Kids should stand on public transport?

[Loulou599]

I was on a crowded 1.5 hour train where half of the passengers were standing. There were 3 kids ( not together, each with an adult) who were sitting in a seat, I would guess they were all roughly the same age, around 6 years old.
I thought that kids that age should either stand or sit on their parents lap (I know that's not the most comfortable but standing for an hour and a half isn't either).
What do you think? I just thought it was messed up that these kids were chilling in seats while you had a lot of people in their 50s/60s (not old, not visibly in discomfort) standing, but then I wondered whether it's harder for a child to stand at that age (I don't have kids).

Wait what, so if they are too big for the luggage rack, they are definitely big enough to stand.

Shall we try and squish some of the poor geriatric 50 yr olds up there too?

BATSHITTERY 😆

Is this a poor attempt at satire or sarcasm?

A child is “precious”, “demanding” and “entitled” because they sit in the seat that was paid for by their parents, on a train they have every right to be on, but you don’t see it as precious, entitled or demanding for an adult to quite literally demand that they are entitled to that child’s seat? Bizarre logic.

I don’t teach my children that they are second class citizens by virtue of their age. They are entitled to take up space in public in the same way as every other human being. I absolutely teach them to be considerate but this does not extend further than the concessions I would make myself. So, on a train, I would expect my children to give up their seat to someone whose need was greater (elderly, disabled, pregnant etc), as I would do myself. I would not expect them to give up their seat simply because they are children and their age renders them “lesser” in some people’s eyes.

This is really an old fashioned view. A child has as much right to sit as anyone else. It really bothers that we have people who still have this attitude towards children.

This view is totally out of the dark ages thank god. Children have just as much right to sit as an adult. They get tired, they lose their balance, actually I think it's far harder for a 6 year old to manage a 1.5 hour train ride than a healthy adult.
Adults should he getting up for mothers with babies, elderly and disabled people, no question, but not small children (unless they want to). In fact I would probably offer a 6 year old my seat if I saw them standing for that long. It's obvious you don't have kids.

What is the logic, please? Because logically children are much less able to reach holding poles or hanging handles, much more likely to lose their balance or get crushed/hit with a bag and as paying customers have just as much right to a seat as anyone else.

I always offer pregnant/elderly/visibly not able bodied people my seat but would not expect my children to.

Oh and if we're using the "child fares are cheaper" argument then the over 60s with their free bus/rail passes should be offering their seat to everyone 🙄

I always offer pregnant/elderly/visibly not able bodied people my seat but would not expect my children to

You would not expect your children to give their seat to a person in difficulty? 🫨

Imagine you got on a train and everyone was a few feet taller than you. Most of them had a bag over their shoulder or rucksack, most of them weren’t concerned to check if you were there or not:
My 7 year old on the tube end up walking with her hands out in front of her face because otherwise she’s constantly smacked in the face or round the head. Some actually thigh barge her aside, lean on a pole with her in between them and the pole or move her.
Maybe if she got a bit more consideration in general I’d teach her to be a little less assertive on public transport. As it is, she’s safer in a seat. People really can be arseholes to children on busy trains

Even with a kid now I know I will never travel with her at commuting times.

Says the child expert with one baby on mat leave. Okay good luck with that.

This seems like a really weird leap. I guess it's possible but on a train so busy some are standing, it's unlikely that a) the luggage rack wouldn't be full and b) you'd be close enough to get to it without asking loads of people to move. Plus there's usually only one per carriage so is only a potential solution for one person.

Jfc. Patronising much? Yes we did need it spelling out, as you’ve just said ‘older person’ and OP isn’t referencing elderley people, she said people in their 50s and 60s.

Agreed. Especially the ones they counter on about ‘respect your elders’ or the ‘in my day interest rates were 20%’ lot. Absolute arseholes the lot of them. It’s so aging as well. If they didn’t counter on like this they’d come across as 20 years younger and much more in touch.

No I wouldn't, as per my previous post. I'd expect another able bodied adult to. Unless me and my children are the only people on the train in which case there's no issue 🙂

I was on a train today and my 4 and 5 year old were standing whilst a toddler and parent were both sitting on a chair. I thought it would have been nice for them to have held their child since there were so many people standing. I know they’re just as entitled to the seat but I always sit my children on my lap in a similar situation

In Scotland everyone under 22 gets free travel on buses. So there are no expectations that free travel means no seat which some people in other places seem to have if only under 5s are free.

You can't see my children's disabilities they are 12,8,5 they wouldn't be standing for anyone if we could get a seat.
I wouldn't judge anyone for not standing, you don't know that person's story you can't judge them based on your beliefs.

@pamplemoussemousse
No I wouldn't, as per my previous post. I'd expect another able bodied adult to

So you raise your kids to believe they shouldn't put themselves out for others basically?

You're not listening to people OP, it feels like you are trolling. They are not raising them to think they always need to put themselves out more so than everybody else just because they are children. In this instance, there will be other people more suitable for standing that could do it, so it's best they do. They are being raised to base things on need, not a hierarchy of worthiness. Not what you said.

Such a ridiculous thing to say.

My son has regular hospital appointments which sometimes mean we just bloody have to take him on public transport at commuting times. Clearly should have planned better and not had a child with health needs.

Not when it endangers them, no. I'm raising them to see that I, as an adult, give up my seat and that's something they should do when they're old enough.

For context you don't even know how old my kids are, but yet you're still hell bent on considering children to be somehow lesser than adults.

To be fair, adults pay more. So why shouldnt the people that pay more have priority.

OAPs travel free, so should we ram them in the overhead lockers?

Perfect answer!

To be fair, adults pay more. So why shouldnt the people that pay more have priority.

Hmm, maybe that should apply to everything?

No, let’s not go down that path.

Ha good response

This thread is bat shit. How would you enforce this anyway? And how can you decide who is able to stand and who can’t? I am 21, have low muscle tone with dyspraxia and vestibular/sensory issues also related to trauma and can’t stand for long at all and I also don’t have much strength so I’d be putting myself in danger. If anyone tried to tell me I should stand up because I “am young and healthy” they’d have the next thing coming