Who would you give your seat to on a bus and why?

Pregnant women, young child, elderly, disabled, someone who looks unstable as the bus moves, woman carrying a baby.

Almost every time I stand to give up my seat, a man nearby offers so I can stay seated. They often don’t think of it first, but once they witness it they step in.

I’m a young guy. I have given up my seat on the subway many times.
Pretty much anyone that’s older than me can have it. I don’t care about standing anyway.

Anyone who looks as though they need to sit down more than I do. Likewise, I only accept the offer for a seat if I really need it. Although I would like to add that since I usually ride toward the back of the bus, I am rarely in a position to offer my seat to someone.

Anyone who looks like they need it more than me.
The only time I’m ever on a bus anymore is at an airport tram and there are very few seats on those. I’m getting old enough that occasionally someone will offer their seat for me.

No rigid rules, just do they need the seat more than I do.

Thinking it over it’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s my personal basis. If I’m sitting next to someone, if they will mind me giving up my seat, then I won’t offer.

Edit: I believe we all hit Answer at the same time… or you guys read my mind, either way, bite me ;P

” Who would you give your seat to on a bus and why? ”

Pretty much as you state as to who I give my seat to on public transport.

Why?

Because I try to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

I don’t take the bus, so I wouldn’t have a seat to give up.

“Who would you give your seat to on a bus…?

Anyone who requested it, or looked like they needed it.

”...and why?”

Because my parents brought me up that way.

All of the above, but also, anyone who’s carrying a lot of stuff.

Pretty much a no brainer IMO. All the obviously stated.
Also blind, deaf, dumb and blind, insane, smelly, brandishing weapons, talking to themselves, drunk with the possibility of projectile vomiting on me, morbidly obese with a chance of falling on me, anyone in costume, prosthetic limbs, dentures, carrying oxygen tanks, you know, your run o’ the mill city dwellers.

Only to someone who had had two total knee replacements (and the x-rays to prove it).

I also let pregnant women and young children who are doing a jig ahead of me in the ladies room.

@gailcalled :).

I give up my seat to anybody who looks like they need it. I don’t mind standing.

I would offer my seat to anyone who looks like they need it more than I do.Being good/nice to strangers can be quite rewarding.I treat people with respect and consideration unless they show they have no respect for themselves or others.

@Rarebear

and bonus…if someone yells out ” Is there a doctor on the bus” you can wave your arm around. lol

I don’t take public transit often. There has never been a need for me too.

@Coloma Thank goodness it’s never happened to me. I have a buddy who was on a plane on a vacation with his family to Hawaii and some guy was having a mild heart attack. My friend, despite himself, thought, “Please let us be more than half way to Hawaii”. They landed in Honolulu and the patient was fine.

The MBTA has signs up asking passengers to give their seat to the elderly or those with physical challenges (pregnant, infirm, someone with a baby in their arms, even passengers with lots of packages). I delight in doing so, as I am almost 70, and every time I do it I am surrounded by 20-somethings that are so preoccupied with their hand-held devices they don’t seem aware that there is a real world around them. I like to stand up and glare at them for keeping their seats.

The usual, elderly, pregnant, or young child. Someone with a cane, crutches, or walker I might give my seat up.

I’m on the same page as most of the posters here. My seat will go to a woman (any woman for that matter), the elderly, the infirm, handicapped individuals. It’s just out and out common courtesy and decency, in my humble opionion.

I compare it to what I might do in a grocery store, as courtesy goes. If I’m in the checkout line and I see someone with less items than I have behind me, I let them go ahead of me instead of them having to wait longer for me to finish.

Yes I would. I would give my seat to anyone that needed it. I’m 34, I don’t need to sit.

Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves & especially Dennis Hopper.
See, if that lot were on the bus i’d figure one of three scenarios were playing out.

1. “There’s a bomb on this bus!” (Said in a wooden, robotic tone.) Get me outta there!
2. They were shooting a second sequel with the original cast & well…I go all camera shy.
3. In the case of Hopper, i’m clearly on the wrong set anyway…“I see dead people.”

