day when someone asked, there was no room on the floor or in a luggage rack for it and there were plenty of other seats.

Some people are just ridiculous.

Seats are for bums, not bags, even if the bum is part of an under-five. I would not hesitate to say You will have to put your bag on your lap , MH child is going to sit there and ignore all catsbumfacing.

• my child, bloody phone keyboard

Frankly I would have said to a seat bagger (loudly) WOULD YOU MIND MOVING YOUR BAG OR PAYING FOR IT AS MY DD IS A PAYING CUSTOMER!

YANBU at all and I would have kept her on HER seat!

If you're still reading the thread limited, sorry, I was a bit rude to you

I'm reading sultan. Thanks but you've nothing to be sorry about