Bus manners

[d-girl]

We just retrned from our trip to WDW. We stayed at ASMo our last 5 nights and one of my biggest disappointments was riding the bus home from MVMCP! We got on the bus after the 10:45 parade and there were 2 men who took up seats with their strollers. One man had a stroller on one seat and the other had his stroller on 2 seats. Needless to say they did not move them and my 6 year old daughter had to stand up the whole way back to our resort. She ended up falling asleep standing up with me trying to hold her. I was furious!! Also there were men sitting down to busy kissing their girlfriends to get up and be a GENTLEMAN and offer us their seats.. I was so upset>I went to the front of the bus and waited for the man to get off who had the stroller taking 2 seats to tell them how upset I was!!! He said well you should have said something!! Bull!!! YOu saw us get on the bus and looked the other way. THis is not the way I want my daughters to be treated when they get older. Something is wrong with this country. It is all for yourself and not for others and I thought that Sept. 11 would have made people more considerate but I guess I was wrong!!!Just had to vent a little!! On a good note at the MCO 2 men stood on the train so my girls could sit and I told how happy it made me and what had happened and they couldn't believe how people could be so ignorant!!

 

[Kallison]

I'm not sure I understand, did you tell the bus driver you were upset? I definitely would have said something myself, politely of course. Sir could you please move your stroller so we could use those seats? That is quite ridiculous. I also believe that people can't take advantage of you unless you let them.

 

[ducklite]

We had a similar situation, a bunch of teenagers were taking seats on a bus from MGM to the TTC, I got a seat with my niece on my lap, and my sister had the baby in her arms and was looking for a seat. A man with two toddlers managed to wrangle both onto his lap and offer her the seat next to him. The teens never moved. On the way out I told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, and that what comes around goes around.

It's amazing how common courtesy seesm to ahve gone down the drain...

Anne

 

[Buzz2001]

I agree d-girl. I think it is terrible that a man would not offer his seat to a lady or a child who is falling a sleep while standing (never mind that it was his stroller keeping you from sitting). I too would have said something but no doubt one of the 2 men should have offered his seat to you.

Not to preach but it is obvious that some parents are just not teaching basic manners to their children. People are quick to jump on why television or schools are not doing the right thing but I still believe it all starts in the home.

I apologize for those 2 individuals.

 

[stevets]

Hogging up an empty seat with a stroller? That's outrageous. And both men and women should get up to offer a seat to the handicapped, elderly, and mothers holding children. But why, in this day and age, should a man get up to give a seat to a woman? Furthermore, do women still expect that? I'd be insulted if a man offered me a seat because that means he assumed I was less physically fit than him simply by virtue of his gender.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by stevets
Hogging up an empty seat with a stroller? That's outrageous. And both men and women should get up to offer a seat to the handicapped, elderly, and mothers holding children. But why, in this day and age, should a man get up to give a seat to a woman? Furthermore, do women still expect that? I'd be insulted if a man offered me a seat because that means he assumed I was less physically fit than him simply by virtue of his gender.

ANY able bodied adult or teenager regardless of gender should always offer a seat to any adult of any gender carrying a child, or any senior citizen of any gender. 'Nuff said.

Anne

 

[Trekker]

At times when we leave the parks late and are really tired, we all want to sit. If we are at the point of getting on the bus and it is standing only, we wait for the next bus. Everyone can choose to do this if they want to sit.

I'm sorry, but if I waited for the next bus, I'm not going to then get up and give the seat to someone else, who choose to get on the bus with standing room only available. I may get flamed for this, but after a full day in the parks my family is just as much in need of a seat as anyone.

This of course does not excuse taking up seats with strollers.

 

[melindaandrob]

@WDWTrekker You wouldn't let a child sit in your seat? I'm thinking you will get flamed for that.
I think this is an interesting subject, where are the manners and random acts of kindness? Whether the person is male, female, child, elderly. How do you know that the person who just got on and looks healthy and able isn't having chemotherapy and would really appreciate the seat? How do you know if the man who just got on isn't diabetic and feeling a little weak?
Pay it forward.

 

[Jen D]

Hmmm. I agree the people with the strollers should have moved their strollers, and I probably would have just said, "could you move your stroller please so my daughter can sit down?" When I moved to New York a few years ago, I learned to be direct with people. I ride buses and subways every day with my four year old, and they are often standing room. I don't particularly expect anyone to offer her a seat, although sometimes they do. I certainly don't need one for myself. Anyway, I guess using public transportation regularly has taught me to expect nothing, but to ask when I need something. I agree it is a good thing to offer your seat to a younger child, I worry more about them standing on the jerky bus or train. And certainly someone carrying a sleeping child should get a seat.

