Is standing up for children on public transport now the norm?

c68zapdsm5i1ru

My sister was sitting on a crowded bus recently going to work when a woman who looked in her thirties got on with a child aged about 10. My sister didn't take much notice, but a few minutes later the mother said to the child 'well obviously no one's going to give you a seat so make sure you hold on very tightly'.

I was telling a friend and she said she saw a mother ask a man if her child (who looked about 8) could have his seat, as it was dangerous for children to be trying to keep their balance on a moving bus.

I could understand if she was talking about a 2 or 3 year old. But is it really now the norm for adults to stand up for children on public transport?

Quandary

If she was so worried for her kids safety why didn't she stand and give the kid the seat.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I think she was standing as well.

JustShon

I'd stand for any child that could still reasonably be called a toddler.

When I was 8 my mam was telling me to stand up for others. (elderly, disable, pregnant etc, not just for anyone)

Tombi!

Usually I was given the seat if I was out with my mother and there was just one seat available. I think if the child is obviously not old enough to have the upper body strength to hold themselves firm in the event of a crash or something, it'd be a good idea to give them your seat.

super_furry

If they're old enough that they're parents don't carry them, they're old enough to stand.

biko

Small kids shouldn't be on buses unless they fit into the owner's handbag.

JustShon

biko wrote: »

Small kids shouldn't be on buses unless they fit into the owner's handbag.

You may be confusing children with chihuahuas. It's ok, I make that mistake sometimes too.

hardCopy

Kenny Putrid Tux wrote: »

My sister was sitting on a crowded bus recently going to work when a woman who looked in her thirties got on with a child aged about 10. My sister didn't take much notice, but a few minutes later the mother said to the child 'well obviously no one's going to give you a seat so make sure you hold on very tightly'.

I was telling a friend and she said she saw a mother ask a man if her child (who looked about 8) could have his seat, as it was dangerous for children to be trying to keep their balance on a moving bus.

I could understand if she was talking about a 2 or 3 year old. But is it really now the norm for adults to stand up for children on public transport?

If that kid isn't already obese, she will be by the time she's 12.

JackHeuston

When I use public transportation I never sit down. You never know what people expect from you. It's much easier this way than to get the passive-aggressive looks from those who want your seat.

RayM

If a bus or train is in danger of filling up, I'll stand regardless - preferably near the door. Anything to avoid the awkwardness of trying to decide if someone is old enough or pregnant enough to give up my seat for.

Sh1tbag OToole

RayM wrote: »

If a bus or train is in danger of filling up, I'll stand regardless - preferably near the door. Anything to avoid the awkwardness of trying to decide if someone is old enough or pregnant enough to give up my seat for.

Easier.to just sit down and 'fall asleep' straight away

Chickarooney

Stand up
Baby stand up
Gimme your seat
Gimme gimme your seat
Gimme gimme
Stand up

Duggy747

If a child wants my seat they'll have to fight me for it.

Neyite

I'll stand up for anyone who has a child. Their sense of balance or how they'd react in the event of a collision would be why I'd give up my seat. Also for anyone older than me, or pregnant.

Why not? I'm able-bodied and well able to stand for half the journey until seats free up. And hopefully when I'm old and decrepit I'll get offered a seat when I need it.

Maximus Alexander

JackHeuston wrote: »

When I use public transportation I never sit down. You never know what people expect from you. It's much easier this way than to get the passive-aggressive looks from those who want your seat.

I don't know, getting passive-aggressive looks from people is pretty easy. It requires no effort at all on your part. Standing requires effort.

I'd take the looks.

syklops

Tombi! wrote: »

I think if the child is obviously not old enough to have the upper body strength to hold themselves firm in the event of a crash or something, it'd be a good idea to give them your seat.

Infini

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I don't know, getting passive-aggressive looks from people is pretty easy. It requires no effort at all on your part. Standing requires effort.

I'd take the looks.

Can easily be defeated by eminating a strong aura of look at all the fecks I give!

If you have a seat its your seat however if someone is visibly having a hard time standing it doesnt hurt to let em sit down.

Maximus Alexander

Infini2 wrote: »

Can easily be defeated by eminating a strong aura of look at all the fecks I give!

