Giving up your seat

Author
Discussion

superlightr

12,842 posts

262 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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9mm said:
If they're pregnant, old, struggling with a kid or visibly disabled. No chance otherwise. That's one of the prices of equality.
how pregnant?

5-Oh

206 posts

106 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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superlightr said:
how pregnant?
Had sex with man

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

177 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
quotequote all
5-Oh said:
superlightr said:
how pregnant?
Had sex with man
laughclap

sunnygym

993 posts

174 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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5-Oh said:
superlightr said:
how pregnant?
Had sex with man
That really made me chuckle!

sunnygym

993 posts

174 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
quotequote all
5-Oh said:
superlightr said:
how pregnant?
Had sex with man
That really made me chuckle!

AJS-

15,366 posts

235 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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I think the gripe would be best addressed to the train company who are massively overselling their trains. It's sort of inevitable on short commuter runs but if there are more passengers than seats for 2 hours that's shoddy, unless those who buy on arrival are prepared to stand.

ascayman

12,732 posts

215 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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This is quite topical for me, i've travelled on the tube for 15 years and have always given my seat up for anyone who's looked either pregnant, old or injured in any way.

6 weeks ago I had a bit of a nasty incident which resulted in 2 broken bones in my back, a dislocated shoulder, a broken collarbone 4 broken ribs a punctured lung and some damage to my leg.

Its hard to tell the extend of damage done as the only visible signs that im injured are that my arm is up in a sling, that said id have thought would be enough, it would have been for me to offer a seat.

I've been travelling back into work now for the last week and a half and not once either on the way in or on the way back have I been offered a seat.

Claret Badger

214 posts

167 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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When I was a kid travelling by tube, you would be told by your parent to give up your seat if any adult was seen standing. Now it seems totally the other way around and adults give up their seat for kids!

I broke my leg a few years back so was on crutches, and I have to say, without fail, on every tube journey someone would offer their seat to me, even though I was happy to stand and so certainly wasn't looking for anyone to move.

Sounds strange, but 4 months on crutches gave me a much more optimistic outlook on the general public. People really were very helpful at every opportunity. And Im normally such a misanthrope.

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

231 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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Claret Badger said:
I broke my leg a few years back so was on crutches, and I have to say, without fail, on every tube journey someone would offer their seat to me, even though I was happy to stand and so certainly wasn't looking for anyone to move.

Sounds strange, but 4 months on crutches gave me a much more optimistic outlook on the general public. People really were very helpful at every opportunity. And Im normally such a misanthrope.
I had an identical experience when I was in plaster too and felt the same

joefraser

725 posts

110 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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5-Oh said:
Pregnant, with kids, elderly or disabled in some way - fair play. Everyone else can fk off.
That's how I roll (or sit)

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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If it's out of london it's every man for himself IMO.

HairyMaclary

3,648 posts

194 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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You're all sitting in the wrong part of the train. Behind the door, 2nd set of 4, window seat facing the end of the carrage. Or middle of the carrage set of 4 sitting next to the window. No worries about feeling like you need to give up your seat. Sit in the aise near the doors and you're fked.

I also get to Victoria 20 mins on early on the way home to get a seat. Any later and you've got no chance.

DonkeyApple

54,918 posts

168 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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HairyMaclary said:
You're all sitting in the wrong part of the train. Behind the door, 2nd set of 4, window seat facing the end of the carrage. Or middle of the carrage set of 4 sitting next to the window. No worries about feeling like you need to give up your seat. Sit in the aise near the doors and you're fked.

I also get to Victoria 20 mins on early on the way home to get a seat. Any later and you've got no chance.
Sit wherever you like and every few minutes twitch violently and shout an expletive. No one is going to bother you.

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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DonkeyApple said:
Sit wherever you like and every few minutes twitch violently and shout an expletive. No one is going to bother you.
Tourette's syndrome.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 29th July 2015
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On the tube I will happily give up my seat for anyone who needs it.

