If you think people are rude at Disney........

[clutter]

OP--You do know you can always try waiting for the next bus/train to make sure you have a seat?

Intuitively, you would think that would work. It doesn't on Metro, trust me. If one's crowded, they're all crowded.

Some of the rude people could be locals. It's not a picnic commuting during spring break because the trains really are way more crowded than usual. After a few days of massive tourists, locals can get cranky.

Please realize that metro is primary transportation for hundreds of thousands of people every day. Every day they're on that train. Add to that the over a million tourists expected here this week and next. Yep, it's crowded.

ps as a local, I hate the tour groups, too!

 

[librarygal]

As a daily Metro commuter I rarely sit but if I do I would never even think to give my seat to a child and frankly sometimes I am listening to my audiobook and so zoned out I would not even notice my mother if she was standing in front of me.

And please visitors try to stay off the Metro during rush hour if you can. And no, your tour group of twenty five kids will not be able to fit on the train at Arlington Cemetary during afternoon rush. I have seen them try many a time.

As for the crowds, it is spring break and the festival is on. We went to the American History Museum on MLK day this year and there was no line at all for the Star Spangled Banner.

 

[Sleepy]

The 4yo isn't riding alone. I assume that his parent would grab ahold of him.

We have to do that among adults on the busses around here. Sometimes the bus is so crowded there is nothing around you but bodies. If things get rocky, people just reach out and help balance those around them or in other cases, there is such a movement that people can't catch balance and just sort of fall into each other. Being balanced and losing balance happens to everyone, including children. Kids learn at a small age to hold onto legs if necessary. Again, just part of transportation.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Tough to do when mom can't get a seat either. But I guess using your logic, if the ship is sinking, screw the children, they are young enough to swim. I will stick with good old fasioned manners and values.

Values dictate an adult, who possibly has their own challenges standing on a train, to give their seat up to an apparently healthy preschooler?

I would always give up a seat to an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or someone with a babe in arms/toddler, along with someone who doesn't fit into one of those categories who seems in need of assistance. I believe it's the kind, courteous thing to do....however it has nothing to do with my values. And like I've already said, my 3-4yo kids loved to stand--what a "treat" after they've always been buckled up when traveling via car.

The bags in seats on a crowded train/bus is obnoxious. Perhaps when they boarded it wasn't crowded and it wasn't a big deal, however if they're not paying attention to the train getting crowded they shouldn't be offended at a polite request to move the bag.

I agree - the people who wouldn't move their bags were horribly rude! Seats are for people, not things. Those who didn't give their seats to children were not rude, of course. Typically the expectation is that children will sit on their parents' laps or stand in the aisle.


Yikes! The train wasn't sinking. Getting a seat certainly wasn't a life or death issue. Traditional manners dictate that it is polite for people to give up their seat for those who they feel are more in need of it. Apparently those who were already sitting felt they needed the seat more than those who were standing. No one has the right to evaluate their reasons to see if they are good enough.

I know that having to stand on a moving bus, train or monorail probably comes as quite a shock to someone who isn't used to mass transportation. Unfortunately having to stand is the norm on most public transportation in busy cities or tourist destinations. If someone is unable or unwilling to stand on the train, then public transportation is probably not a good choice for them. They'd be better off getting a cab or renting a car. Individuals have to take responsibility for themselves when it comes to things like this. People aren't mind readers - if you get onto a bus when there's standing room only most people are probably going to assume that you feel you can stand. You assumed that many of those who had seats looked healthy and able bodied. They may or may not have been, but what's certain is that they were entitled to the seats just by virtue of claiming them first. Apparently they made the same assumption about your family that you made about them, and chose not to give up their seats. They had every right to do that; it doesn't make them rude at all.

Ditto!

 

[Quiksilvr]

I live on Capitol Hill in the District.

I never have, and likely never will, give up a seat on the Metro for a kid. I do for the elderly and otherwise infirm on a regular basis. It would never occur to me to give up a seat for a child. Sorry. Your kid is not my problem. I don't think I am required to be on the lookout for tired tots who might need a rest.

I also take issue with the comment on the rudeness of people on a tour bus. Uh, local DCers don't ride tour buses. We actually live here and already know where everything is. The people who annoyed you were probably from the town next to wherever you're from.

As a local, I find the tourists more irritating and annoying than the bums. The tourists never know where they're going, they're always asking me for directions, they always act like I owe them assistance, they act as if everyone needs to respect their vacation and try to make it special for them, and they always ask me to take their picture in front of something while I'm trying to walk home from work.

I've gotten so much attitude from self-entitled and self-absorbed tourists that I just ignore them. I plow into their five-abreast marching columns as they walk down the street and tell them what they can do if they don't like it. I refuse to stand and wait for thirty seconds while they try to take ten pictures of a building. I don't really care if I'm accused of being rude or inconsiderate; I could say the same for them.

