What's happened to manners?

[Anonymous]

OP, it may be that people are rude but it also may be that they are reading their papers and not looking up. If I sit in the senior citizen/handicapped seats I try to look up at each stop to see if anyone needs a seat but most don't.

Here's what I did when I was on crutches. I entered the door by the special seats and when people saw me they usually gave me a seat. But if no one noticed I had entered, I just announced loudly and pleasantly so everyone could hear, "Could someone give me a seat?" It always worked. If people had been deliberately ignoring me before, I'm sure the social pressure of having everyone else notice their failure to stand up worked on them and got me a seat.

Before I started doing this, I would stand in the aisle, wondering if someone would notice I was on crutches and then give me a seat and just the awkwardness of dealing with being this odd person on crutches was uncomfortable. By walking in and announcing I needed a seat to no one in particular (but loud enough for everyone to hear), I felt like I got that discomfort out of the way right away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets think about it this way. The person in the seat paid the same fare as you. WHY should they have to give up their seat for you? I may be tired I could have stood myself for the past 10 stops before you got on, hell I could be handicapped myself and you don't know it but assume you see a healthy person being mean because they are not jumping up offering their seat, that they paid for. It works both ways.

I have a hard time believing this post is serious. (Not being snarky.) You truly believe that just because you paid the same fare and might also be tired, that an able-bodied person shouldn't give up his/her seat to a heavily pregnant woman, disabled person, or elderly person??

PP, now we all know that the previous jerk is the person sitting in the handicapped seat, pretending they're reading.

I bet their mom stood up in the metro the entire pregnancy that's why his/her brain is so messed up.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong decade. People these days are very rude and I only by the 'fog' theory for some. I'm VERY pregnant at this point and have NEVER had a white man offer me his seat. I don't know why that is but it really is true in my own experience that it's typically other women. I even saw a man standing next to a seat and resting his bag on it and he was so apalled when I asked him if I could use the seat. He wasn't even sitting there! Why he thought his bag needed it more than me, I'll never know but I am very petite and 9 months so there's no question I'm pregnant. I had a white guy that was sitting down and he actually pushed the movable handrail towards me and sat back down. Gee thanks pal, like that makes a difference! I would definitely make my child stand for someone else, especially if I had a boy. I think it's important to teach them what it means to be a gentleman. At what age they should start learning that, I'm not really sure how early is too early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets think about it this way. The person in the seat paid the same fare as you. WHY should they have to give up their seat for you? I may be tired I could have stood myself for the past 10 stops before you got on, hell I could be handicapped myself and you don't know it but assume you see a healthy person being mean because they are not jumping up offering their seat, that they paid for. It works both ways.

I have a hard time believing this post is serious. (Not being snarky.) You truly believe that just because you paid the same fare and might also be tired, that an able-bodied person shouldn't give up his/her seat to a heavily pregnant woman, disabled person, or elderly person??

PP, now we all know that the previous jerk is the person sitting in the handicapped seat, pretending they're reading.

I bet their mom stood up in the metro the entire pregnancy that's why his/her brain is so messed up.

My brain is very fine thank you. As I said how do you not know the person sitting is not disabled themselves? How do you not know they just sat down? Last I checked pregnancy didn't count as a disability, and there ARE seats for the elderly/disabled. If those seats are being occupied by other people, whoever needs a seat needs to speak up. If you don't speak up chances are you wont get to sit down. People are not entitled to give up their seat period. Before I as a woman stand, there should be men offering their seats. FWIW I drive and never use public transportation so no need to worry about me hogging a seat.

[Anonymous]

People are not entitled to give up their seat period. Before I as a woman stand, there should be men offering their seats.

Your position is internally inconsistent. No one should have to give up their seats "period," but men have to give theirs up before you do? You can't have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

People are not entitled to give up their seat period. Before I as a woman stand, there should be men offering their seats.

Your position is internally inconsistent. No one should have to give up their seats "period," but men have to give theirs up before you do? You can't have it both ways.

No they dont have to give their seat either if they dont want to. Just saying IF someone were to give their seat it should be men. But I can see what you're saying. Ive gotta go clean so I can catch octopussy later on TV chow

[Anonymous]

PP here when I speak "I as a woman" pertains to all women not specifically me

[Anonymous]

My brain is very fine thank you. As I said how do you not know the person sitting is not disabled themselves? How do you not know they just sat down? Last I checked pregnancy didn't count as a disability, and there ARE seats for the elderly/disabled. If those seats are being occupied by other people, whoever needs a seat needs to speak up. If you don't speak up chances are you wont get to sit down. People are not entitled to give up their seat period. Before I as a woman stand, there should be men offering their seats. FWIW I drive and never use public transportation so no need to worry about me hogging a seat.

I think the thread, and the PP in particular, has proven the point. This isn't about being entitled, or who paid for what, it is about common courtesy and being kind to one another, and teaching that kindness and generousity to our children.