However on the east coast line sod em, had couple of incidents, one where I did offer my seat to a women who was heavily pregnant, sweating like a prop forward and huffing and puffing, she replied I am effing fat not pregnant and proceeded to rant feminist tripe whilst I buried my face in my laptop until I snapped back with I was only being polite, and undermined that point by telling her to suffer then you salad dodging sad sack.


Another where I had a booked seat in first class (one of the uber rare occasions that 1st class is cheaper than standard) and the two trains before this one had been cancelled. So it was chaos and standing room only all the way to leeds.
This snotty women loudly announced that if some men were gentlemen they would give up their seats her her and her brood, I looked into the isle expecting to see some disabled kids with gummy legs, but no they were content sat on the floor filling in colouring books.

BluePurpleRed

1,137 posts

225 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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I got very dirty looks when I pointed out there were 2 priority seats in each sub section of the tube carriage when I was "told" to vacate mine when I used the N Line. Sorry but I used my brain to sit in the non priority seat earlier so the mug who didn't when there were loads free should suffer. Again I agree .. woman in reserved seat - couldn't give a st about anyone else if a 30ish white man is about to move instead.

Now Southern trains have a Priority Seasting section and, brilliantly a card you can apply for. Hence of sitting in a normal seat you can ask for said card? Oh... don't have one.. not a priority then are you.

Boydie88

3,283 posts

148 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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BrettMRC said:
£7k and 5hours a day on the train is worry it *not* to live in London! biggrin
But there are loads of very nice places all within an hour of London?! That is a mental commute. Can only assume you have some strong ties to your home. But on topic, good on you.

BrettMRC

Original Poster:

4,033 posts

159 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Two prize winning censoreds asked a fellow commuter and I to give up our seats for their mountain bikes last night! redcard

I'm starting to enjoy telling people to do one - its very liberating! smash



Moonhawk

10,730 posts

218 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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Vandenberg said:
This snotty women loudly announced that if some men were gentlemen they would give up their seats her her and her brood, I looked into the isle expecting to see some disabled kids with gummy legs, but no they were content sat on the floor filling in colouring books.
If we are going to start applying principles from the 1950 backward - then surely women (and children) should know their place and be seen but not heard - works both ways biggrin

Honestly - you get the feeling that sometimes people want their cake and eat it.

Edited by Moonhawk on Thursday 30th July 12:31

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

231 months

Thursday 30th July 2015
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This thread amazes me. I have commuted into London for 15 years and I have never encountered a woman who expects a man to give up her seat for her, either on the mainline or the underground.

But I do have an anecdote from my favourite ever example of this.
One evening the train was packed and unusually it was one with tables. I was by the window and diagonally opposite me was a woman of around 40 give or take. Standing next to her in the crowded aisle was a woman who was marginally older. Perhaps 45 or so, dressed in smart business clothes but there was no more than 5 years between them.
Suddenly this sitting woman said to the standing one "Here, please sit here. You can have my seat".
Standing woman just looked utterly bewildered, as was I, and replied "I'm fine thanks" in a confused manner.
Not taking the hint, sitting woman said "No, no, I insist. I cant sit here while you stand"
Standing woman, now embarrassed and mortified repeated "No thank you" quite firmly.
TO my utter amazement and delight sitting-down idiot responded by standing up and borderline manhandling this poor woman into her seat whilst saying "No,no, I know how tiring this is for my mother when she has to take trains like this".
By now this poor woman was close to tears with embarrassment as the idiot woman stood next to her look proud of herself and trying to continue the conversation and muttered "I didn't think I looked that old".
I felt extremely sorry for her so I leaned forward in my seat and said loudly "Don't worry at all. You don't. You look exactly the same age as her (and pointed to the crazy smug woman who was looking and going bright red) so it was as weird to us as it was to you".
The change of expressions were priceless. Older woman went from looking traumatised to relief in an instant, whilst younger woman went from looking smug and self-satisfied to bright scarlet and utterly mortified before fighting her way through the crowds to get away from us.