Seats on the bus

[crashbb]

I'm going to chime in - I live in an urban area with lots of public transit which I utilize. When I was pregnant I was given a seat exactly once in my well over a hundred times I traveled it. I could have really used a seat in my first trimester but I looked young and 110lbs soaking wet. With no 'baby bump' who was to know that I was sick and exhausted. Even when I was huge people looked the other way except for one teenage boy, once. He gave up his seat for me on the back of the streetcar. He was shocked by the 50 other people I had walked by that didn't offer. I wasn't, it's the way our society seems to work here in North America... when I was on a tram in Switzerland I once saw a young man with a 1.5' mohawk jump up, and help an able bodied elderly woman up the one stair of the tram, walked to her a seat and held her groceries until she go off. Scenes like this were echoed multiple times daily while I was there.
Not saying one is better than another but one is definitely more thoughtful and selfless.

Looking at your location, we are using the same streetcars. I'm horrified that you never got a seat - rest assured that you would have had mine. Okay, probably not in the first trimester, but otherwise.

No, I don't that anyone should expect people to give them a seat or feel entitled to one, but I offer my seat to anyone who looks like they need it more than I do at the time (I have Lupus and other connective tissue issues and, occasionally, need the seat more than it may look like I do). This is especially true at home (i.e. city transit) where options like leaving the park before your child is too tired to stand, do not exist.

 

[webstah]

It would be nice if people held the door for you instead of letting it slam in your face.QUOTE]

Here's the problem.
You're nice and hold the door for someone so it doesn't slam in their face. After the next 30 people go through the door instead of taking it from you, you then need to try to catch up to your own party.
People may or may not see you running up behind them wile they are trying to keep their own party together.
If they look at you and let the door go, then that's another story, unless of course it's because your husband isn't doing his chivalrous duties of ensuring he is in the front to open the doors for you.

 

[NLD]

I believe in good manners. I believe that someone who is able to, and wishes to, can and should offer their seat to someone who may need it more....
My issue??? All the people that are always surprised when they aren't offered seats.

This.

To me it comes down to:

1. It's good manners to offer your seat if you can to someone else.
2. It's good manners to refrain from judging people who don't offer their seats.

Frankly though, if someone doesn't offer their seat (even if they are able, and have no hidden disabilities or conditions)--I would not consider that rude. It might not be the height of good manners, but it's also not rude. To me it's just a neutral.

But I surely do consider it flat-out rude to judge other people.

Others are free to disagree.

 

[janabananas]

Okay, one more general question out there:

for those of you who say: wait for the next bus to guarantee a seat.. umm, what's the difference between standing on a bus getting closer to your destination the entire time and standing in line going nowhere, thus adding a good 20 minutes minimum before you are back at the resort?

is it strictly the safety thing/risk of losing your balance if the bus stops suddenly or takes a turn wonky? or because you can plop yer butt on the ground while waiting for the next bus to arrive?

as someone who is often FORCED to wait for another bus because all the WC spots are spoken for, I don't get it. ( and I can transfer to a seat and fold up my chair so as to not take up more space than I have to)

When I lived in Japan, it was quite amusing to see actually.. EVERYONE, young, old, etc, stood when necessary( and it was ALWAYS necessary) no five year old ever was handed a seat by any 'able bodied' adult. nor was any little old man so stooped over he was bent in half. if you snagged a seat, you snagged a seat. if you didn't, you stood. that included the young Mom carrying a sleeping toddler. and this is a culture that revere's its' elderly and treats them with a helluva lotta respect in general.

I can you tell from my personal experience/medical issues, that I will never get on a SRO bus at the end of the night. It is different then standing on firm ground. The standing on the moving bus at the end of the day was the scariest ride I rode at WDW.

 

[LilyWDW]

ETA: I don't judge other individuals who don't give up a seat. I don't know what their reasons are for doing so or not doing so. In principle I think the able bodied and healthy who can stand more safely should give up seats to those who, for whatever reason, have less ability to do so, but that is a matter of personal conscience - interesting fodder for message board discussions but not justification for rudeness/the evil eye/whatever in real life. I don't care if the person in the seat is a 22yo athlete who was only in the park for dinner and isn't tired in the least, there's no reason for dirty looks, comments, or running over his foot with a stroller - two wrongs (or rudenesses) don't make a right.