I used to ride the bus all the time and I only ever gave my seat up for old women. All others would refuse if I offered and even a few old ladies refused. Usually though, someone else would offer to give up their seat before I had the chance.

An elderly person, a pregnant woman, any person with a walker/cane/cast/sling/etc, or a woman with a baby. I take a bus from the parking area to campus every day and it’s all college students. I see guys giving their seats up for girls all the time. Screw that. We’re all in our 20’s. She’s a big girl; she can stand for three minutes. If I were a guy, I don’t think of be much of a gentleman.

Pretty much anyone at all. I feel like I can make a quicker getaway if I’m standing.

@gailcalled gets first dibs.

I don’t think I have ever needed to give up my seat (others have given up theirs before I would have given up mine), but I would to almost anyone who seemed to need it. I am very proud of my 16 year-old who very quickly stands up and motions to others to take his seat.

I’d just like to add that there are many invisible reasons why people might need to sit. I have been not-visibly-pregnant with headaches, nausea and lightheadedness. I have had blood clots in my lungs and been terribly short of breath and in pain (with lingering breathing effects even years later). I have had chronic back pain since I was 12. So as a healthy-appearing (and actually quite healthy in most ways) 30-something year-old woman, I may not seem to need a seat. I know that the same is true for others.

@Cupcake so true. I am late twenties and look younger. But I have experienced leg cramping, blood sugar problems, my stomach in such much pain that a mere jostle felt excruciating.

Luckily transit isn’t a good option here but there are so many other mrscenarios where I came so very close despite pride and embarrassment for just the smallest favor… Moving up in a line, or a chair in a waiting room…and having been there when I am feeling ok I am much more likely to notice people that don’t typically fit a preconception but have pain glazed eyes…

@Cupcake Have you ever asked someone to give up their seat for you?

@JLeslie Dear God no. Never. I would rather pass out and fall and break my nose. Actually, I would ask a child. But not an adult. And I would probably rather not deal with a teenager.

I currently have bronchitis and am pregnant (with my 3rd). I pee my pants coughing daily. I will now add coughing into my “you may pee ahead of me” equation.

@Cupcake I have never asked someone to give up their seat, but I might if I really needed to sit down. I wouldn’t ask a child, are we still talking about a bus? I give up my seat for children on a bus, or at least offer it. I do ask men to help me put my carry-on in the above head compartment on a plane, and I ask men and women to hold a door for me if I am carrying something heavy with both hands. If someone said they were feeling badly and needed to sit I would stand or scooch over and squeeze them in depending on the seating situation and how long the ride was. Anyone who asks to go in front of me in the bathroom I let ahead. I figure if someone is asking they are desparate. I think it is ok to ask for help when you need it. Invisible pain and illness is very difficult, I know where you are coming from.

People who need it more than I do.

@JLeslie The situation I was thinking of was in a department store when I was sitting on a bench in front of my sleeping baby in a stroller and two loud kids came over to me and asked me to move so that they could sit down (and fool around… not try on shoes). I would ask a kid who was fooling around to move so that I could sit in general… I was not really picturing a bus seat in specific.

@Cupcake Oh, I was just going back to the original quesion. Recently, I was sitting in a stadium and I moved to a space that had one of those chair backs, because the entire stadium is benches. Halfway through the game the people arrived and I went to move out of the “chair” and the mom told me to stay, that her son is young and doesn’t need it. I asked if she was sure and she reassured me, and I stayed. He was early teens. It was very helpful for me. But, sometimes very young children don’t hold on well on a bus, or are more still if they sit, and then that can be an argument in some situations where young children get preference over adults. I remember one long bus ride, over two hours, we were sitting and at one stop a woman and two little girls came on. We offered to let them sit on our laps and they refused. Afetr about 45 minutes they finally did sit down. It can be hard for young children to stand a long time and they were getting tired.

As already mentioned, the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, people with babies or a lot of kids, some guy who sticks a knife to my throat going, gimme yo seat, slutbag!

Anybody. I’m healthy and willing to stand or walk, no big deal.

Anyone who needs it (or looks like they need it) more than I do.