Manners on a Bus

[dot.hawkes]

How many of you without lying or making it up or pretending u care or being twee or jumping on a bandwagon or taking the moral highground or getting all yuppiefied or trying to act the bleeding heart liberal, can honestly say they have stood up on a mode of public transport when all seats were taken for a pregnant lady, a lady with a babe in arms, an elderly person, a disabled person, a small child, when there were no other seats?

[Karen2005]

I regularly offer my seat to someone who needs it more than I do. I also feel really guilty when I genuinely don�t see a pregnant lady for example. This once happened to me � someone sitting next to me stood up to get off the train and a lady who I hadn�t even noticed, let alone that she was pregnant, sat down in the empty seat. I was mortified when I saw that she was pregnant and I hadn�t noticed/offered my seat.

This incident made me paranoid for ages afterwards until one occasion when I was sitting down on a packed train. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the rather large tummy of the person standing right next to me, but I couldn�t work out whether it was a pregnant tummy or not. The angle I was sitting made it impossible for me to keep looking without making it obvious. Anyway, after a couple of stops the train emptied out a bit and I was able to take a proper look at my possibly pregnant woman. It turned out to be a man with a beer belly! I�m so glad I didn�t offer him my seat!!!

[spinchimp]

I stand up all the time to let people in these categories sit down (with the exception of a small child).

[wonderwoman1]

i always have and i always will, i was brought up with respect for others. good q dot, i have seen many people on buses not give up their seat, most of the time they are only going a couple of stops!

[~posy-jo~]

i do, i don't often travel on public transport now we have a car but if i have ever been on there and someone has needed a seat more than me i will stand and offer them my seat, my husband does the same and i explain why to my kids too so hopefully when they are older they will do the same xXx

[dancealot13]

Without a doubt, I have given my seat up in NYC many many times. Im young a physically fit,...my parents would be shocked if I didn't offer my seat to someone that needed it.

[sg]

I do, if needs be, but I am usually at the back of the bus in the first place because I get on early, and any old folks or parents with pushchairs stay at the front. If I get on a crowded bus I will stand up rather than sit on one of the front seats. My mum always made us stand up for any grown-ups when they got on and these days it really does my head in when a parent has got a young child with a seat and there's an elderly person standing. If they are young enough they can go on the parent's lap, and if they are too big for that then they are big enough to stand! I had to!

[flipflop104]

I most definitely do stand up for elderly - was taught it from a young age.

But also, just have to sit there thinking "if it was my grandma or grandad, I wouldn't want her (or him) to be stood up on a crowded bus and I certainly would hope someone would stand up for her" - think like these people are your own friends or family and it soon just falls into place what you should do.

[atoach]

Yes, I have, often (though, like B00, not for a child). In fact I think if a person genuinely unable to stand for long gets on, someone stands up for them more often than not. At least they do round these parts.

[fat rascal]

don't often travel on punlic transport, so have never had that dilemma, but proud to say i have stopped in my car and picked up various oaps struggling to walk...i think radom acts of kindness make the world go round just a little bit better, so i think that i would give up my seat.

[Ed Strong]

I travel into central London every day for work. Not only would I give up my seat for pregnant/old/disabled/woman carrying young child etc, but I also accept with good grace and a 'thank you' if a chap offers me his seat. (I am of an age when perhaps 'gentlemen' feel obliged to offer me their seat :-).) Fortunately, due to good genes and frequent trips to the gym, I am still healthy enough not to worry about standing, although anyone who travels into/out of London in the rush-hour will appreciate the problems encountered when the trains play up and we are then expected to travel 'cattle-class'. As I am now about to go home and sit/stand on the train in a temperature bordering on the equatorial rainforest - please think of me kindly. Bye.

[Ed Strong]

It's also my birthday today. Thought I'd share that with you all!!

[Gef]

Happy Birthday Ed - hope you have had a good day!

I don't use public transport very often but always offer to give up my seat to someone who looks more in need. I was taught that by my parents and hopefully my own children (now adults) remember being taught that too.

[Alan2]

Not a chance, if I pay for my ticket, and theres a seat available, I'm using it. end of story

[just jools]

I get the train to work every day and at least twice a week I give my seat up for someone, I think it's probably just the way people are brought up. I did go thru a phase of waiting to see if any of the young 'uns would stand up first but it didn't work. I agree with you dot.hawkes, young lasses seem to be the worst. Manners don't seem to mean anything any more. God, listen to me, I sound like a right old fogey!! :-)

[shaneystar2]

I was always taught to stand and offer my seat to someone less able and always have .I was always grateful for a seat being offered whilst pregnant.
These days I find it difficult ..I cannot stand for long on a bus due to my dodgy joints and yet I still find myself getting up for an elderly person or young Mum while youngsters loll with their feet up on the seats. Of course no one can see my dodgy hip !! I shall have to start brandishing a walking stick !!

[n00dles]

Yes dot,

Living here in God's waiting room, its more likely that I offer my seat to an elderly person rather than pregnant lady, etc. Lived and worked in London for most of my life and from an early age always proffered my seat, whether on tube or bus.

In my youth everyone (well nearly), queued politely for the bus, and you took your turn (even if you might not get on the first one). Unfortunately, we have taken the European way of Not queuing, and it's a free for all - believe me you wouldn't get on any bus in London if you waited your turn! I have in the past come to blows with fellow travellers for queue jumping and nearly had a rolled up umbrella shoved in my face for challenging someone who had arrived just before the bus pulled up at the stop, which I and many others had been waiting at for some time! Now I have had to chicken out of saying anything when I go to London, because I would be accused of racial discrimination, it is That bad!!

[cole13uk]

Absolutley, I use public transport all the time and always give up my seat if required by someone more needy of it

[shaneystar2]

I had to laugh at Noodles ....many years ago when we lived in Wimbledon I was waiting for a bus in the pouring rain ..only one there ..... bus pulls up and from nowhere come these two old girls ..brollies at the ready, shoved in front of me wielding these brollies and pushing me out of the way.
" Age before beauty " they said and I replied "Dirt before the broom ladies,on you go".The bus driver rolled up and said I had made his day !!

[dot.hawkes]

happy birthday Ed!!!!!!!!! hope it has been a reasonably good one!!!!!!!!!!

[bernardo]

I think I have, but I only do buses rarely, and find that there is a shortage of seats even more rarely. So the opportunity hardly ever arises.