[Anonymous]

In fact pregnancy can be considered a disability. It carries the same protections as any other disability. You admit to driving and not even taking the metro. I'm sure that if you had a difficult pregnancy and had to walk what seemed forever just to get to the station and then had to stand while others knocked into you, you'd change your tune pretty quickly. I don't know how any able bodied person can sit while an elderly or pregnant person stands in front of them. So what if the person doesn't take the seat, JUST OFFER IT UP. I had a teenage boy offer his seat to me while all the so called men just sat and stared at him. That kid's parents taught him something that is clearly lacking today - empathy. I'm scared to know that people out there are so selfish. What kind of society have we become that we don't show each other common courtesy or respect? What the heck are you teaching your children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets think about it this way. The person in the seat paid the same fare as you. WHY should they have to give up their seat for you? I may be tired I could have stood myself for the past 10 stops before you got on, hell I could be handicapped myself and you don't know it but assume you see a healthy person being mean because they are not jumping up offering their seat, that they paid for. It works both ways.

I have a hard time believing this post is serious. (Not being snarky.) You truly believe that just because you paid the same fare and might also be tired, that an able-bodied person shouldn't give up his/her seat to a heavily pregnant woman, disabled person, or elderly person??

PP, now we all know that the previous jerk is the person sitting in the handicapped seat, pretending they're reading.

I bet their mom stood up in the metro the entire pregnancy that's why his/her brain is so messed up.

My brain is very fine thank you. As I said how do you not know the person sitting is not disabled themselves? How do you not know they just sat down? Last I checked pregnancy didn't count as a disability, and there ARE seats for the elderly/disabled. If those seats are being occupied by other people, whoever needs a seat needs to speak up. If you don't speak up chances are you wont get to sit down. People are not entitled to give up their seat period. Before I as a woman stand, there should be men offering their seats. FWIW I drive and never use public transportation so no need to worry about me hogging a seat.

Your care is not perfect. Don't spit up, it can fall back on your forehead.

anyway, women want to be paid as man, want to have the same rights... why should men give up their seats first?

anyway again... the sign says "The law requires that these seats must be vacated for the elderly or handicapped" or something like that. The sign is there for a reason.
People are not polite enough to give away their seats so someone had to create a law to save the seats. Even after a law has been voted and approved people like you still didn't get it.

That's why there's law enforcement.
Why people don't park in handicapped spots?
BECAUSE OF THE TICKET.

[Anonymous]

this is very sad situation all around. i've stopped taking the bus with dd and walk instead even in the cold and rain because nobody ever offers to give us one seat when i get on a bus trying to carry her, bag, stroller. i have a neck injury from a car accident and i can't stand and manage all of those things at once on a moving bus. not to mention, i find the bus drivers drive dangerously and unless dd has a seat, she is practically thrown down the aisle. (acutally, that has really happened a few times).

another thing that irks me is people sitting in the metro seats directly adjacent to where the spaces are reserved for strollers and wheelchairs when there are clearly seats in the middle sections of the train. it's rude whether it's cluelessness or thoughtlessness or outright laziness/selfishness.

as a nearly able-bodied adult woman, i literally never sit down on the bus or the metro unless i have extenuating circumstances (neck pain that day or carrying something heavy). i don't even do it if there are seats because inevitably, someone always gets down at the next stop who needs it more.

[Anonymous]

I will usually wait for about 3-4 trains to go by before I find one with empty seats. I sit on the bench and literally feel like crying while I watch everyone get on the earlier trains. It's a really sad state that we are in these days. With all of these commom complaints, you'd think the metro would do more to encourage giving up those seats reserved by law. They sure do jump all over you for eating down there. Don't even get me started on the escalators and elevators that always seem to be out of service. Pregnancy doesn't last forever but I really feel horrible for those with lifelong disabilities and the elderly. They seem to be discarded which is really sad.

[Anonymous]

Instead of fuming in your silent bit of anger that someone hasn't offered up their seat just speak up! I am with the earlier poster who said they state it loud and clear from the moment entering the train that they need a seat. I believe the vast majority of daily metro riders are in la la land, not thinking about their surroundings. Jeez, everyone is just ranting on and on about why noone has given up their seat, what a bunch of jerks and thoughtless people... augh... SPEAK UP>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... The white males were the worst! DC has a lot of overgrown frat boys.

HA HA HA!! Loved that!! So True!!

I also noticed when I had young children in stroller how many people literally allow a door to slam in your face!

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely offer my seat. I would not make my kids get up if they were too young to hold on and would be bounced all over. Sometimes it's better for everyone that small kids have a seat because trying to ride standing up in a crowd as a little person is not easy. I mean, they fall, they bump into people, people push them. I would not want them sitting for comfort but for for their own protection.