Zipping up the Flame Suit

[Holly]

I often offer my lap if a lady needs a seat....

OP, I agree with you, the woman was rude.

 

[Ergens2]

Just out of curiosity, how do you know the "kid" doesn't have bad knees or some other hidden problem as well?

My 9 yr old can't walk for long periods of time without having bad pain in her ankles and if some "adult" ever told her to move, mama bear would have to come out of her cave!

I'm not saying that every kid you'll see sitting has a problem, it's just that you can't know whether they do or don't.

No, the individuals I am refering to are people who just ignore others because they don't want to be bothered with moving. These are also some of the same people who fight with everyone to be the first on or off the bus or monorail. You would not move that fast if you had a injury or an ache.

 

[Mister Disney]

I had something similar happen, but different on our return trip from WDW this past April.

We fly on Southwest (they are SO cheap), but do not have assigned seats.

The flight was at least 80% booked and we ended up being boarded towards the end.

We come across this guy who was in a row of 3 seats (very near the front) and he is sitting at the aisle and had his briefcase on the middle seat and was working on some papers.

I asked him if anyone was sitting in the other two seats, he lifted his head, said "NO" and went back to what he was doing.

So I just stood there, and he finally looked up and said, "What can I do for you"? I said, well, since no one is sitting in those seats, we would like to.

He was NOT a happy camper. He parked himself like that in the hopes of having all three seats to himself.

I personally believe that when people act like that, including on the monorails its important to call them on it and use the available seating.

 

[beattyfamily]

I agree that was rude!

It also reminds me of when I made my then 4 year old give up her seat on the bus and sit on my lap because it was standing room only, only to have a mom put her 4 year old in the seat (and not another adult standing or maybe put the 4 year old on her lap??) and having to explain to my 4 year old why she gave up her seat. I don't know why this bothered me but it did. I think small children should be put on laps when it's standing room only.

 

[lsteadman]

My DH and I are always giving up our seats on the bus or on the monorail. My DH even has bad knees and anyone with bad knees knows after a long day you have to sit! It makes me so mad when you see a young "kid" sitting there not even moving when a young couple gets on with a sleeping child and then has to juggle the child like a bag of grocerys! My DH has even gone as far as telling them to "get up" You should see the look on there faces!

My niece and newphews will get up if they see someone needs a seat; however, to be told "GET UP" will cause them to roll their eyes and sit there just to spite you. Be very careful who you "bark" at these days.

If your husband ASKED "can my wife and baby sit down" they would gladly get up. But "GET UP", will get them ignored especially from the oldest one 16 years old. He is almost as tall as my husband and my husband is 6'9 so my nephew is 6'4 or something close.

Remember is not what you say --- its how you say it.

 

[minmate]

I probably would have asked, "Do you mind moving your stroller off the seats so my kids can sit?" and begin to move the stroller anyway.

As for young kids standing to give others a seat... I don't think it's really a young kids job to do that... maybe teenagers... but the other adults should always stand and offer a seat to someone who appears to need it more... be it someone holding a child too young to stand or an elderly person (not a regular old 30-50 yo that appears otherwise healthy)... which is the age bracket I'm in. I'd NEVER take a seat FROM a child. And, if I'm in a seat with a child on my lap, I feel justified in staying there b/c if we stood, it would take two standing places. Plus, even if I got up, I would not make my child give up his/her seat to a normal, healthy looking adult (exceptions do apply here, such as ones I've stated above). Once my children get older... 10/12, etc. then I will teach them to give up their seat. If a normal looking adult looked at my kid and told them to "Get Up," they would not receive a very kindly reaction from me. At 30/40/50 you're old enough to make the decision to rent a car or not if you don't like public transportation. Don't take it out on my kids if you chose not to, and then expect them to suffer. Half the time they stand, they're frozen in fear that they're going to go rocketing forward in those buses. (my kids are 6 and under by the way).

Speaking of which, we were on a bus on our last trip a few weeks ago and it was standing room only. Nobody made very big efforts to give up a seat to my 4, 5, or 6 yo children who subsequently, all stumbled and I had to catch them a few times b/c of the bumpy ride. It was also on one of the buses that didn't have a lot of places for shorter people to hold on... mostly just the overhead strap. Nobody tried to accomodate them and let them have a place to hold onto very well either. Plus it was so crowded, they couldn't all stand next to me and nobody else offered to move to another "hold onto place" so they could. It was pretty sad.

