public transport.

I was once standing on a full bus while pregnant. I was fine standing, as it happens, but the bus was terribly stuffy and I hate that so I reached over someone while saying: You don't mind if I open a window, do you?. At that point three people got up and offered me their seat! I think they simply hadn't noticed before that I was pregnant. Maybe they thought I was going to faint and that would have been even more troublesome than giving up their seat.

Buses on the continent are seen as transport for everybody who is standing waiting regardless of who was there first. All would-be passengers expect to board the bus, which they do by forming a thick crush of bodies all trying to get on at once. I am now used to this but was surprised to notice that in Rome, ladies of a certain age were always offered one of the few side seats. They can embark on the journey into town sure of being able to get a seat. Somehow without any sort of queue, they always manage to board the bus.
We polite ones, see an approaching bus or tram with a feeling of apprehension- not observing any sort of queue, we assume that if we were the first- which we often are, having failed to get on the previous bus because of the crush of people - we hope at least to get on, validate our tickets and find room to stand or even sit if we are lucky.
Fortunately I live in a small town and still drive and try to travel when the rush hour is over.

Going back to the first comment about people looking drab in dress as well as manner ---- is it obligatory for teen-agers to look sullen and bad tempered ? About public transport I have not come across a better service than the one in Turkey , 1 euro will take you almost anywhere and you can stay on bus all day if you wish ,and it will stop and pick up or drop off anywhere you want .. My son lives there and for £40 pounds a year the bins are emptied every day , the streets are swept and washed every day ,!!Women are never allowed to stand on the bus a gentleman will always give up his seat . Why have we gone so terribly wrong ?

Why do people eat on the bus? My local 'big' bus station has a Greggs in it and does a roaring trade with the passengers. There are signs up on the buses saying 'no eating and drinking' but everyone ignores them. It's horrible having a 20 mile journey fragranced buy a steak and onion slice and bag of cheezy wotsits.The drivers turn a blind eye and seem to be scared of confronting the passengers who are beligerant so-and-so's.
Some drivers are friendly and helpful, most are miserable and grumpy, I think they have a lot to put up with from the public and society is getting nastier and more selfish.

Bus driving is the most stressful job around, because it has all the stress factors: dealing with the public, handling money and having to keep it correct, being in traffic all day, being responsible for multiple lives, being inspected, and having to keep to a tight timetable.

My husband did some bus driving in New Zealand. One day he got sick of people taking too long to get off and making him late, so he got out of his seat, faced the passengers, and told them they had 5 seconds to get off in future. Well, next stop all the passengers started counting down 5-4-3-2-1. They were all in stitches, but it worked: everyone got off efficiently. He expected a backlash but he became highly popular.

My daughter is pregnant again and has found that while men are willing to give up their seat, it is the young women (who should empathise) who refuse to budge.

I'm 52 and look fit but have just had a knee operation. When I next go to London I'm going to take a collapsible walking stick and get it out when I have to use the train or underground.

...to hit people with, perhaps?