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Do we have an obligation to give our seats to old/pregnant people?

Reply 20

Titch89

14

But how would that law be enforced? You can't force people to give up their seats. They may need them too.

Reply 21

tom//

17

whitepearlbaby

But not allllllll students have a condition :smile:

yeah but its unfair to say "all students should give up their seat" purely because they are young

its happened a few times with people i know, one old woman who didnt even have a disabled pass was having a go at my brothers mate who has one leg, its wrong to just presume that every young person is able bodied

Reply 22

Cocaine Socialist

11

Bit patronising though.
I hope when I'm old I have to actively scowl people out of seats.
Actually I hope when I'm old I'm dead.

*to the next thread!*

Reply 23

Kyte

It's not an obligation and it shouldn't be a law lest it be abused (imagine if you had a broken foot but the law was only about old/preggers people!) but if you don't give up your seat to someone who needs it more, you're a bit of a tool anyway.

Interesting story: I was in Japan on the 'tube' there and tried to give up my seat on a full carriage for a doddering old lady. She seemed really shocked and insisted I sat back down! Do you think that's a culture thing that doesn't translate over there? Then again I was about 15.

Reply 24

Pirouette

10

I would probably give up my seat. What I found was that when I went to France this woman just presumed we'd give up a seat for her. She was probably around 25 and we were about 14/15. I thought that was out of order...

Reply 25

balloon_parade

14

It shouldn't be law, but people should be more aware of others needs instead of just their own.

I had to stand up from Manchester - Huddersfield on the train 8 months pregnant and not one person offered me a seat, people just avoided looking my way. Wasn't very nice.

Reply 26

thugwarrior86

balloon_parade

It shouldn't be law, but people should be more aware of others needs instead of just their own.

I had to stand up from Manchester - Huddersfield on the train 8 months pregnant and not one person offered me a seat, people just avoided looking my way. Wasn't very nice.

well my g.f was the same. she 17 and pregnant and they woukldnt open their seets for her, which i find disgusting.

Reply 27

WarmEye

OP

17

balloon_parade

people just avoided looking my way. Wasn't very nice.

Survival of the fittest.

Reply 28

Titch89

14

Did either of you ask them to give up seats?

Reply 29

Moronic Acid

11

WarmEye

Do you believe that it should be a law for people to give up seats for old or pregnant people? I believe so because I am quite disgusted when I'm in a full bus or tube (standing, not sitting) and a poor old person has to stand using all his/her energy to maintain, and with pride not asking for a seat. And what also angers me is that most people sitting are very young students (let's say early 20's) who have this idea of survival of the fittest

What do you guys think?

Edit: I know there are some priority seats (only about 6 in a whole bus) but it is only implied that the seats are for elderly or pregnant, so no one would actually be punished by the law if he did not give the seat away.

This sort of thing can't (and shouldn't) be enforced, but it always disappoints me to see the elderly/pregnant having to stand when it's obvious that they need a seat

By this, i don't mean that every 'old-looking' person with grey hair and wrinkles should be offered a seat - there are plenty of people like this who obviously aren't any less able to stand than anyone else, but still have the nerve to tell younger people to 'give up their seat and stop being so rude'
This doesn't apply to everyone, but having had to take the public bus twice a day (every weekday) for the past 6/7 years, you see this sort of thing more and more

Basically, my general rule of thumb is that if anyone looks as though standing might be difficult then i'll give them my seat straight away
If someone doesn't look like they need a seat that much but ask nicely for mine, then i'll give it to them straight away
If someone 'tells me to get up' then chances are i won't do it

Reply 30

balloon_parade

14

Titch89

Did either of you ask them to give up seats?

No, I would feel really rude. And like people have said they could have disabilities of their own. (Obviously not the whole train, but still.) It is quite tough to just go up to people and ask them to give up their seat.

WarmEye

Survival of the fittest.

Yes, but surely they can survive standing up for that length of time, its hardly comparable to a life or death situation.

Reply 31

orionmoo

15

What about when you're getting the train. You get there nice and early for the train in order to get a seat, and an elderly person comes 1 minute before the train leaves and expects a seat as they're older. I'm all for giving up my seat on a bus if I have to, however on a packed train I think one deserves a seat if they get there early for the train, regardless of whether there's an old person there or not - they should have either gotten there earlier if they wanted a seat - or get the next train, (which is usually only half an hour later) in which they'll be guaranteed a seat

Reply 32

Moronic Acid

11

orionmoo

What about when you're getting the train. You get there nice and early for the train in order to get a seat, and an elderly person comes 1 minute before the train leaves and expects a seat as they're older. I'm all for giving up my seat on a bus if I have to, however on a packed train I think one deserves a seat if they get there early for the train, regardless of whether there's an old person there or not - they should have either gotten there earlier if they wanted a seat - or get the next train, (which is usually only half an hour later) in which they'll be guaranteed a seat

I think situations like this are entirely dependent on the person

I personally would give my seat up even if i had been waiting for ages, for the simple fact that standing for a while on a train may be an inconvenience, but it would be much worse for the elderly person (especially if the train is packed)

Reply 33

WarmEye

OP

17

I always lean on people (slightly) when there is a packed bus.

Reply 34

Lolly-88

13

balloon_parade

I had to stand up from Manchester - Huddersfield on the train 8 months pregnant and not one person offered me a seat, people just avoided looking my way. Wasn't very nice.

That is disgusting.

Reply 35

Going_To_California

12

It's not a lawful obligation, more of a moral one, I'd give up a seat if someone needed it more than me and I'd like to think that many other people would.

Reply 36

Nikki-x

I would ALWAYS give up my seat for an elderly person, a pregnant lady or anyone who seems to need it (injured etc) and maybe even for someone who has a lot of bags etc

But I have been on a bus before and been told by another person that it was "disgraceful that I was taking up a seat when somebody else needed it". This "somebody else" was a woman around 30, looked perfectly healthy and seemed quite happy to stand and even looked confused at what this person had said.

I'm not a kid, I pay my fare and I'm as entitled to a seat as anyone else is (unless they're mentioned above ^)

x

Reply 37

Untitled258

12

Nikki-x

I would ALWAYS give up my seat for an elderly person, a pregnant lady or anyone who seems to need it (injured etc) and maybe even for someone who has a lot of bags etc

But I have been on a bus before and been told by another person that it was "disgraceful that I was taking up a seat when somebody else needed it". This "somebody else" was a woman around 30, looked perfectly healthy and seemed quite happy to stand and even looked confused at what this person had said.

I'm not a kid, I pay my fare and I'm as entitled to a seat as anyone else is (unless they're mentioned above ^)

x

Unlike the old people with there free bus passes!!!!!! :eek:

Anyway, ive found the students have never had a need to give the seats up for the old people.

The old people push in front of you in the queue to get on the bus, wayyyyyyyy before you get a chance to get a seat.