If you have a seat its your seat however if someone is visibly having a hard time standing it doesnt hurt to let em sit down.

If people want my seat they should present a case for why they feel they are more deserving of it than I, after which I shall do this.

CaraMay

Interesting as my step son who is 12 and who gets the DART to school says people - non pregnant / infirm / disabled expect him to get up and give them his seat. He does instinctively but I don't think he should be expected to. Why can't a 30/40/50 year old stand for the 1/2 hour.

theteal

Some parents are just tits!

Tombi!

syklops wrote: »

What's confusing?
If I'm standing, I have the upper body strength to hold onto the bar.
A ten year old might not have that strength and chould be sent flying and injured.

fineso.mom

Kenny Putrid Tux wrote: »

My sister was sitting on a crowded bus recently going to work when a woman who looked in her thirties got on with a child aged about 10. My sister didn't take much notice, but a few minutes later the mother said to the child 'well obviously no one's going to give you a seat so make sure you hold on very tightly.:

Is it possible the child was moaning about having to stand and the mother meant " quit your moaning, obviously no one is going to give you a seat because you're perfectly capable of standing. ?

Cathy.C

There's a sign on the Luas, beside the two double seats that face each other, which is an outlined silhouette of two adults and two kids (of around ten or eleven) and it says something along the lines of 'Please vacate these seats for families'.

On your bike. Would give up my seat for adults with children of around five or below, but not fecking ten or eleven year olds.

whomitconcerns

On the tube daily, I'll give up my seat for elderly or pregnant, they get special baby on board badges from tfl! But anyone else can stand

CaraMay

But 10/11 year olds also shouldn't have to give up a seat for you

January

Neyite wrote: »

I'll stand up for anyone who has a child. Their sense of balance or how they'd react in the event of a collision would be why I'd give up my seat. Also for anyone older than me, or pregnant.

Why not? I'm able-bodied and well able to stand for half the journey until seats free up. And hopefully when I'm old and decrepit I'll get offered a seat when I need it.

This.

I have a daughter who is six, she has developmental coordination disorder. She has very little core strength and weak muscles. She also has poor gross and fine motor skills. She wouldn't be able to stand on a bus without being flung around the place as her grip isn't very strong to hold onto things. I'd always give up a seat for a child, there's always the danger that the bus could crash and the could be more harmed by standing than sitting.

ScumLord

JackHeuston wrote: »

When I use public transportation I never sit down.

Must be awkward on aeroplanes.

hullaballoo

Children are puny accident-prone little weaklings so I'd let a child sit down if they looked like they needed it.

I would have thought that most people think of children as boundless bundles of energy who never sit down anyway, so why would they give up their seat for the little monkeys?

failinis

January wrote: »

This.

I have a daughter who is six, she has developmental coordination disorder. She has very little core strength and weak muscles. She also has poor gross and fine motor skills. She wouldn't be able to stand on a bus without being flung around the place as her grip isn't very strong to hold onto things. I'd always give up a seat for a child, there's always the danger that the bus could crash and the could be more harmed by standing than sitting.

I am hardly a child but I have chronic pain conditions and extremely bad balance but I always feel a right ****ing tit asking for a seat cause I just look like a normal young person.

I can't give up my seat as I am one of those who actually needs it - but I think a clearly pregnant woman, elderly and a child who would not be grand standing in an accident should get seats offered.

I was driving tractors when I was 8, I'd laugh if someone asked me to stand up for their child (who was well able to walk) and settle into my seat even more. Totally different if it was a mother or father carrying a small child etc.

Luckily as I very very rarely use public transport its not an issue I see myself having.

ScumLord

Really children should be kept in those cages for dogs underneath the bus in the luggage hold. I know they don't have luggage bays on city buses but maybe they could create some sort of harnesses so they could be hung from the overhead handrails?

fits

You just never know why people would need a seat. I had a bad time on Dublin buses after a knee operation some years ago.

Graham

They must be making children out of softer stuff these days. Growing up I distinctly remember signs on the bus along the lines of "Children travelling at a reduced fare should not occupy a seat if a full fare paying passenger is standing".

endofrainbow

simple solution - wait for the next bus that has available seats

fatknacker

Why stand when you can offer them your lap?

