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!

No that's fine. As long as you know I was struggling to stay upright on a moving bus, putting myself at risk of falling, making the injury worse and requiring a longer, more painful recovery as a result. But that's OK because it's only a broken arm and isn't a permanent disability.

Although pregnant women are allowed the priority seats on buses, I think they are being unreasonable when other seats are available - mind blowing concept isn’t it.

Just because the OP doesn't need the priority seat as much as another passenger doesn't mean that she should risk further injury in order to accommodate that passenger.

She's explained why she can't move to another seat whilst the bus is moving.

Just because she has a good arm does not mean she should be expected to stand. I find it problematic with two good arms.

A fall could probably be very dangerous given her injury and osteoporosis. OK so it could be very dangerous to the other passenger too but we should be working out how to accommodate both not deciding which trumps the other.

IMO the blame lies with the driver for not keeping the bus stationary whilst she moves too/from the alternative seat. That way she could avoid further injury and the fellow, less mobile, passenger would only have to walk as far as the priority seat.

My response was to @TimesRwo .

She asked for opinions, she got them. Somehow you have a problem with that, not a lot I can do about that.

Wow…completely mind blowing that someone has a different opinion on something! 🙄

I’m also guessing you missed the part where I said as a pregnant woman, I gave up my seat in the priority section and stood up (as no other seats were available) when someone who clearly needed it more than me got on! But yes, please do go ahead and make senseless arguments to make me look unreasonable!

Reading your posts you are coming across like a bit of a drama llama who milking this injury for all it's worth.

Sorry you have a broken arm, breaking bones isn't nice and I've been there, but I think you should have walked further down the bus because there are people who definitely needed that seat more than your arm did.

No, I didn’t miss that, you and so many others are making senseless, and downright unkind judgements of OP, you can see how quickly you reacted to something. OP has explained over and over again why she needed the seat, and that the other person gave up their seat to the elderly passenger, but you all seem to think only the OP should have given up her seat.

Some of the posters are on here telling the OP she was definitely selfish because the older lady, who did get a seat, would probably have limited mobility because they are old and and will likely have a whole host of other health issues.

Interestingly some of those are also on the how old is too old to provide childcare thread saying that age isn't the indicator and some older people can have no issues where as younger people can have issues.

So here we have a younger person with definitely issues, and an older person with no known issues, but the OP is selfish because age is definitely the factor that dictates ability

Until you want childcare. Then old people are perfectly capable to do everything you need.

Yet somehow the OP, who didnt stop the old person from getting a seat, is the selfish one?

I don't think needing a priority seat for a bus journey is "milking it" and making me a "drama llama". I keep coming back because posters are not reading my posts and/or are (possibly deliberately) misunderstanding me. If I didn’t come back, I'd be accused "she's not coming back because she knows she's wrong." Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

Please do point out where I have been unkind, unless you think we should all be blindly agreeing with OP.

Yes, I understand not all visually impaired people have a medical cane or a guide dog. Where did I say that? Some will though, and the point I was making was that some disabilities are clearly VISIBLE to everyone and some are HIDDEN.

I'm with the OP here. Disabilities, injuries, ilnesses or other medical conditions aren't a competition. At the end of the day, its first come - first served what comes to bus seats.

Definitely not first come, first served with bus seats. You'd have to be extremely ignorant and selfish to adhere to that rule. Are you suggesting if the OP got on and the bus was full she just should have stood up the whole way despite her broken arm?

Definitely not first come, first served with bus seats. You'd have to be extremely ignorant and selfish to adhere to that rule. Are you suggesting if the OP got on and the bus was full she just should have stood up the whole way despite her broken arm?

If bus is full, then bus is full. Either take your risk squeezing in and standing, or wait for another one. Or do you suggest someone be thrown off the bus?

Honestly at this point I have absolutely no idea what point you are trying to make with regards to the OPs situation.

You seem to be saying that some disabilities are visible and some are invisible. But then you also think it's awful for the OP to explain why she needed the seat. So out of interest what do you expect people with invisible disabilities to do if they cant explain like the OP did because that would be "entitled and selfish" if they do that to someone with a clear visible disability.

Sure, if people who don’t require a priority seat are using one until someone with an actual need comes along (don’t the signs usually say to give them up to someone with a priority?).

But they are if there are more people with a need to use them than seats available. Or are we advocating for having lengthy discussions on the bus as to who has the greater need and turfing people off if their need isn’t sufficient enough?

If it was only a few stops why didn't you walk?

Why can't you lift anything heavier than a kettle?

Maybe you should apply for PIP, you sound like you think you deserve it.

Never known someone to argue her point as much as this OP. Why bother making a post at all if you are so sure your decision was the right one?! Most people think you were being unreasonable though so there’s your answer.

Erm, any decent person who was fit and well enough to stand would give up their seat to someone clearly less able to, surely? From the responses on here, though, it's clear that a lot of people wouldn't have the empathic ability necessary to understand that someone with a broken arm might struggle or be at risk standing on a crowded bus.

Exactly. My point is that it's not for others to judge.

So now I’m expected to not only explain why I needed a priority seat, but also why I was on the damn bus in the first place.

you’re being pedantic with the second question, you know I mean with my left arm and because at the moment it’s useless.

And of course I don’t think I qualify for PIP.

Words fail me.

I don't know what you think you're replying to, but it has no relevance to my post. A broken arm isn't a disability.

Wait, so you now think other people should get up for OP because of her broken arm?

But op shouldn’t sit down because a broken arm isn’t disabled enough?

Which is it?

Clearly every broken arm is different and no one but the op and her doctor can judge the severity of it and how much it impacts her ability to do things. I would imagine that it would make it very difficult and unsafe for her to not get a seat on the bus. Whether she needs the priority seat or just any other seat is very difficult to judge without knowing how much the bus was moving, how easy it is to get too and from the other seats which were available. If she didn’t feel safe to get to a different seat due to her arm then we can’t say that it actually is safe.