origin

Just out of curiosity how would you police this.

I had a lady muttering under her voice thinking I had done wrong, by not giving her my seat. THis wasnt travel related. I cant stand long any more, if i had I would have been on the floor.

Saint4805

People often judge others too quickly without knowing the facts. Not doing so should be one of life's golden rules.

I was recovering from a hip injury and was unable to run. Had a fellow gym member remark because I was using a treadmill for brisk walking and not running. It didn't occur to them that I was mid rehab and regardless of that I could have used the treadmill for walking if I so choose.

Too much travel

I can't believe we've gone through the entire thread so far without addressing the fundamental question of whether they were jam-first or cream-first

Flexible preferences

Because everyone knows the answer to that - jam!

Wozza2404

Generally yes, but on the flip side there are few things more terrifying to a British person than following a stranger through a series of doors; as once you're deployed "thanks", "cheers" and "nice one" there really isn't any other option available.

QueenOfCoach

My favorite T3-T5 bus story:

It was a grey, gloomy day in England. Many T3 arrivals are long-haul, meaning the passengers are already tired, jetlagged and in a grey gloomy mood. I got on the bus and was surrounded by grey, gloomy people.

The bus pulled away from the terminal. A tiny voice in the back started singing "The wheels of the bus go round and round...".

I had to crack a smile and noticed many of the other passengers did, too. I think of that cheerful little person every time I get on the transfer bus.

orbitmic

Well, the parents were certainly neither as sweet as a good strawberry preserve nor as smooth as a lovely clotted cream. This is more a case of being served scones with margarine and malt vinegar or something if that gives you a vague sense of the shock horror those individuals provoked!

Greenpen

Diver Boy

Last Thursday popped into London on the tube from LHR to meet an ex colleague for lunch. Saw an interesting take on modern parenting. This mother got on and started abusing passengers for not giving up their seats for her precious darling. Managed to not say anything but one person made certain she knew what he thought of her attitude.

Wozza2404

Depends. As Jack Dee once said, "It's better to let a pregnant woman stand on the tube than to end up with a fat girl sat down sobbing."

Calchas

It’s easier to stand up all the time than endure the awkward moment as you try to evaluate whether it would be insulting to offer your seat to someone who didn’t need it.

Lefly

Many years ago, while I was pregnant, I had to use the Milan metro. No one, in the carriage I got in, stood up and offered me a seat. They must have read that quote...

orbitmic

I've actually witnessed the same in the tube. A couple of weeks ago a lady who was clearly towards the end of her pregnancy and with a kid of about three by her sideentered the tube on my way from Heathrow through the other side of the carriage (the opposite set of doors). I was sat with two big bags on top of me but was shocked that nobody in that part of the carriage (not that it makes a difference, but at least 80% of those sat there were women which confirms that pigs are to be found in both genders). I left my bag on the seat for a sec to go and ask her as discretely as I could (not easy) whether she wanted to sit down which she accepted more gratefully than ought to have been a case if more people automatically did the right thing. I just thought that this was really sad.

hsmall

I agree with the general tenor of the debate so far but at the lifts at T5 I have noticed sometimes one piece of old fashioned manners that should be consigned to the metaphorical dustbin: men holding back to allow women to enter first. (I've also noticed this at my otherwise highly progressive place of work to the extent that I catch myself doing it unconsciously there.) This should stop.

typical

Rather than ask with an assumption, I will often just try to make eye contact and then stand up. The downside is that about 10% of the time, someone else will nip in to take the seat.

Having been left standing in the vestibule of a Virgin train from Northampton to London before - while on crutches - I'm a little sensitive about this.