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!

Also @Spidey66 if you read what I first put, I did not twist any of your words or the need for seating as I didn’t mention these things at all. Just asked you not to compare your arm to life long disabilities.

How are u still in a sling ten years later? You said it was only in a cast for a week? Normally it's around 6 weeks. I would have the arm xrayed again.
you should be able to mow up and down the bus with one arm without risk of falling if you haven't got any mobility issues

Who said 10 years? The accident was about 10 days ago. I was in a cast a week, this came off last Friday and I've been in a sling since.

It's always an interesting experience though isn't it, when something goes wrong for you, so that for a short time, you gain an insight into how difficult life can be for other people all the time. How so many things you take for granted are not in fact a universal service available to all, at all times.

Those sort of experiences always make me feel very lucky.

If this was me when I got on the bus I would ask the driver if he could wait until I sat down as I had a broken arm, then I would sit further back not in the priority seats at the front as I consider those for people who struggle with mobility. My son is autistic with very high support needs who struggles with aspects of the bus but we wouldn't sit there.

I haven't though. I have consistently said it is a short term issue, causing me to have temporary issues with pain, self care and mobility.

I think you're fine to sit in the priority seat as long as you get up if someone else needs it to sit down.

You’re not disabled. You can sit in a priority seat but obviously should give it up (as you should any seat) to a disabled person. If you can’t cope on a public bus you should not be on it till you can. As you are not disabled but injured this expense or inconvenience is one you are expected to carry yourself.

it’s interesting that you don’t consider osteoporosis a disability (do you actually have this condition or just feel you might one day?), but consider a broken arm is.

The break is obviously not that serious if you only had the cast on for a week probably just a small fracture rather than a break, when I broke my leg still would get up to give the seat to someone less able than myself

I have osteopenia, which is basically early stages of osteoporosis. I am taking vitamin d and calcium supplements and trying to do weight bearing exercises daily such as walking. I consider this an underlying health condition more than anything else, something I need to be aware of.

Ps the osteopenia was diagnosed via a bone density scan a year ago, which I asked for after my last broken arm,

Bus priority seats are for the elderly, disabled, pregnant and injured according to bus websites.

@Spidey66 is entitled to use those seats.

The break is obviously not that serious if you only had the cast on for a week probably just a small fracture rather than a break,

Fracture and break mean the same thing, they are not levels of severity.

when I broke my leg still would get up to give the seat to someone less able than myself

You sound a bit bloody stupid if you would stand on a bus with a broken leg. It's not the boast you think it is.

People saying the OP should have asked the driver to wait before she sat down have clearly never travelled on a TfL bus. That’s hilarious - would never happen. Plus it wouldn’t just be getting to another seat - it would be having to shove your way through the crowd who always insist on standing by the door area and don’t move out the way and navigate the giant shopping trolleys and shopping bags.

@Spidey66 with your osteoporosis you should get yourself one of the Hidden Disability lanyards (the sunflower ones) because you are definitely entitled to sit in a priority seat.
Sit in it and don’t give it a second thought. Those seats are for people like yourself. That’s what they are for.

Gosh you're good, able to extract how bad my injury was from my post!

But for info, it's not as bad as the last one, which if I'm honest I found traumatic. I had to have surgery and my god it was horrible. Hopefully this injury won't need it but I think my concerns and anxiety about making the arm worse and needing surgery are contributing to this.

And no, before anyone asks, I do not have health anxiety. I have normal levels of anxiety about not wanting to make this injury worse and trying to avoid surgery.

So you don’t have osteoporosis but low bone density which might one day develop into osteoporosis. You have a minor fracture (based on length of time in cast) which is now out of its cast but you think you should sit while less able people stand? No I’m sorry OP I think you are being unreasonable.

Oh ffs. The lady sitting next to me stood up for her. She had a seat. I am still in significant pain, on opiate based painkillers, need help with self care and should find out on Friday whether surgery has been totally ruled out.

YANBU. You are injured, it’s not safe for you to negotiate a moving bus, you can’t hang on to the railings, plus you had a civilised conversation with the other ladies and worked out a solution in a reasonable way.

I don't get the reason for your post, you're asking opinions but you're sure you are right so why bother asking?

Sorry bad breaks are in casts 6 weeks not just over 1. Did you have an operation?

If I seen you on the bus op, I would of gave you my seat. I’m classed as disabled so entitled to use that seat even though I’m more than capable of walking to the back of the bus (and I do if I use public transport). This country is obsessed with labels it’s really quite sad.

Indeed, that's how it was. The 3 of us had a conversation as to which of us needed the seat. The oldest lady had priority of the 3 of us, followed by me on virtue of an injury, and the lady sitting next to me stood up for her.

If the elderly lady should get a priority seat in case she falls and breaks a hip then you are actually saying you are okay with the OP getting a priority seat.

Because with only one functional arm currently she is more likely to fall and with osteopenia she is more likely to break her hip.

I mean thats your concern around the older lady falling and breaking her hip isn't it - brittle bones? The literal thing the OP has.

All I am seeing here is the usually ageism around ability

Ive been disabled since I was a child and I'm still being expected to give way to perfectly able bodied people just because they are older, as if somehow my disability doesnt count until I look old enough to justify it.

As I've said, I'm waiting to hear on Friday if I need surgery.

I have consistently said this injury does not appear to be as severe as the last one but I'm still in pain. MN wants us all to be martyrs.