When I was nine-months pregnant riding the subways, it was usually women who offered me seats, and more often than not it was elderly women who should have rightfully had seats in the first place. I think a lot of people aren't consciously being rude, they just aren't paying attention to their surroundings.

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by WDWTrekker
At times when we leave the parks late and are really tired, we all want to sit. If we are at the point of getting on the bus and it is standing only, we wait for the next bus. Everyone can choose to do this if they want to sit.

I'm sorry, but if I waited for the next bus, I'm not going to then get up and give the seat to someone else, who choose to get on the bus with standing room only available. I may get flamed for this, but after a full day in the parks my family is just as much in need of a seat as anyone.

This of course does not excuse taking up seats with strollers.

I look at it this way. Adults sit for comfort, young children (say under 6 or 7) and parents balancing a kid on their hip sit for safety. Safety overrides comfort always.

Anne

 

[Trekker]

How do you know that the person who just got on and looks healthy and able isn't having chemotherapy and would really appreciate the seat? How do you know if the man who just got on isn't diabetic and feeling a little weak?

Exactly - how do you know - who do you give up a seat for?

How do you know the healthy looking man sitting isn't .......?

If you have to sit, you need to be responsible to make sure the bus you get on has sitting room.

Please do not get me wrong, I have given up my seat many times, as has my teenage son, I just think that when people expect it, they should make sure there is sitting room when they get on the bus. There are times I will not give up my seat, and I feel no guilt for this.

 

[robinb]

d-girl said:
He said well you should have said something!!

He's right. You should have said something. While there was no denying that he was rude by taking up seats with his stroller, I think you were also rude to yell at him after the fact. Heck! He can't read your mind! It's late and everyone is tired and grumpy and in their own little world.

I wouldn't have hesitated to ask him to move his stroller so I could sit down, with or without a sleepy child.

 

[snowwhitemom]

Yes bus manners are very important, I am extremly proud to say that my DH is the highlight of many bus trips , he never even sits down unless the bus is getting ready to leave and there is an extra seat. Ihope everyone who reads this thread will remember RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS even on WDW transportation. I always give my seat up to any one older than me or for any child it doed not have to be only a woman.

 

[Buzz2001]

well said snowwhitemom

It doesn't matter how tired I am, how long I've been at the park, how long I've waited for a bus or what gender the person is, its about doing the right thing and being polite. Those things aren't being taught anymore.

 

[baileybrad]

Giving a seat to someone who obviously needs it more than me is just how I was raised. That includes most folks except for able bodied men. I was raised to open doors for women, give up seats to others, hold doors for those that come behind me, say yes mam and no sir, etc. That is the way I go about my life. Sometimes on Disney buses it is hard to find a good place to put a stroller, especially the double that we use, but obviously the seat of a full bus is not a good choice. Some people are rude even at Disney, but some just don't think about the effects of their actions.

 

[GEM]

I'm an able bodied 30 year old woman and I certainly would not expect any man to give up his seat to me on a bus. If I had a sleeping child in my arms, sure. If I was a senior citizen, sure. If I was pregnant, sure. But I don't think I should expect a man to get up and give me his seat just because I'm a woman. I'm certainly able to stand just as well as he is. That just doesn't make sense to me. I can open my own door, carry my own packages, and I can definately stand on a bus.

 

[Beanie]

Whenever we are on a bus, my DH always gives up his seat to ANY woman or child or senior citizen to sit down on...He always offers them his seat...if they say No, then that is fine, but he would never wait for someone to ask him for it...

 

[Buzz2001]

posted by baileybrad
Some people are rude even at Disney, but some just don't think about the effects of their actions.

or do they care about their actions baileybrad, that is whats worse.

posted by GEM
But I don't think I should expect a man to get up and give me his seat just because I'm a woman. I'm certainly able to stand just as well as he is. That just doesn't make sense to me. I can open my own door, carry my own packages, and I can definately stand on a bus.

You are missing the point GEM. No one is forcing you to take the seat...the point is that offering is the polite, right thing to do. A simple No Thank You will do if you do not want the seat.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I think you should have said something to the men when you got on the bus. That happens on the bus and trains here often. Someone get on and takes up two or more seats with bags. Some people will stand instead of asking the person to move their things.

 

[d-girl]

When we got on the bus we didn't know that it was stanking room only. Our family and only 1 other couple had to stand. As far as robinb says that I was rude to "yell at him" after I didn't ask him to move that stroller, well first of all I didn't YELL at him and I never thought that someone else wouldn't let my daughter sit down. I could care less if I sat but to see a 6 year old trying to stand up while sleeping and me holding her makes no sense to me. I am glad to hear how most people would be polite and just use common courtisey. Come on people if we don't show our younger generations some manners in how to deal with others instead of being selfish then what do you expect out of this country in the future years. I wish Disney would install buses that had storage underneath it for the stroller because that is the problem. There is no place to put the strollers.