 

[beattyfamily]

Speaking of which, we were on a bus on our last trip a few weeks ago and it was standing room only. Nobody made very big efforts to give up a seat to my 4, 5, or 6 yo children who subsequently, all stumbled and I had to catch them a few times b/c of the bumpy ride. It was also on one of the buses that didn't have a lot of places for shorter people to hold on... mostly just the overhead strap. Nobody tried to accomodate them and let them have a place to hold onto very well either. Plus it was so crowded, they couldn't all stand next to me and nobody else offered to move to another "hold onto place" so they could. It was pretty sad.

I think it's because they have the mentality that you really didn't have to stand; you could have waited for the next bus....

 

[liznboys]

I totally agree that some parents with strollers need to be more conscious of the people around them. We have 3 little boys and usually have a stroller, and we do our best to keep it out of the way, and take up as little space as possible. To us, it's simple common courtesy!

 

[minmate]

I think it's because they have the mentality that you really didn't have to stand; you could have waited for the next bus....

that may be true... but not really, b/c the CM's just herd you on. If we got on and decided to get off, wouldn't that just cause more chaos? Besides, I didn't say it really as a complaint. I guess I didn't EXPECT anyone to give up seats. It would have been nice. The only one who tried was another 5 yo girl who offered to squish over and share her one seat with one of my kids.

 

[beattyfamily]

that may be true... but not really, b/c the CM's just herd you on. If we got on and decided to get off, wouldn't that just cause more chaos? Besides, I didn't say it really as a complaint. I guess I didn't EXPECT anyone to give up seats. It would have been nice. The only one who tried was another 5 yo girl who offered to squish over and share her one seat with one of my kids.

I've never had CMs herding me on a bus. I've only seen the bus driver. And it's pretty easy to tell if it's standing room only before you get on so I've never seen chaos.

I'm talking about the bus, not the monorail; there could be chaos on the monorail I guess if people realized it was SRO after getting on and tried to get back off.

My whole family has given up seats on the bus for older people, pregnant women or a parent holding a baby.

For us it depends on how tired we are and our mood. We'd either wait for another bus if we really wanted to have seats or we'd get on the bus if we were really desperate to get back to the resort and then we'd face the fact that we're not going to get seats and we wouldn't begrudge anyone who did have a seat. If I choose to get on a full bus, I wouldn't be upset if no one gave my 5 year old a seat, it was my choice. IMHO.

 

[BostonRob]

I had something similar happen, but different on our return trip from WDW this past April.

We fly on Southwest (they are SO cheap), but do not have assigned seats.

The flight was at least 80% booked and we ended up being boarded towards the end.

We come across this guy who was in a row of 3 seats (very near the front) and he is sitting at the aisle and had his briefcase on the middle seat and was working on some papers.

I asked him if anyone was sitting in the other two seats, he lifted his head, said "NO" and went back to what he was doing.

So I just stood there, and he finally looked up and said, "What can I do for you"? I said, well, since no one is sitting in those seats, we would like to.

He was NOT a happy camper. He parked himself like that in the hopes of having all three seats to himself.

I personally believe that when people act like that, including on the monorails its important to call them on it and use the available seating.

Wew, I didn't know there were any airlines that didn't have assigned seats. Those kind of people really annoy me. If you want extra space you should pay for it. But to try to passively block others out like that is so self-centered.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I had something similar this weekend. The monorail was standing room only and we had a couple with a stroller stuck right in the way. It was not folded up or anything. They just pushed it on as is. And the child was sitting on the parents lap. So everyone around had to try and fit around the stroller that took up most of one side of the car. I found that to be rude. If it was not busy, I can see just pushing it on. But it was standing room only and plenty of people still waiting to get on.

 

[BostonRob]

I had something similar this weekend. The monorail was standing room only and we had a couple with a stroller stuck right in the way. It was not folded up or anything. They just pushed it on as is. And the child was sitting on the parents lap. So everyone around had to try and fit around the stroller that took up most of one side of the car. I found that to be rude. If it was not busy, I can see just pushing it on. But it was standing room only and plenty of people still waiting to get on.

Well maybe they were rude and maybe they weren't. Our stroller has a big compartment underneath where you can store a lot of stuff, be it camera bags, pocketbooks, souveniers, whatever. Only problem is, you can't fold up the stroller with all that stuff in there. So if their kid just woke up and insisted on getting out of the stroller (this happens by the way - whenever you want your kid in the stroller, they want out - murphy's law), it wouldn't make sense to fold up the stroller and then try to find a place to put all their stuff.

If this was the circumstance, then those parents weren't rude. And to presume otherwise is, well, presumptuous. Would you have preferred they force their child to stay in the stroller to justify the unfolded stroller and then have the kid cry and scream the whole time?

