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?

Sometimes the changes are not for the better. My children, now middle aged, were brought up to have better manners than I often see from today's children.

They can hold on fine, they are happily swinging from climbing frames or being hurtled around on roundabouts during leisure time, but come to a practical situation they are suddenly unable to cope and must have a seat leaving adults, who would do themselves a lot more damage if they fall over, standing.

The comparison to carry cots is ridiculous, car seat safety has saved thousands of lives since it was brought in. Its always been statistically safer to travel by bus which is why there are no seatbelt requirements on them.

Your post makes no sense; you talk about adults doing themselves damage if they fall on the bus, while also insisting that bus travel doesn’t pose any risk.

Are you an able-bodied adult? Then YOU stand up for the elderly people, please, instead of expecting children to do it. I always do. Do you?

I’m confused why a young child would be asked to stand rather than an able bodied adult. Young children are more wobbly on their feet than most adults, and cannot reach the handrails. I would put this viewpoint in the same bucket as ‘children should be seen and not heard’ and ‘smacking your children is acceptable’, as it implies children are inherently ‘less’ than adults. Also why is it ok to pick on kids and their (probably harassed and knackered) mums for a seat, rather than asking eg. A 40 year old man on his own. Is it partly a confidence thing, and ‘manners’ is used as a convenient excuse?

You've got it.

Mothers, and it usually is mothers not fathers on buses with kids, are easier targets than adults who are being selfish. Especially the male ones.

If there are several children you could squeeze 3 onto a double seat

What a selfish attitude. Buses are a certain design and have a finite number of seats, regardless of what the CEO earns. It would take years to replace a fleet.?Sometimes there will be plenty of seats, sometimes not. Presumably, you are able bodied; would you really let an old and infirm person stand just because you resent the salary of the CEO?

Bus passengers aren’t made up entirely of frail elderly and 9 year olds though. Surely it is the younger fitter adults who should be offering their seats!

Agreed. It's trashy and unreasonable to expect a child to give up their seats for people when adults should be doing that. Boomers literally wanted children as play things and mini slaves thinking that would turn out well

I guess to summarise people are just much more rude, selfish and entitled in general.

Going by this thread multiple people have said they wouldn’t put their small child on their lap because it’s not very comfortable…so ultimately would rather see someone else stand to avoid a minor inconvenience to themselves by temporarily having the small child on their lap to let someone sit down. Riiiiiight.

Thank god times have changed and we don't see kids as "lesser" humans any more.
No I would not expect a 6 year old to stand for a 60 year old actually. The entitlement there is from the old person not the kid or the parents! Sure I'd give up my seat for someone who needs it but because I'm an able bodied adult not just because I'm less of a person just because I'm under the age of adulthood. And frankly a small child who isn't tall enough to hold on is at much greater risk than the average 60 year old. Able bodied should stand for those who can't. Clearly kids are not in that category because they're short, so can't reach and also being below eye line people don't see them and they're way more likely to get accidentally pushed over
And you know what? I wouldn't leave a baby outside in a pram all day either and I don't believe kids should be seen and not heard

PixieLaLa · Today 19:04

I guess to summarise people are just much more rude, selfish and entitled in general.

If you mean those people who expect other people who also can't safely stand to give up their seat for you them just because they've been alive longer then yeah. I agree. Pure bad mannered entitled attitude

I thought it would have been quite obvious I don’t expect people to stand who can’t safely do so by my post….but I guess when you crop half of it out and then quote the part you want to twist the narrative it can mean whatever you want it to mean.

Hmm but your suggesting that kids should stand for adults aren't you? If you're actually saying able bodied adults should stand for those less able then I apologise.

No I expect small children to perch on their adults lap when the bus is busy enough for
people to have to stand to free up a spare seat for someone to sit down. I don’t expect small children to stand that would be dangerous.

Bloody hell, the world has gone mad and this thread is proof!

Hoping that all the entitled 'I would not stand, have a small child on my lap or require children able to hold on (and probably quite keen to stand up anyway for the novelty) to stand' posts are all theoretical positions posted by committed suv drivers, who would never go by bus etc.

Speedweed

I hope so. Just makes me glad I don't live in the UK of the 21st Century.

This thread and my comment are from over a week ago. Keep up!

I was one of them but it wouldn't affect anyone else as at age three or older I would put the child in my seat and stand myself.

I have a young teen he is 13 and almost 5'9 10 and over should move (over includes adults)

How fucking ageist you are.

Oh and generalising as if Boomers are a humungous mass!

You're conflating totally unrelated issues there. And it's depressing (and ignorant) you consider 60 'old'.

60 isn’t exactly young. It’s old.

Oh I see it's all the Boomers fault. I can't understand why they are even on the buses which are for children and poor people. A genuine Boomer would be driving around in the most polluting car possible or failing that classy black cabs.

It really isn’t. Or at least only if you’re extremely young.