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Ettiquete on public transport

(2 Posts)
kjmpde Tue 05-May-26 15:20:17

When I was a child it was considered good manners for a child to stand up if an adult wanted a seat on the bus. People also moved their hats, bags etc if they saw a passenger who needed a seat. Now I see young children occupying a seat. People who will not move their things or move up to allow people to sit down-. I find it is the mature people who have the least manners. I had to ask a woman in her 50s to move her bag so I could sit down. She then spoke on her phone about sitting "next to an idiot". She stood up to get off the bus but did not say excuse me . I said I was getting off at the next stop and as suggested by the signs on the bus - it was best to sit down till the bus stopped. When we got off, she walked a few yards and turned round and told me that I needed to have manners. I personally thought it was the other way around

so my question to the grans generation - do you encourage your grandkids to stand up or sit on your lap? do you move your bag or hat to allow people to sit down?

or am i living in the wrong era?

VANECAM Tue 05-May-26 15:44:44

When everyone used public transport, customs were more easily passed on and taken up by all passenger, young and old.

Customs have become more muddled over time and irregular travellers are unfamiliar with unwritten codes (that we may call good manners).

Yesterday when walking the dog on the pathway, I stood to one side to allow a young person on a scooter coming at speed in the opposite direction, to have unobstructed use of the path. She whizzed along with a total absence of words or sign of thanks.

I also couldn’t help thinking that when I was a child on my small scooter, it was good manners for the child to give way, stand aside and grant use of the whole pavement to older people.