People live and work in this city. You're not entitled to anything extra because you happen to be here for a week.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Intuitively, you would think that would work. It doesn't on Metro, trust me. If one's crowded, they're all crowded.

Some of the rude people could be locals. It's not a picnic commuting during spring break because the trains really are way more crowded than usual. After a few days of massive tourists, locals can get cranky.

Please realize that metro is primary transportation for hundreds of thousands of people every day. Every day they're on that train. Add to that the over a million tourists expected here this week and next. Yep, it's crowded.

As a daily Metro commuter I rarely sit but if I do I would never even think to give my seat to a child and frankly sometimes I am listening to my audiobook and so zoned out I would not even notice my mother if she was standing in front of me.

And please visitors try to stay off the Metro during rush hour if you can. And no, your tour group of twenty five kids will not be able to fit on the train at Arlington Cemetary during afternoon rush. I have seen them try many a time.

As for the crowds, it is spring break and the festival is on. We went to the American History Museum on MLK day this year and there was no line at all for the Star Spangled Banner.

Amen to both these posts.

As someone who has ridden DC Metro trains more times than I can count, through countless rush hours, and in the crush of visitors coming to see the sights let me offer a bit of information that might help a little if getting a seat is high on the priority list.

The center cars of any train ALWAYS fill up first. People tend to stand toward the center of each platform, so arriving trains that pull up have their center cars boarded first and, therefore, become crowded first. If you can stand further to one end or the other of the platform and try to catch the first or last car or two, they are a lot more likely to have empty seats, or at least be a little less crowded. And, if you board a car that is too crowded for your liking, there is no law that says you can't get off at the next station and leapfrog up or back to the next car to see if you have better luck there, but you will have to be quick about it. I've successfully done this when trains are packed.

Unrelated to crowds but still Metrorail related, when riding the escalators up or down to the platforms, if you do not intend to actually walk on the moving stairs, stand to the right. Blocking the left "walking" side of the escalator will earn you an "Excuse me" from people trying to walk.

 

[LuvLDM]

Also, public sidewalks are owned and blocked by whom ever chooses to walk in a shoulder to shoulder formation, and if they choose to stop then you better be prepared to brake and take a moment with them because if you say excuse me and try and move around them you get cursed, kicked and shoved I am so in love with humanity

Seriously, you were "cursed, kicked "& shoved" while walking on a sidewalk?
Sorry, not buying it.

I have visited DC several times, never had any problems, great city.

 

[Hollymom1229]

I live here in the DC area and have to use metro one to two times a week to get to and from grad school, and my DH uses it everyday to get to work. The simple logic with kids on metro is if you want to guarantee them a seat bring a stroller. Otherwise be willing to stand. And yes, I decline offers of seats I've been given, and I give my seat up to the elderly and infirm.

This is a very crowded time of year here with both Spring Break and the Cherry Blossoms. As a local I try and be as patient as possible with tourists and even help them out from time to time, but I'm willing to bet you some of the overwhelming rudeness you experienced was from fellow tourists.

I've heard diatribes about how our city smells, been cursed at for asking someone to move to the right side of the escalator, and had hordes of pre-teens blocking walkways. All of these were tourists. Most Washingtonians are just trying to go about their life as normal despite the fact that we live in a tourist town. For much of this time we just put our heads down and tune out everything else because to do otherwise would drive us insane.

 

[merryweather20]

Tough to do when mom can't get a seat either. But I guess using your logic, if the ship is sinking, screw the children, they are young enough to swim. I will stick with good old fasioned manners and values.

No, these aren't old fashioned manners at all. I've never heard of such a thing. For kicks I pulled out my 1941 Emily Post to check. It was never expected for an adult to give up a seat for a healthy child, in fact old fashioned Etiquette suggests the reverse.

 

[Caropooh]

When I was a teenager in DC (born and raised in the city) we used to play "give the tourists the wrong directions"...we thought it was a great game.

Say it ain't so, Lara! I thought you were 'the nice one!'

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

It would depend on how the metro train is set up. On some forms of transport, just about everything you can hold onto is well above the reach of some small kids. They do need to be able to reach something!

I think that taking seats to hold bags is very rude though. I don't understand people like that at all.

DC metro has handles on the back of every seat, and poles that run from ceilings to floor in the center areas. There are plenty of places for a preschooler to hold on.

I should add that I do, and have given up seats to small children on the WDW buses, they move side to side, make sudden stops, and have no good places for a little one to hold on. None of those things are true on the DC metro.

 

[FireDancer]

In the OP's defense I went back and read the original post and no where does she say the people who she interpreted as rude were locals. She made no apparent assumption as to whether they were local residents or other tourists.

As for the OP that said they don't talk to tourists, that is kind of rude. I understand if they are not polite in asking a question but if someone who is from out of town asks me (politely) a question while I am out I will do my best to answer it every time.

