Children having their own seat on a packed train.

[user1493559472]

I am on a packed train. A child who is about 3 years old is sat in their own seat and not on the parents lap, would you ask to sit down and the child sits on parents lap? People were standing.
Thank you

No, I wouldn’t.

Me neither.

As much as i dislike children, they too are actually humans...

No, they got there first. Do parents have to pay for 3 year olds where you are? If they do, most certainly not.

No. You are much more stable on your feet than a 3 year old and some 3 years olds are very heavy and wriggly so sitting on parents lap isn’t always practical. The kid was there first and has a seat. You don’t. That’s how it works.

If you are disabled or pregnant and struggling then ask someone in the priority seats to move.

Well as a parent I would absolutely have moved the child to be on my lap.

So the question is, what reaction would you get from a parent who hasn't moved their child without being asked.

No I probably wouldn’t. There could be all sorts of unknown reasons as to why they couldn’t, or they could just have a sense of entitlement, but it’s not really my business which.

Also the parent is a human and probably doesn’t want a wriggly kid on their seat while squashed next to another adult human 😄 miserable!

It depends - if the child has had to have a ticket purchased for them to travel, YABU.
If their travel is free because of their age, then they are expected to sit on a parents lap…

Why do you deserve a seat more than a tiny child who has potentially been walking their little legs off? Children are also people with needs and feelings and if you wouldn’t ask it of an adult I don’t think you should ask it of a child. Hope that helps

In commuter time I’d be asking them to sit on a lap. They are riding for free and others pay thousands a year, it’s really inconsiderate I think.

edited to add I think the parent is very inconsiderate- not the small child!

I’d not ask but if it were me I’d put my child on my lap unless it was a train where I’d booked an actual numbered seat then I wouldn’t.

Probably not, there's often barely room for a child to lap sit. Also, they might have booked the seats.

Why is a child wanting to sit any more entitled than an adult wanting the same?

I wouldn't ask, but then I'd have put the child on my lap without being asked. If you are in the uk, under 5s haven't paid for travel so no I do not think they are entitled to a seat that a paying customer could sit in.

No. Also, I'd rather stand alone than sit next to someone else's child, even on the lap. Its not going to be nicer.

It probably depends whether the parent has had to buy a child of that age a full price train ticket.

When I was growing up yes, a small child would go on an adults lap if there was a shortage of seats and that was what was normal, polite and proper.

Just like adults went in the front of the car and children in the back.

But these days people would probably even expect their dog to have it's own seat because 'it's a family member too'

I travelled regularly across the UK with our 3 year olds. I always bought a seat for them.

Why is a child wanting to sit any more entitled than an adult wanting the same?

Because you don't pay for a ticket for an under 5, because its expected they can sit on a parents lap.

If I was able bodied, I wouldn’t expect anyone to give up their seat to me if they were there first.

You also don’t know the reason why the child is not already sitting on the adult’s lap. Maybe the child has some sensory needs that makes that difficult. Maybe the adult has chronic pain issues that mean it’s very painful for them. I look perfectly youthful and well, but my cancer treatment means my joints are painful and swollen and having a child on my lap would be quite difficult.

I wouldn’t want to assume I needed the seat more than them. But of course, it would be nice if they offered.

I always bought a seat.

I wouldn't ask but if I was the parent I'd put them on my lap unless I thought doing so was going to create a fuss that would be even more inconvenient to my fellow travellers.

No, they aren’t. And when you buy a ticket, you aren’t buying a seat. Your ticket just lets you get on the train. You aren’t entitled to a seat at all. You’re allowed to travel on the train, just like the kid. Seats are first come first served.

Your ticket doesn’t entitle you to a seat.