Is it rude to give a 2 or 3 year old a seat on a shuttle bus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the alternative? Let the child stand?

Every bus (shuttle and commuter) that I've rode on in the DC Metro area has required some degree of strength to hold on to bar/handle/seat while standing and the bus is in motion and balance to keep from falling over or bumping into someone ever time the driver made a sudden stop or took off from stop or made turns. I can't imagine putting a toddler in the same position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about the 35x shuttle, that thing has like 4 seats total. No, I would not put a kid on one of those unless there was absolutely no one in need of it, which is unlikely.

UGHHH I was just on this shuttle with my 2 and 4 year old and I am pregnant. Of course we were the last to board (waiting for gate checked luggage on the tarmac) and nobody gave us a seat. I was fine with standing but my 2 year old doesn't have the best balance, plus I had a stroller and a roller bag that I had to balance as well. It was pretty much a sh*t show. My 4 year old kept asking why other people had seats and we didn't. I wanted to say because they are a-holes who won't give their seats up for a toddler but refrained from saying so.

You're a a$$hole for thinking you and your children are entitled to a seat. First come, first served!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about the 35x shuttle, that thing has like 4 seats total. No, I would not put a kid on one of those unless there was absolutely no one in need of it, which is unlikely.

UGHHH I was just on this shuttle with my 2 and 4 year old and I am pregnant. Of course we were the last to board (waiting for gate checked luggage on the tarmac) and nobody gave us a seat. I was fine with standing but my 2 year old doesn't have the best balance, plus I had a stroller and a roller bag that I had to balance as well. It was pretty much a sh*t show. My 4 year old kept asking why other people had seats and we didn't. I wanted to say because they are a-holes who won't give their seats up for a toddler but refrained from saying so.

You're a a$$hole for thinking you and your children are entitled to a seat. First come, first served!

Ewww. I hope you are just ignorant about how this shuttle works. If you seriously think a shuttle with room for ~50 people standing should award its 4 seats on first come first served rather than need, you are most definitely the a$$hole. And if you're the person who said to bring an open stroller on board, LOL, you definitely haven't ridden this.

[Anonymous]

^ I've ridden this shuttle with a 2 year old, and I still wouldn't put her in one of the seats at the start of boarding - because the chances that we are one of the 4 people most in need of those seats are low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ I've ridden this shuttle with a 2 year old, and I still wouldn't put her in one of the seats at the start of boarding - because the chances that we are one of the 4 people most in need of those seats are low.

OP here who was riding with my kids. If I was with only one kid then sure no problem - I could probably handle the stroller, bag and hold on to my kid to make sure they didn't fall. But I was riding with two kids while pregnant. I figured that would give me some leeway in getting a seat for one of us, preferably the 2 year old. But nope, completely able-bodied adults just sat and watched as my 2 year old flopped around the shuttle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I've ridden this shuttle with a 2 year old, and I still wouldn't put her in one of the seats at the start of boarding - because the chances that we are one of the 4 people most in need of those seats are low.

OP here who was riding with my kids. If I was with only one kid then sure no problem - I could probably handle the stroller, bag and hold on to my kid to make sure they didn't fall. But I was riding with two kids while pregnant. I figured that would give me some leeway in getting a seat for one of us, preferably the 2 year old. But nope, completely able-bodied adults just sat and watched as my 2 year old flopped around the shuttle.

I'm the quoted PP (and PPP) - If able bodied people took those seats and watched you struggle, they are total jerks. I don't disagree at all. They probably were absorbed in their phones and/or packed so tightly you had no shot at navigating to those seats anyway

But your original question was whether it was (would have been) rude to give your kid one of those seats - and I think in some cases it would have been rude, yes, depending on who else is on this bus.

That said, I think we can all agree that we are counting the minutes until these terrible 35x shuttles die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I've ridden this shuttle with a 2 year old, and I still wouldn't put her in one of the seats at the start of boarding - because the chances that we are one of the 4 people most in need of those seats are low.

