Disabled seat on buses

[Spidey66]

So about 10 days ago I tripped over a step and broke my arm. I had a cast on for a week, then it was removed but I still have a sling and am in considerable pain.

I took a brief trip to the high street on the bus for cash today. On the return I got on the bus and sat on the disabled seat nearest the driver. As i was on the inside, my injured left arm was against the window so I felt safe as I feel anxious about others bumping into me, or losing my balance at an emergency stop. I feel I am entitled to use the disabled spot as I have a temporary disability, which given I have a sling is obvious.

An older woman sat next to me on the outside of the seat then a much older lady got on and there didn't appear to be a seat for her. I felt dead guilty (damn you Catholic childhood!) and ended up explaining to her why I wasn't able to stand up for her. As it was, she was fine with my explanation and the lady sat next to me offered her the seat.

So is it is OK for a middle age woman to use a disabled seat because of a broken arm? Noone on the bus made me feel bad except myself but I don't know their thoughts!

It's all about giving up your seat to those who need it more. Only you can judge whether you felt the two elderly ladies needed the seats more than you. Your conscience should be the judge. What we think doesn't matter.

Ummm… it seems that lots of people agree with OP, as well as many that disagree thus prompting a debate, which is rather the point of AIBU. Thanks for the thread policing though.

I think this sums it up for me really

And she got it.

A. The OP never said anyone was frail

B The oldest lady did get precedence

C The lady with the age in the middle was happy to give up her seat

D The fact that you tell a disabled poster to check themselves for talking about how as a disabled person they are expected to give up a seat for a non disabled person just because they are older is pretty ableist actually. And the same kind of attitude that gets younger blue badge holders yelled at because the assumption is that if you are younger you cant be disabled. That is in fact ageism.

As you can see OP from the post telling me to check myself, some of these posters also dont actually care about disabled people either. They just want to have a go.

You could have sat, just not in a disabled seat.

Get this thread closed.

It is ok to use the priority seat for temporary condition and your condition made you less able to stand.

In the same time, nothing good will come from this thread. Life with blue badge level of disability is hard, disabled people face encroachment on their legal places all the time, and the OP terminology/some of your later posts are a bit terminologicaly insensitive from this point of view

I wasn’t. I was sitting in a priority seat.

FFS! Do you really need to ask this question? You are not disabled!

When I get on the bus I ask the driver if they can wait till I'm seated to move on. Never had a problem with that. Then press the bell when it's my stop and then get up when the bus stops. Do they not do this everywhere in the uk?.

@saltrocking not on a TfL (London) bus which was what the OP was on.
It’s like the Hunger Games on London buses.

You don't need to have a disability to sit in the priority seat.

Blimey!

Anyway apologies for anyone in the Muswell Hill area lunchtime yesterday who was inconvenienced by me sitting in the priority seat on the 102 bus.

@Spidey66

Maybe you could ask MNHQ to edit the title of the thread? I know it's in the OP and you update later but if they changed the wording of the title it might stop the repetition over 'disabled' seats?

She knows that!

Ywbu.definitely.
But you clearly don't agree so why bother posting.
Stay at home if you're that precious.

God people are truly horrible on here.

Why are you calling someone 'precious' for wanting to take care over their broken arm?

How nasty.

Even if you don't agree with the seat choice OP made, she is hardly being precious by taking care.

I agree this place really brings out the ugly side of people. Why shouldn’t Op want to protect her arm? 😡

People are very vocal about protecting the vulnerable, but when someone has a broken arm it’s basically a “fuck you, you don’t count.”

Of course she is! An elderly lady is no more disabled than someone with a broken limb...

Yes OP it's fine. You had your reasons.

And it’s also a “Stop trying to be like meeeeee!”

All because she’s got a broken arm and other people have long term chronic problems so what can she possibly have anything to moan about. It’s not a competition.

Sorry but when you break your arm you want to protect it and she isn’t trying to be like anyone.

IT'S NOT A "DISABLED SEAT"

Ah, the AIBU board, the gift that keeps on giving. “I’ve not got a disability but can I use a disabled seat” 😂