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

It’s a glib, patronising and annoyingly repetitive ‘hope this helps’. I’m not sure that they’ve said anything that helps in the entire thread.

I've actually said lots of useful and factual things, of course you're entitled not to like them. HTH

No. No it doesn’t help. Keep hoping, though, eh…

Well no. If you’ve paid for a seat it’s yours whether the child or the dog sits on it.

This would annoy me too, OP, but I wouldn’t say anything. On the other hand I wouldn’t give up my seat for a child. Pregnant women, elderly, disabled etc, yes.

No need for me to 'hope'.
HTH

A generation where children were treated as second class citizens, seen and not heard, where smacking children was acceptable, where children were not believed over adults.

i think I’m far happier with children being respected and treat as equal individuals who are just as entitled to a seat on public transport as an adult.

You make a good point. But I think I mean that if someone would have to give up a seat, I would give it up rather than my child. they need a seat more than me. But versus another able bodied person, I would sit next to my kiddo 😂😂

A three year old gas a lot more need of a seat than an able bodied adult…

This happened to us recently on a train back from London - it was absolutely packed. Our DD is 7 and we had bought her a ticket so she absolutely deserved her own seat. However we actually ended up putting her on our lap because an old woman with a stick got on and she didn’t have a seat. Honestly, I don’t think I would have made her move for someone able bodied - she’s heavy now and it made for a very uncomfortable three hour journey!

I as an able-bodied adult would offer to give up my seat for a young child.

Yes I would..children under 5 go free so they can sit on a parents lap for this very reason..if a parent has paid for them which I doubt they have i would ask them to move ..the sense of entitlement is unreal

Incorrect.
Next

I dont know the child's circa or the parents circa. The child was there first. I dont care if travel is free for that age - i dont see why they should have to give up the seat. Id rather a child was sitting safely and I stood. Its a mission trying to keep a child on your knee - uncomfortable for both adult and child and if you are next to them you would want to stand anyway

Of course, perfect mum's with perfect kids. silly me! I didn't think about that!

They should give it up because it hasn’t been paid for. If I’ve paid ££ for a ticket I see no reason why a child travelling free should have a seat while I stand.

So you would kick an elderly person with a free ticket off their seat? That’s harsh.

Meanwhile lots of us see no reason why able bodied adults feel entitled to take seats from smaller and more vulnerable humans. 😐

Should you have to prove that though? I’d be annoyed if I was challenged by another passenger about what ticket I had or had not purchased.

The OP clearly made a judgement that the person should have moved the child regardless. She didn’t consider whether or not the child’s parent had paid for it nor if she cared either way.

It was on the overground in London. Children don't pay for their seat. When my children were little they would sit on my lap unless the train was not busy, same as on the bus.

Because they’ve paid for them!

So have many parents with small children as this thread has demonstrated! How do you know?

There are no free tickets on trains. An elderly person will have paid, albeit they might have got a 1/3 discount with their railcard.

With that logic, seats should go first to people with the most expensive tickets (anytime singles). then anytime return, then flexi season, etc….
By the time you’ve established the payment hierarchy on the train, you’ll be in scotland

on the tube and overground they don’t pay.

also my parents get free travel on buses anywhere in the country. Does that make a difference if it’s a bus?