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Well maybe they were rude and maybe they weren't. Our stroller has a big compartment underneath where you can store a lot of stuff, be it camera bags, pocketbooks, souveniers, whatever. Only problem is, you can't fold up the stroller with all that stuff in there. So if their kid just woke up and insisted on getting out of the stroller (this happens by the way - whenever you want your kid in the stroller, they want out - murphy's law), it wouldn't make sense to fold up the stroller and then try to find a place to put all their stuff.

If this was the circumstance, then those parents weren't rude. And to presume otherwise is, well, presumptuous.

I agree with you. I have a child on my own and understand those kind of things. But those were not the circumstances involved. We had been standing in line with these people for a little bit. The child had been awake the whole time and NOT in the stroller. She was being held. The Mother had a bag on her shoulder NOT in the stroller. Not reason for it not to be folded. Plus when we got on we moved as far as we could to allow 2 older people try and sit down.

 

[beattyfamily]

I had something similar this weekend. The monorail was standing room only and we had a couple with a stroller stuck right in the way. It was not folded up or anything. They just pushed it on as is. And the child was sitting on the parents lap. So everyone around had to try and fit around the stroller that took up most of one side of the car. I found that to be rude. If it was not busy, I can see just pushing it on. But it was standing room only and plenty of people still waiting to get on.

I agree. They should have folded it up and made as much room as possible. Unless it's the middle of the day and dead on the monorail we always close our stroller regardless of whether or not the basket underneath is full or not. We empty before getting on the monorail. It's pretty easy to tell if you'll need to fold up your stroller or not before even getting on.

 

[Marseeya]

You would not move that fast if you had a injury or an ache.

Good point. My DD walks like a little old lady when she's feeling the pain.

 

[mrscoobs]

I do find that rude to put the stroller on the seat, especially on the Epcot monorail (thus longer ride).

I have always given up my seat on the bus, monorail when their are those who are older than myself (being mid twenties), parents with small children, or really tired youngsters who are falling asleep holding on to mom or dads leg on the ride back. It is common courtesy, yes, if you have the ability to stand to do so for those that maybe more tired or elderly, but when I lived in Germany for 2 years, it was pretty much the RULE to give up seats on the subway for those that are older than you if it was SRO.

Sometimes it baffles me that people do not do the same at Disney, yet remember that it is not in our typical mindset to do so.

I am happy though that I tend to see the happier side (giving up the seat) a lot more on our last trip rather than in previous years

 

[Fodderlm]

I've never had CMs herding me on a bus. I've only seen the bus driver. And it's pretty easy to tell if it's standing room only before you get on so I've never seen chaos.
....

Isn't the bus driver considered a CM? Also, who hasn't heard them saying "Move to the back" as they try to fill the bus in the morning or evening. It's a good thing they do since you often have people that start the standing room about half way back or spread out 5 feet apart from one another. I love watching the bus drivers look in the mirror and keep moving people until it's filled as well as they know it can be. They get an extra 20 people sometimes which often means the difference between getting the current bus or waiting another 20+ minutes.
I don't mind sharing my personal space with others for the ride back because at the end of the day the only thing on my mind is shower and a bed!

 

[Talking Hands]

Well maybe they were rude and maybe they weren't. Our stroller has a big compartment underneath where you can store a lot of stuff, be it camera bags, pocketbooks, souveniers, whatever. Only problem is, you can't fold up the stroller with all that stuff in there. So if their kid just woke up and insisted on getting out of the stroller (this happens by the way - whenever you want your kid in the stroller, they want out - murphy's law), it wouldn't make sense to fold up the stroller and then try to find a place to put all their stuff.

If this was the circumstance, then those parents weren't rude. And to presume otherwise is, well, presumptuous. Would you have preferred they force their child to stay in the stroller to justify the unfolded stroller and then have the kid cry and scream the whole time?

Sorry but the stroller should have been folded up in the first place before even getting on the monorail since it was crowded. Parents were rude for not haivng it folded in the first place.

 

[WDSearcher]

Is the problem here the fact that these folks -- the stroller people, the people-who-don't-stand-up, or the "take two seats when you only need one" people -- are taking up extra room and not sharing, or is the problem that the folks who are complaining didn't so much as ask? If the OP had asked the woman with the stroller if she could sit down, and THEN the woman said no, well ... that's rude. But if I'm sitting on a monorail or a bus at the end of a long day, I'm probably not focused on who's getting on or off and who might need the seat more than me. I'm just glad to be sitting! But if someone looks at me and says, "would you mind moving over a bit so my wife can sit down?," I will certainly do so, and probably also apologize for not noticing she needed a seat.

To all of you who are complaining about people who didn't move their strollers or didn't stand up to offer a seat -- why didn't you say something instead of just standing there stewing about it? Just be polite and ask nicely and chances are you'll be sitting in no time!