Bad Manners

shillelagh · 03-12-2009, 00:04

Wednesday morning .. i caught the X41 same as usual ... its supposed to be at 9.44 but never is .. its always late due to the amount of people getting on in accrington .. its the first bus to manchester after 9.30am out of accrington, students going in late to uni, people going shopping, going through to the airport, people going to work. Its always busy not many seats by the time it gets to haslingden ... sometimes they've even refused to take anymore passengers on as they cant go down the motorway with passengers standing ..

Anyway yesterday morning ... gets on the bus as normal and when i got on .. there was already 4 people standing then. He picked another passenger up at Acre .. and then into Haslingden. He'd already said that he was going through Bury and rang thro to the office to say that he was going through bury as there were people standing. Haslingden the queue for people to get on the bus was mainly pensioners ... 5 got on ..and one actually got off again .. there was no way she could make it to Manchester standing as she had a walking stick. Thing is no one offered their seat of the younger generation who were sat near the back. Not even people my age or a bit younger did either.

I was always brought up by mum when i was travelling on a bus and i had a seat that if a pensioner or someone older than me or in poor health or a mum with kids ..to always offer my seat and stand myself. I told another person about this and they said we were brought up to respect our elders .. something which kids nowadays arent. Now most of you are all on mums and dads .. so what do you say to that?

By the way i have sent an email to transdev .. lancashire way etc ... to complain and to ask for the double decker's to be put on at that time .. rather than a single deck. whether i get anywhere is a different matter ..

steeljack · 03-12-2009, 00:19

Think the "problem" with a lot of young uns not giving their seats up is the fact that many times they have never traveled on public transport with thier parents , up to their teenage years they have allways gone in the family car , probably kids from poorer families who have allways used public transit know the "rules" better

AngleIron · 03-12-2009, 00:22

well dode Shillelagh, i was brought up the same as you, and my dad allways stands and gives his seat up, he's fit for his age just last year when he was still driving he used to collect a few pensions for neighbours etc, and he's 87!!!

garinda · 03-12-2009, 00:35

I know what you're saying, and as a child I was also brought up to offer my seat, if an adult was standing.

Suprisingly in London, one of the most insular places in the world, i.e. keep reading your book whilst someone next to you is being mugged, people do give up their seat on the Tube, if someone is obviously more in need.

The only trouble is a person's ability to stand isn't always that obvious.

That frail looking little old pensioner might run three marathons a year, and that surly hoodie might be a double amputee.

shillelagh · 03-12-2009, 00:38

its not a rule though is it steeljack .. its good manners showing respect for your elders or for a young mum with a young child or a disabled person.

garinda · 03-12-2009, 00:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

Think the "problem" with a lot of young uns not giving their seats up is the fact that many times they have never traveled on public transport with thier parents , up to their teenage years they have allways gone in the family car , probably kids from poorer families who have allways used public transit know the "rules" better

It always made me laugh, the sign on the old Accy double deckers, 'No spitting upstairs'.

I always imagined they mad a concession for those unable to climb the stairs, and they sat downstairs happily gobbing in the aisles.

garinda · 03-12-2009, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

its not a rule though is it steeljack .. its good manners showing respect for your elders or for a young mum with a young child or a disabled person.

As I said earlier though, it's not always obvious who might need a seat more, because of a disability.

shillelagh · 03-12-2009, 00:44

the pensioner who got off the bus ..i recognised her ..she didnt recognise me though seeing as its 31 years since she last saw me .. she was the school secretary in my first year .. shes over 80 .. i know that for a fact .. she was a friend of someone i knew.

shillelagh · 03-12-2009, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

It always made me laugh, the sign on the old Accy double deckers, 'No spitting upstairs'.

I always imagined they mad a concession for those unable to climb the stairs, and they sat downstairs happily gobbing in the aisles.

How many times did you change the letter 'p' in the spitting rindy?

garinda · 03-12-2009, 01:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

the pensioner who got off the bus ..i recognised her ..she didnt recognise me though seeing as its 31 years since she last saw me .. she was the school secretary in my first year .. shes over 80 .. i know that for a fact .. she was a friend of someone i knew.

I understand, and agree to a point, but there are eighty year olds as fit as a flea, and there could be a younger, more able 'looking' person, who would have trouble standing.

Age is not necessarily a disability, and like you I was brought up to respect my elders, but at this stage in my life I've come to realise age has nothing to do with it.

Being given/shown respect is a lottery.

It could come from any age group.

There are some very respectful children/young people, and there are some ignorant, selfish oldies.

steeljack · 03-12-2009, 02:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

its not a rule though is it steeljack .. its good manners showing respect for your elders or for a young mum with a young child or a disabled person.

no it's not a rule , but think what I was trying to say is that a lot of kids have never been in a position of 'reacting' with other age groups and don't have the social graces/mores .....many are raised in homes where the family car is the only form of transport , then they get to an age where there is a bit of independance (being allowed to travel alone on public transit) . In the owd days a child of 5 would have been taken to town on the bus to do the shopping ,and taught to stand for its elders, now its in the car to ASDA (probably with either Mom or Dad bitching aloud , usually using some profanity that they have to walk 50 yds in the car park ) .

Eric · 03-12-2009, 02:33

I remember being taught that if I had a seat on the bus, and that adults ... women and elderly were particularly mentioned by my mom .... were standing, I had to give up my seat. And if I didn't, I would be told by people on the bus to stand ... and often, as I recall, the conducter would tell me. I don't think that there is anything wrong with common courtesy, other than that it doesn't seem to be very common any more. But it has to be taught in the home.

Margaret Pilkington · 03-12-2009, 06:26

Many years ago the buses used to have signs on them, that told the youngsters that they had to offer their seat to a 'full' fare paying passenger at busy times when the bus was full.
Please would someone of my generation confirm this.......just so that I know I haven't dreamed this!
PS.....my generation is the 1947 babies

Mick · 03-12-2009, 06:32

I don't think there is anyone else that old on the site

flashy · 03-12-2009, 07:05

Reece (as cheeky as he is) has always stood for older people, if he's sat at the front of the bus he always lets older people off before him too, which always gets a compliment off the older generation, and always makes me smile, i think thats the one thing i've done right in his life...telling him to respect the elderly (if your under 40 you've no chance with Reece, he'll rip you to shreds)