OP here who was riding with my kids. If I was with only one kid then sure no problem - I could probably handle the stroller, bag and hold on to my kid to make sure they didn't fall. But I was riding with two kids while pregnant. I figured that would give me some leeway in getting a seat for one of us, preferably the 2 year old. But nope, completely able-bodied adults just sat and watched as my 2 year old flopped around the shuttle.

Ha! I have 3 kids (4.5, 2.5, <1) and was travelling alone with them (in emergency circumstances, before you judge) and did exactly what the PP suggested for 35X and the driver told me I couldn't have the stroller open... So, there's that. No one gave me a seat either, PP, and it totally sucked and my 4.5 year old fell on someone, because I could not carry my <1, hold on to my 2.5 year old, hold on to my 4.5 year old and hold on myself. 2 of the seats were taken by people who needed them. 2 of them were absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about the 35x shuttle, that thing has like 4 seats total. No, I would not put a kid on one of those unless there was absolutely no one in need of it, which is unlikely.

UGHHH I was just on this shuttle with my 2 and 4 year old and I am pregnant. Of course we were the last to board (waiting for gate checked luggage on the tarmac) and nobody gave us a seat. I was fine with standing but my 2 year old doesn't have the best balance, plus I had a stroller and a roller bag that I had to balance as well. It was pretty much a sh*t show. My 4 year old kept asking why other people had seats and we didn't. I wanted to say because they are a-holes who won't give their seats up for a toddler but refrained from saying so.

You're a a$$hole for thinking you and your children are entitled to a seat. First come, first served!

Ewww. I hope you are just ignorant about how this shuttle works. If you seriously think a shuttle with room for ~50 people standing should award its 4 seats on first come first served rather than need, you are most definitely the a$$hole. And if you're the person who said to bring an open stroller on board, LOL, you definitely haven't ridden this.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine (and preferred) to give a wobbly preschooler a seat on a bus -- it's not like they can reach the overhead strap to hang on. I'd give up a seat to a family with a small child.

My kid was maybe five going on six when he was comfortably able to stand on a city bus and hang on to the pole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d put the kid in my lap to make room for someone else to sit.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the alternative? Let the child stand?

I assume the alternative would be to let the kid sit on a parent's lap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I've ridden this shuttle with a 2 year old, and I still wouldn't put her in one of the seats at the start of boarding - because the chances that we are one of the 4 people most in need of those seats are low.

OP here who was riding with my kids. If I was with only one kid then sure no problem - I could probably handle the stroller, bag and hold on to my kid to make sure they didn't fall. But I was riding with two kids while pregnant. I figured that would give me some leeway in getting a seat for one of us, preferably the 2 year old. But nope, completely able-bodied adults just sat and watched as my 2 year old flopped around the shuttle.

I think she meant that she was the OP of the post you were referring to, not the OP of the entire thread.

--OP of the entire thread

[Anonymous]

No, it isn't rude, but don't that thing some of you do where you stare and make passive aggressive comments indicating you expect adults to give up their seat for your precious snowflake

[Anonymous]

PP. Case in point 14:29 who appointed themselves judge and jury of who they feel "needs" a seat. I'd LOVE for you to try to tell my disabled partner that he doesn't appear to NEED a seat so little Buford can sit, since you wouldn't be able to actually see his scars and injuries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are talking about the 35x shuttle, that thing has like 4 seats total. No, I would not put a kid on one of those unless there was absolutely no one in need of it, which is unlikely.

UGHHH I was just on this shuttle with my 2 and 4 year old and I am pregnant. Of course we were the last to board (waiting for gate checked luggage on the tarmac) and nobody gave us a seat. I was fine with standing but my 2 year old doesn't have the best balance, plus I had a stroller and a roller bag that I had to balance as well. It was pretty much a sh*t show. My 4 year old kept asking why other people had seats and we didn't. I wanted to say because they are a-holes who won't give their seats up for a toddler but refrained from saying so.

I've been in a situation like this, and I just ask people nicely if they woudln't mind sparing a seat so my kids can sit. Never had someone say no. If there are priority seats, I ask at those first since those are designated for small children/etc.