 

[luvmy3]

Love DC, we have been twice and I can't wait to go back. We have been when its very crowded but we have always found most people to be very nice and courteous. We did once go during a very hot period and while waiting outside to get into the National Archives people were a little bit irritable, but still pretty friendly as a whole.
Op, have you been to NYC

 

[Arielle22]

This is good to know - we're planning a visit!

We are planning a visit this year on that week also! I am happy to hear it is not so crazy.

MA has a large subway system that I have used since high school. I would give up my seat for the elderly or disabled but not a child. Some of the seats atually have signs above them which state those seats should be given to the elderly or disabled if needed.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Say it ain't so, Lara! I thought you were 'the nice one!'

Yeah, and I'm the innocent one!

DC metro has handles on the back of every seat, and poles that run from ceilings to floor in the center areas. There are plenty of places for a preschooler to hold on.

What are you thinking telling that little secret??? Now all the DIS pole dancers will be arriving in DC in droves!

 

[Cee]

A few weeks ago I offered a lady a seat and she turned me down. My DD then whispered to me, "Mom, she's younger than you are!" Oops!

 

[3DisneyGals&1Grumpy]

This is a very crowded time of year here with both Spring Break and the Cherry Blossoms. As a local I try and be as patient as possible with tourists and even help them out from time to time, but I'm willing to bet you some of the overwhelming rudeness you experienced was from fellow tourists.

I've heard diatribes about how our city smells, been cursed at for asking someone to move to the right side of the escalator, and had hordes of pre-teens blocking walkways. All of these were tourists. Most Washingtonians are just trying to go about their life as normal despite the fact that we live in a tourist town. For much of this time we just put our heads down and tune out everything else because to do otherwise would drive us insane.

Sorry you had such a bad experience but I definitely agree with the PP. It is an extremely busy time to visit D.C. and it is probably true that most people you encountered were visiting from somewhere else. It is like going to WDW on New Year's Eve and then complaining how crowded it was and how rude the people are in Orlando. Most of us locals are avoiding all the tourist spots as much as possible right now. Give DC another try .......just not 4th of July

 

[Iott Family]

Thanks for all the posts Its good to read how others view the world. We definitely had a bit of "culture shock" but I would not say we had a horrid vacation. As a matter of fact, we are still on vacation. When I made the original post I never meant to see so many heated responses, Im not sure what I thought other than DH and I were sharing tid bits back and forth and were talking about the number of disney transpo threads that get posted about how "rude" people are about giving up or not giving up seats to elderly, small children, women with small children/pregnant......etc

In the midwest most of us dont use or have public transpo available. But we often give up our place in line at grocery stores and such for folks with less items or elderly because we always have a FULL cart and know it will take us 15 minutes to check out to their 5. We greet folks even if we dont know them, we hold doors open for others to walk thru and so forth. You get the idea, Im sure! No we arent saints, just trying and be polite. It the way we were raised and how folks are in our neck of the woods.

Yes, we were cursed, kicked and shoved numerous times. No, im pretty sure I never said it was locals. Im nearly positive it was tourists but we were tourists too and would never dream of being so to others. Tourist, local or not!

We did make every effort not to get to the metro until after 9:30am and to be back on by 3-4 in the afternoon to avoid getting in the 'locals' way. We always went single file on the escalators and sidewalks. Or two by two to hold hands in crowded areas. We did research our vacation and I even posted a thread or two here trying to get insiders advice. I guess the lot of you missed that or you would surely have told me then like you have now to stay out and come back another time

We are planning another trip in October. Thats how terrible this trip was that we are dying to come back. This was our first trip and the Cherry Blossoms were beautiful, even with the rain and bitter winds!

BTW, we never hounded locals to take our picture or give advice/directions, to stop and admire our picture taking skills and we made every effort not to walk 5 abreast down the sidewalks. We did however approach metro officers to make sure we were on the right train, our hotel concierge for advice on eateries, directions and transpo options and distances from place to place.


AND we have never done so much walking in one day! We thought we burnt up our treads at WDW but DC put that to shame LOL

 

[disney1990]

Welcome to Washington. We live outside of DC in Maryland, about a 15 minute drive into the City. We love the Cherry Blossoms and on rare occasion actually fight the crowds to go see them. But, DC during Spring break and Cherry Blossom time is crowded -- just like Disney. Our favorite time to go into the city is spring, before schools get out for the year or fall, after the kids go back to school.

I would gladly give up my seat to an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or a person holding a very young child. But, I would never think to give up my seat to a healthy child during the day, late at night is another story.

And at Disney, late at night, I also give up my seat to small children, who are often too tired to stand any longer.

DC has a lot to offer visitors and I certainly hope that you are here long enough to enjoy some of its many treasures. If you need any suggestion, feel free to ask.

 

[Planogirl]

The 4yo isn't riding alone. I assume that his parent would grab ahold of him.

I've been on a Disney bus that was so jammed that DS had nothing to hang onto but me or strangers and we just happened to have a rather rambunctious driver. It was pretty wild!

But of course a metro wouldn't bump around like a bus.