Iwasfrozen

Nope, chivalry is dead. Totally different for a young child but they should be in a pram anyway.

traprunner

I'm surprised the child wasn't covered in bubble wrap with their own entourage to press the bell for their stop, carry their school bag and the roll of red carpet for the little royal for stepping off the bus. Probably even one that has to lie down in puddles for the kid to step on instead of getting it's shoes wet. Mollycoddling....

MadDog76

I know it's "cool" and "edgy" to hate kids these days but I'd give a child my seat ......... I don't know if every child, elderly person etc. actually needs my seat but I do know that I physically do not need the seat, so why not.



Cool/Funny After Hours Answer: Kids should be locked in a cage and strapped to the roof of the bus so that their stupid little faces don't irritate me!!! hahahahahahahaha :cool:

suicide_circus

OUT OF MY WAY IM THE FIRST PERSON EVER TO HAVE A CHILD

miezekatze

I've witnessed similar situations recently and found it really strange. I don't mind giving up my seat for someone who needs it, but I don't see why I should have to give up my seat for a healthy child. Yes, they may not like standing and sometimes give out about it, but that's the parents problem and not mine.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Years ago a woman asked me to move from my seat on the luas for her grandchild. I said no.

If a child is on crutches, in a cast, or looks like they need to sit down then they can have my seat.
If they're being lazy spoilt asses then no they can't have my seat because I'm also a lazy ass.

I'd rather give my seat to someone who actually needs it, than to someone who's used to being pandered to.

I get public transport every single morning and during the holidays there was many many parents and kids on the train, when there was elderly people standing. These kids were small enough to share seats/sit on parents lap but nope, the special snowflakes took up an entire seat and old people were left to stand.

I wouldn't hold out much hope for that generation getting up to let you sit down when you're old and decrepit

wokingvoter

Chickarooney wrote: »

Stand up
Baby stand up
Gimme your seat
Gimme gimme your seat
Gimme gimme
Stand up

Ta for the seat
I like your style
Ta for the seat
Stay for a while
Staaaaay
For a while!!

stinkle

Eh I was always made to give up my seat for an adult when I was a kid (primary school age, probably 6/7 and up). This was strongly enforced by my parents and grandmother. If I had to stand it was close to wherever they were also standing (possibly sitting in the case of granny), so they could keep an eye on me.

Graham

stinkle wrote: »

Eh I was always made to give up my seat for an adult when I was a kid (primary school age, probably 6/7 and up). This was strongly enforced by my parents and grandmother. If I had to stand it was close to wherever they were also standing (possibly sitting in the case of granny), so they could keep an eye on me.

Same here.

Toots

If a child was having difficulty standing, then I'd give them a seat, but not for just your average 10 year old who was perfectly well able to stand . At 10 I'd have been giving my seat up for older/pregnant people.

I took my 4 year old on the luas last week and told him that we might not get a seat or else have to give up our seats if someone else needed them. We were halfway into town and an elderly lady got on, so I lifted my son onto my knee so she could have the seat next to me. She was making her way over when this kid who was probably about 12 went to sit in it. I told him it was for the lady and he reluctantly got up and spent the rest of the journey giving me the evils. And before anyone says he might have been unable to stand, he managed to sprint up the platform and throw his bag in to stop the door closing without any difficulties, so I don't think standing for 6 or 7 stops would kill him.

Cienciano

A 10 year old can fúck right off. I was on a packed luas last week with 2 kids, one 4 year old, one 2. Big crowd of 8 skanger looking 15 year olds on the family seats, were really loud. But fair play to them, they offered us the seats

Kev W

JustShon wrote: »

You may be confusing children with chihuahuas. It's ok, I make that mistake sometimes too.

Chihuahuas are the cute ones.

Hope that helps.

bridgettedon

I have seen children go flying backwards while standing on the luas. To be fair the parents weren't paying enough attention to ensure they were holding on properly. It is extremely dangerous.

I wouldn't give up my seat for anyone without a good reason.

Dyr

Compromise...tell her the kid can sit on your knee

tupenny

Hell no!!!! My 7 year old stands up for any adult. And up until about 5 I'd have her on my lap if seats were short.
And ya know what she'd probably rather stand for the lols