Saturday, 25 July 2009
-
Do the right thing? Giving up your seat
Imagine you're waiting on the platform in the subway after a long day in the city. You were walking around, taking in the sights and enjoying nice conversation with some friends. You can't even count how many blocks you walked. All you know is that you're tired and you feel physically drained. Your feet are sore and the back of your ankles are torn open from your shoes. You're dreaming of the benches in the train. Light blue, slightly dirty, smells a bit odd, with a dip in the back. Usually it's uncomfortable, but you can't think of a more relaxing place.
When your train arrives, you hurry in and nearly shove your way for a seat. It's even a "good" seat. You know the one I'm talking about, it's the one next to the door. The one's with the bars next to it that you can lean against. You tilt your head against the bars and think about the day you've had.
The train is moving along now, shaking back and forth, pulling into various stations. People get on and off, and you don't really seem to notice.
That is until a woman with a stroller, a baby and too many bags boards the train. The train rocks back and forth, and takes off.
Uh oh.
First, you look around to see if anyone else is making moves to get up for her. No one is stirring. Does no one else even notice her? Why, oh why, are you the only one with a conscience? You're feeling guilty. This woman has too many things to carry and a baby. On the other hand, she's not old, and she does have a stroller to carry her bags for her. Under normal circumstances, you would certainly give your seat to her. As you shift your weight to your feet in a futile attempt to stand, you feel a strike of pain hit your ankles and your soles.
What do you do? Do you get up for the woman?
Author's note: That person was me today. In the end, I gave the woman my seat, only for her to get off the next stop... and for me to lose it afterward.
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to mancouch's Mancouch Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in mancouch's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: Stephanie
- Name: Stephanie
- About Me: I like Girl Scout cookies. Who in their right mind can deny a Thanks-A-Lot or Thin Mint? Surely not me.
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 1 44 Views: 445 106528 Comments: 10 2560 View all posts by Stephanie
Comments (25)
I usually get up for them.
i would give it up
First come, first serve.
That was very nice of u to give up ur seat and maybe she will return the favor and do something nice for someone else. I would have probably felt guitly and gave up my seat too.
I would give my seat up. If I have no real need to be sitting other than I'm tired and have some pain in the legs/feet, then I'll give it to someone who actually does need it.
I would give it up unless I was in real feet pain. But as feet pain aren't noticeable by other people, I'd still feel guilty.
Getting up for someone is not a big deal if you're younger and most likely more energetic.
give it up! just common courtesy ^^
i give up my seat for old people, little kids, or people with little kids.
@GaMeGurLsH@xanga - Right!? There are no signs above your heads that say "FEET IN MAJOR PAIN!"
Who can be the judge of seat-needs?
I'd give it up in the hopes I'm racking up martyr points somewhere. =P
No, I wouldn't get up and I wouldn't feel guilty about it. I commute into town every day and one of the things you learn from that is that people can take care of themselves. When you take public transportation, you have to be prepared for the fact that all the seats may be taken and you may have to stand the entire way there. If you can't be an adult about it, then you shouldn't be taking public transportation in the first place. I've had knee problems for months and the jerky stop-and-go motion while standing makes them incredibly painful by the time I get to my stop, but I don't feel entitled to a seat. If they're all taken by the time I get on, then I suck it up and deal with the pain.
I usually give them the seat, then stand very close so I can regain the seat when they leave.
I'm selfish, so to be honest - I would close my eyes and pretend not to notice.
I'm going to hell, yes.
If someone offer me a seat on public transport and I accept it, I'm going to make sure the person get his or her seat back. Since the lady with the baby can't even do that, she was inconsiderate to take the seat especially if she know she was leaving the next stop. It's only appropriate to fairly take and give.
Then again, if I give up a seat for someone,
you can bet I'll be standing real close to that person to grab the seat
back afterwards.
I always give up for my seats for elderly people, younger kids, and mothers that have their hands full. Its just common courtesy I was taught from a young age to do that.
I'd give it up... unless I'm really tired, they're older than me and/or even if it's one of those days where my headphones didn't break on me so I'm listening to my iPod then I'd just slightly turn it up and act totally oblivious.
I give my seat up for the elderly and those that NEED it, a woman with kids or a pregnant woman doesn't need it. She made the choice to first have kids, and second to take public transportation. She knows what she faces when she travels, no one owes her anything, sorry to say.
And despite my picture, I am a woman.
I pretend to sleep to avoid being kicked off. It works 50% of the time. Unfortunately the other 50% of the time I usually get up because there's some pregnant women to polite to ask me to get up standing in front of me, and I feel bad.
i feel really bad for people living in big cities who are forced to take public transpo.
@jme012@xanga - I solve that problem by literally sleeping on the bus. That way I don't notice the long commute and the passengers that I'm sharing the ride with. ><
I used to always stand on the sub way when I'd go to Toronto, or had to take the bus here. Unless there were not many people.
Still give up my seat no matter what.
I always give up my seat for children or the elderly.
i'd give it up, i've done it before.
so utterly exhausted that you have no idea how you're still standing at this point.
but for some reason i just...like doing that little Random Act Of Kindness.
Theres a blog dedicated to assholes not giving up their seats to the handicap/elderly. Photos are taken and the train number and time of day... wish to god i could remember it.... damn.
I never sit down on the metro unless its empty anyway. Much rather stand.