Thank you. This is all those of us who are posting our experiences are asking for. I know that not everyone on that bus has a "hidden disability", but you never know what people out of that group DO. Is it not rude to judge those around you without knowing their information? Isn't that something we should be teaching our children? Don't judge lest ye be judged and all that?

I find it fascinating that all of these people with foot and leg issues, who have problems standing on busses for 15 minutes choose for their vacations a theme park where you must stand in lines and walk for miles a day.

Maybe you should read the posts of those of use who explained our issues. Mine would be a good example. My issue doesn't bother me most of the time, but all it needs to do is mess up and I am needing to sit. So I could honestly be fine all day, be waiting for the bus, have my knee pop, and be in trouble. Also, walking on solid ground and standing on a moving bus are VERY different.

for those of you who say: wait for the next bus to guarantee a seat.. umm, what's the difference between standing on a bus getting closer to your destination the entire time and standing in line going nowhere, thus adding a good 20 minutes minimum before you are back at the resort?

is it strictly the safety thing/risk of losing your balance if the bus stops suddenly or takes a turn wonky? or because you can plop yer butt on the ground while waiting for the next bus to arrive?

When standing on solid ground, I can put most/all my weight on my good leg. Sometimes I stand like a flamingo if it hurts bad enough. On a bus, you really can't do that if you want to keep your balance. You need both feet down so you can shift your weight as the bus turns and moves. That is why there is a difference and why I personally can wait for another bus while standing, but not get on the SRO bus.

Again, I will say that most of the time I will stand on the bus as long as my knee hasn't decided to troll me (it's my Troll Knee). It is when it pops when I have issues which is thankfully still rare. I was told when I was in my teens to expect to have to have surgery on it at some point in my life.

 

[rachellm]

Whew. This is quite the thread.

One additional thought ...

On a crowded SRO bus, it's not that easy to offer up a seat to anyone except the people standing right in front of you. It's not even easy to see all the people standing! So even though there are likely able-bodied people who could stand - they might not be able to easily offer their seat to that pregnant woman on the far side of the bus. Or the mom holding the sleeping baby 10 rows back.

While I do think it's good manners to offer up a seat (and I've done it on occasion) I don't expect it and I don't judge people for not doing so.

You know what bothers me even more - people who glare at those sitting. Or loudly talk about how rude everyone is for not letting you sit. That's worse manners than not offering a seat.

 

[prfctlyximprfct]

Luckiily not everyone believes people living with pain or disability should stay home. My mom uses a wc in the park. Then we drive due to the potential bus waits. She would fit your criteria, though. Maybe she ought to just sit in a rocking chair on the porch all day.

I don't think the user meant this at all. It's just very hypocritical that some people can wait in 50 minutes lines standing up but cannot stand for 15 minutes on a bus. If she uses a wc in the park and wants to be guaranteed a seat why not just bring the wc on the bus?

 

[LilyWDW]

I don't think the user meant this at all. It's just very hypocritical that some people can wait in 50 minutes lines standing up but cannot stand for 15 minutes on a bus. If she uses a wc in the park and wants to be guaranteed a seat why not just bring the wc on the bus?

Please see my most just above yours to see how this could be a valid situation.

 

[Disneylvr]

I don't think the user meant this at all. It's just very hypocritical that some people can wait in 50 minutes lines standing up but cannot stand for 15 minutes on a bus. If she uses a wc in the park and wants to be guaranteed a seat why not just bring the wc on the bus?

In my opinion standing in line and standing on a moving bus that sometimes makes very sharp turns or sudden stops is two different things.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

How about if Disney starts a new policy that it will only allow as many people on a bus as there are seats? That way everyone will get a seat.

Whenever I took the express bus from the Bronx into Manhattan, I loved that the driver counted the passengers and would tell you before boarding if there were available seats. If I was running late, I would take it without a seat, if not, I would wait for the next bus. It would be great if this was offered at Disney.

 

[damo]

Lots of people are stating that the choice is yours to stand if you get on a crowded bus and you can always wait. We encountered an experience where the bus was already very crowded from the Boardwalk, the bus stopped at the Swan and let a wheelchair on with its party of 6, forcing seated parents with children to stand.

