Children should be told to give up their seat on a bus if there's an adult who finds it harder to stand.

[DesolationRow]

I was on a packed bus today with my friend who's in her late seventies. She's not frail but is clearly an older woman who walks quite slowly and hasn't got the best balance. We were going to the seaside and as it's the first day of the school holidays there were lots of families with young children on the bus. Many of the seats were occupied by children from toddlers to early teens and absolutely none of them offered her their seat and their parents neither told them to nor offered their own seats.

Do most people now really think a child should have a seat of their own when there's someone who needs it more? If so, why?

I realise there will be some children with disabilities/ conditions that mean they do need a seat of their own but most preschool children can sit on their parents lap and most children over five can stand for a bus journey can't they?

When I was a child we always gave up our seats for adults, or perched on a parents knee until we were about 10.
im not sure when or why that changed.

It's harder for children to hold on when the bus lurches about. Older kids old enough to hold on properly OR adults (assuming they are normal height) should be expected to give up seats. We are (rightly) more safety conscious these days.

By the way, I live in Japan and there is no particular culture of children giving up seats rather than adults doing so. People in Japan are actually not as good as I would like about giving up seats generally, but when people do so, it's usually a middle aged adult (most often a tired looking mother, I'm afraid to say).

I don't think I would want any teenage girl standing on public transport in Japan. It seems a free for all for sexual assault.

Going back to the op, it's so odd to me to single out children as the ones to stand. I suppose originally it was because they paid half price/free but now that noone over 60 is paying either it seems the only ones sitting should be the adults age 18-59. Perhaps buses should stop letting people on once there are no seats left.

In most areas of England, older people’s bus passes are not issued at 60, but at the age they are eligible for the state pension. I’m not sure if thats 66 or 67 now. The older people’s pass can’t be used here before 9.30am, so we’re not taking up seats when younger people need to get to work, school etc.

There are priority seats for a good reason. Obviously for some people holding disabled bus passes (some disabilities won’t affect mobility) and for older, frailer people. Whether or not they pay is immaterial when based on need. Just being aware and showing a little kindness is all it takes.

That is some really fucked up logic.

In 3 out of 4 countries in the UK the free bus pass is at age 60. It's also 60 in London. But yes, creeping up in England outside London.

So change my post to include that detail if you wish.

My point was that, originally we asked children to stand or sit on knees as they were not paying full price, not because they were somehow better at standing than adults in their 20s and 30s - because that would obviously not be true.
So if you want to keep to that logic - presumably op does as she singles out children still - then get all the over 60s in Wales, Scotland, Ireland and London ... and the over state pension age ones in England ... standing up first as well

Imo the basic position is that DC should be standing on the bus unless there are enough seats for all adults. Too many DC are now brought up thinking their desires are more important than adults’.

Not RTFL but it depends on the age of the child. My 8-year-old is unsteady on his feet so I would let him have a seat over myself but make him stand up if someone more in need gets on the bus. Buses are not designed for humans his height. We normally go upstairs where we can anyway.

It's not that children's desires are more important, just that public transport standing space is designed for adult sized humans.

So sitting is a desire not a need? Then it's a first come first served situation.

I don’t think anyone should be standing on the busses full stop. Half the poles and handles have been removed on the newer busses and locally the amount of crashes or near crashes resulting in heavy breaking is off the charts.

If someone had to stand out of say a 10,30,70 year old I’d say the 30 year old should stand. So me. Ones just a child and ones frail. Safety and what we know of it has come along way.

Yes a 10 year old might heal faster than a 30 year old but honestly sacrificing a child for a healthy adult if we where to crash is not exactly good is it.

It seems those in between old and young are the most selfish when it comes to this really.

Because they did their time or whatever bit like those controlling parents over weddings/grandchildren etc because they where forced to do it how an elder wanted so nows their time.

How many times ones it have to be said? In Scotland and London fares are free for over 60s. They are not in the most of England that doesn’t happen to be London, where you don’t get a pass until pension age at 66/7. I don’t know the situation in Wales.

I take the point about people being more safety conscious now than in the past, and don’t think that young children should have to stand. But over the age of 9 or so, assuming they have no disabilities, I think they should offer, and very young children should go on their parents’ laps. I’m sure that if it were a straight choice between under 5s paying for a seat or sitting on a lap most parents would pick them up.

It’s not just about how much they have paid - it’s creating a system where someone with a hidden disability is a bit more likely to be offered a seat without having to shout to the whole bus to ask for one. Most (decent) able-bodied adults would offer a seat to an obviously disabled person, but hidden disabilities are just that - hidden. If a bus is full, is everyone supposed to ask everyone else if they’re struggling- that’s taking Very British Problems to a whole new level!

Depends, doesn’t it? It’s a desire for anyone who isn’t pregnant, disabled or very old (probably older than 70).

When Ds was about 14, he offered his seat to an older gentleman on a packed bus, he was shouted at ‘do you think I’m old and can’t stand on my own to feet’ put him off offering again.

If child is small enough to sit on lap, they should do that. My 11 year old (petite) will sit on my lap if necessary. If too big to sit on lap they can stand. Or if parent prefers, child can sit and they stand. Regardless, there will be no 70 year old struggling while I and my kid sits there on separate seats, watching them. Regardless that I paid £6 or not. It's basic human decency.

Maybe it's a London thing (crowded transport) but I don't understand the people who 'won't let their child stand'. What do you do when you get on and there are no seats available? Demand someone gets up for your child? Abandon your journey? People have sometimes very kindly offered me/my child a seat on a full bus/tube. When child was v little I would accept, putting her on my lap. But once my child was old enough to hold onto a pole, I would thank them but decline as she was perfectly able to stand. What's the very worst that could happen? Kid falls to the floor. Hardly a disaster. But for an elderly person it could be.

If someone asks me (70) if I want a seat I say ‘no but that I you for asking’. If someone has actually stood up I take it as they probably don’t want a fuss. I don’t take offence at anyone offering.

Thank you for asking not that I

If a kid falls over, they bounce back.
If an 80yr old falls over, they die.

i've noticed it's usually women/mothers that give up their seat. not strong healthy young men. they can't all be disabled.

Buses aren't exclusively children and 80 year olds though.

I'd stand for an 80 year old, I'd also stand for a small child.

Buses aren't exclusively children and 80 year olds though.

lol, of course not :)
I'd stand for an 80yr old, but not for a small child. usually cos there's already one sitting on my lap!

I wouldn't have my 5+ year old standing up on a bus journey. I, or another adult, should be the one giving up a seat for an elderly person.

@Flossflower I’m a wee bit older, I now say thank you and gratefully accept.

@user123212 quite possibly.

I'd be mortified if somebody asked their child to give up their seat for me.

Absolutely not. Physically able adults should stand up, not children.

Now if I'm on my own travelling on the bus, I will give up my seat for those who need one.

If I'm with my 5 year old who with a cursory glance looks ''normal'', then I'm staying seated with her. She has complex needs and would need me to be sitting with her.

I've never taken her on a bus though as the whole idea fills me with anxiety. I'm sure I'd could come across as entitled to a few of these posters on here.

Perhaps we should be asking office workers to stand, as it would be better for their health to do so?

They choose to work office jobs after all.

You can't enforce something like that, you just can't.