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!

Not ever disabled person is entitled to a blue badge.

Why do people who are 100% convinced they are right bother with AIBU. It’s not as if the responses they get ever change their minds.

I’m disabled and I think the OP is fine to have sat where she did. It wouldn’t cross my mind that she’s unreasonable.

Wow

There were actually other free seats you could have sat in but didn't want to walk to them

Bloody hell

There may have been further seats, I'm not sure, just no other seats in that area.

And if you think a broken arm isn't a disability, albeit temporary, you clearly haven't had this injury.

Yes as someone else mentioned the driver doesn't always wait for you to sit down.

Many people have experienced broken arms. It doesn’t stop you being able to walk further back on a bus!

I have an “actual disability” - lifelong. Like many disabled people, I wouldn’t be entitled to a blue badge.

If there were other seats available I think the best course of action would be to ask the driver when boarding to please not set off until you’d sat down, and then you could have sat in one of the further back seats.

I understand that you don’t want to risk further injury but I imagine you’re more capable of sitting in other seats than a very elderly woman. But all’s well that ends well- the other woman was able to give her seat up.

To be fair to the OP, she is not registered disabled but with a broken arm it is very difficult to hang onto a pole/look from the ceiling, while your other arm is in a cast, particularly if it is a new break. Not to mention the pain of being bashed into. Ok she is not 'disabled' but I would not have begrudged her a seat here.

On TFL it says ‘priority seats are for the elderly, pregnant or those less able to stand’. Also you can get a ‘please offer me a seat’ badge, you don’t have to have a specific disability etc.

I use mine because I have balance issues, and my chronic condition means that I can’t hang on to the overhead handles or bars because when we go round corners I will dislocate my shoulders.

If you have an injury or illness that means you are less able to stand then you are not unreasonable. I have no ‘problems with my legs’ but I dislocate my hips and shoulders easily. Also there’s no ‘register’ of what counts as a disability. It’s not like a blue badge. I’d also count someone who wasn’t feeling well as being ‘deserving’ of a seat.

I'm sure you didn't mean that post to be as offensive as it came across.

I've broken numerous limbs and they are no comparison to a disability. Your pain will decrease and your mobility will improve. Mine won't. Ever. It will just get worse. Please do not compare your temporary impairment with life long conditions.

It was absolutely reasonable of you to use the easier seat and I'm sure no one on the bus thought otherwise.
I can't understand people who get all worked up about people's genuine health needs. Maybe they should focus their energy on people who share parking blue badges with family members or ones who park in disabled or child parking spaces just because they have a big fat 4x4.

The seats are for those who are disabled or less able to stand. You are less able to stand as you are at risk of further injuring your arm. Seems reasonable to me. One of the many others on the bus can give their seat up if necessary.

YABU

Nonsense. OP has perfectly good reasons for needing to use it.

Was it actually a disabled seat or a seat for those less able to stand? If the latter, you were fine in my view.

I think you were fine OP. Someone could come on the bus with two broken arms and unable to hold the pole, and Mumsnet would still say that they don’t qualify because it’s not a lifelong disability.

Op you are the definition of entitled. Try having a stroke, or a heart condition or Parkinson's, the elderly could have had any of those things. These are for life and affect people 100% more than a broken arm

Yes, it is a disability. It doesn't fit in with, say, the Equality Act description because it's not long term, but the fact remains that the person concerned is disabled - i.e. rendered less able - because they have an arm which they cannot use and which is vulnerable. There is nothing that I have seen in buses meaning that people can only use those seats if they have a blue badge - indeed, it's obvious that that is not the requirement, otherwise pregnant and non-disabled elderly people would not have priority.

You can walk further down the bus though. Even a broken leg isn't a priority. The elderly woman fracturing a hip could be a death sentence

To the best of my knowledge, all seats on buses are for those less able to stand. OP comes into that category given her balancing problems and the risk of further injury.

I’m disabled, retired and I stand up for older people!

because their need is greater than mine.

Fine if the driver was lurching off before you'd had time to reach another seat. If the bus were stationary then I'd probably have shifted myself further back to accommodate others getting in afterwards with needs. In any case, I'd have probably shifted back at the next safe opportunity to do so (stationary bus). I adopted the same principle when heavily pregnant, if I could get to another seat before the bus moved then I would. If I couldn't then I'd scramble for the nearest seat before I fell over (didn't always make it on several occasions, what is it with urban bus drivers?!)