 

[smidgy]

Being relatively new to the Dis (and one who reads much more than posts)http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2809119&goto=newpost

1. I am now expecting the volume of patients to go way up in the ER today due to all high percentage of "invisible disabilities." Gonna be a rough day at work.

.:

being new, I guess you don't realize that being snarky gets you nowhere.

that sentance was totally uncalled for. and I hate it when people put the words invisible disabilities in quotes, as if we are lying.

 

[njmeisje]

We are regulars at WDW. My daughters are 14 and 16 now. I was on a bus last summer, and this mom got on with two little kids, carrying a baby, lugging a stroller, diaper bag, a backpack, and a bag of toys....plus older grandma in tow. I was standing, as was my whole family. She gives me the evil eye because (I Guess) I was supposed to help her load all of this on the bus?? I thought she was crazy. But she REALLY had some expectation that I should help her carry her stuff.

When my kids were small, I waited until both my girls were at least 4 before I went. I rented my strollers, stayed at a Monorail resort -- basically I chose to spend a bit more to make my life easier - so we could enjoy ourselves.

So this (It's all about ME) mentality goes beyond wanting a seat. And I won't feed it. Carry what you can manage. Leave the parks while your kids can manage it on their own feet, and wait for a bus seat if you want one. Pretty straightforward.

 

[FireRN]

being new, I guess you don't realize that being snarky gets you nowhere.

that sentance was totally uncalled for. and I hate it when people put the words invisible disabilities in quotes, as if we are lying.

I did it that way because I was quoting others and was not sure how to quote just two words out of a long post not to say they don't exist.

My point with that statement was that this thread is making it appear that a very high percentage of people suffer from these ailments which is far from true. Also many of the ailments listed on this board have nothing to do with being unsafe to stand or being at higher risk of dramatic injury in the event of a crash.

 

[rachel09985]

I am 26 year old able bodied and probabaly wouldn't give up my seat just because you had a child. I would offer to let the child sit with me but I will not give up my seat. When I leave the parks, my feet are in pain, and all I want to do is sit down and relax so if I am in front of you I will sit and not give up my seat! My boyfriend (26) would just because he is a nice guy and so am I too but I want a seat just as much as the next person!

 

[rachellm]

My point with that statement was that this thread is making it appear that a very high percentage of people suffer from these ailments which is far from true. Also many of the ailments listed on this board have nothing to do with being unsafe to stand or being at higher risk of dramatic injury in the event of a crash.

Most people aren't saying it makes it unsafe. They're just saying that it's uncomfortable for them to stand. Just as it's uncomfortable for "you" (whoever that is, pregnant woman, mom holding a kid, etc.) to stand.

I'm not sure why you think that your comfort is more important than others.

 

[Kay1]

The attitudes expressed by many in this thread are the #1 reason to rent a car at WDW. For an extra $150 or so for the week you can avoid all of this bs.

And there are plenty of hard-working taxi drivers who would be happy to take you back to your resort. We catch cabs to and from Universal Studios all the time. It's easy. No one has to take a Disney bus.

 

[poison ivy]

I am 26 year old able bodied and probabaly wouldn't give up my seat just because you had a child. I would offer to let the child sit with me but I will not give up my seat. When I leave the parks, my feet are in pain, and all I want to do is sit down and relax so if I am in front of you I will sit and not give up my seat! My boyfriend (26) would just because he is a nice guy and so am I too but I want a seat just as much as the next person!

Hopefully you'll reconsider. If for no other reason than that somewhere in your childhood a gesture of goodwill was extended to your family and now you have the gracious opportunity to pay it forward.

 

[Mama Who]

so, who should get the seat? the grandma, the grandma with the toddler or the young chick with the toddler, and the grandma stands?

The person who is in the seat can determine for themselves if someone else needs it more. And lets remember that the "grandma" mentioned is 50. It's not like she's old.

 

[ols386]

Yeah, I'd give up my seat for an elderly person, pregnant woman, or parent who is standing holding a child. That is MY decision to do that, but I don't expect others to do that, if they choose not to. How could I? I don't know them, know absolutely nothing about them. They may have a condition that makes it difficult for them to stand, especially on a moving bus. And even if they don't have some condition, it's still THEIR choice as to what they do or don't do.