Children giving up their seats..

[whatsthepointthen]

I was on the bus this morning and my 2 children were sat in the seats, this is a small bus and gets very busy. After a few stops an older woman got on and kept loudly bitching that my kids didnt give up their seats and shaking her head.

for context my son fell on this exact bus flat on his back and banged his head on the floor a few months back as he was standing up (and holding on) but the bus whizzed round a corner so now i try to make sure they always get a seat.

Should children always give up their seats for an older person? wibu for not making them?

@Lizzie48

The OP should cancel the cheque

But yes, I'd agree that if there was no baby that would be the thing to do. It's certainly what I would do, if I were to travel on my own with my 2 DDs - not that I would, having a car!!

Last week I got on a bus that was busy with my small DS8. I am 36 weeks pregnant and on crutches. Nobody offered me a seat and headphones were adjusted and newspapers became increasingly more interesting. If there were any small children I wouldn't expect them to get up for me, even in this condition. I have seen my son thrown around and banged on the head with bags so many times. I was judging every able bodied adult though.

I think buses shouldn't allow for standing then there wouldn't be that problem.kids shouldn't be expected to stand,especially small ones.twp crammed into one seat to let someone else sit is a tough one especially when there's plenty of others could have offered up their seats.personally I'd have turned round and asked if my children should be expected to get hurt if they fall on the bus,considering how some drivers are I'd say I'd want my kids sat.besides the fact that plenty of oldies are damn ignorant and nasty these days,I'd ignore.youve paid for those seats,use them.

I think there’s some misconception surrounding travel by bus. Certainly in our area you pay for a journey, NOT a seat.

Oh, the ol' manners chestnut. It's funny how it's always children or young people expected to give up their seats for any adult.

“specifically the tendency some people have to assume that someone is in the right just because they are old.”

And that is the old person concerned’s fault exactly why?

In my day I wouldn't dream, or my parents wouldn't allow us to take up seats meant for the elderly or infirm, I'm 61 and still give up my seat, it infuriates to see all these able bodied kids hogging all the seats, totally bad manners😔

No they shouldn't and i for one am sick of older people demanding they do. Usually those who don't have to pay for tickets while i have to pay for my children. If i decide to free up a seat I will but if anyone demands i do they have no chance of it happening.

When I lived in London I would give up my seat on the tube and the bus to little kids. Especially at rush hour when it was very busy. I never met one child who was rude (all said thank you) and mums were generally v thankful as well. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve given up a seat for an older person and not so much as an acknowledgment. So now I tend to be a bit more “choosy” when deciding if I will or won’t

But you were not U op, at 4 and 6 I wouldn’t have expects them to give up a seat on a wobbly bus

It's 2018, not back in the day. Get over it.

I think there’s some misconception surrounding travel by bus. Certainly in our area you pay for a journey, NOT a seat.

I think that's true. You can't reserve seats on a bus. I actually agree that passengers shouldn't allowed to stand on buses, it's really not safe.

Your kids should stay seated

I hate it when people decide for other people that you should give up your seat. I remember being bullied out of my seat by an older woman because she had diabetes when I was 20. She didn't believe that I had type 1 diabetes and was having a hypo so wanted to stay seated (I'm not to stable on my feet during a hypo). You just can't decide for someone else. Age or looking able bodied doesn't mean that you are strong.

BR, it tends to be an assumption the old person shares.

No idea why you’re so exercised about this. People insult the young all the time, on here and elsewhere, and no one cares at all. But suggest that some old people might be less than living saints and suddenly you’re terribly cross.

Does anyone remember the Old Gits from the Harry Enfield show? They did a sketch once where Old Git Paul Whitehouse was standing on a bus complaining about young people not giving up their seats. Camera pulled back to show that he was on a bus that was completely empty apart from one heavily pregnant woman. Wish I could find the video...

I dont agree with not letting passangers on if there are no seats. where i live the buses very rarely have seats. not everyone drives or can afford a taxi. people would be stood out in the rain and cold for hours.!”

At about 2.30. Sounds like the OP’s experience.

Generally children under 5 travel free and (in the past in London) there's a sign saying they should sit on your lap and not take up a seat - obviously tricky with 3 under 5's! Personally I would suggest it would be polite for them to squish up, one sit on others lap to make room as they aren't fare paying customers (over 65's fares are not free, they are paid by taxpayers)

Just read on, yes 6 year old should stand - that said 6 year olds pay nearly as much as adults here!

Bimmy76

😂😂😂

On my commute - tube or train - people offer their seats to little kids as a matter of course - as it's clear they are more at risk of falling / gettign squished / separated from their adult etc - age 6 definitely counts as little kids age.

I do this as well I mean it just seems like total common sense.

I'm always surprised by these threads and think maybe there are different approaches depending where in the country you are / how busy the transport is and where it's going / other things... But for sure round here a 4yo and a 6yo would not be expected to stand it would be the other way around people would make sure they sit.No-one wants little kids flying around hitting their heads crying falling over losing their mums etc and the huge range of things that are just not going to happen to any of the usually large number of able-to-stand grown ups who are there.

It really does make me feel that some people just don't really like kids much and I also think they'd be the first to slag off the parent if the kid did fall and hurt itself as well. The sort of self righteous sods who just like seeing others struggling there's loads of them about really.

it infuriates to see all these able bodied kids hogging all the seats, totally bad manners

Just the 'able bodied kids' that infuriates you, is it ? There's plenty of able bodied adults too that would be capable of showing good manners, you know ! And they would be much safer standing than a small child. And yet again, why did this grumpy old woman not have to have good manners ? She was rude and nasty but that's ok because she's 'old'.

If they are young children then no they shouldn't have to stand. It's not safe for them either. If they were older and capable of standing safely fair enough. Were there not any capable adults who could have given up there seat?

Teenagers fair enough, but little kids need the seat as much as an elderly or disabled person.