Children on public transport

Am not exactly up on gang culture but I thought you gained respect by doing things ordered by senior gang members.

And in the light of what Boop said, these are likely to be people who've never been treated with respect, so are setting out to acquire/"earn" it.

I agree with Sophie - my automatic assumption is to give people my respect. the concept of earnt respect seems misanthropic to me.

WTS. Perhaps I am naive but I prefer the attitude that everyone should be shown respect, and only if they prove otherwise, do they then have to earn it. Just yesterday, I got on the train in Manchester at peak time, obviously packed to the rafters. A "gentleman" about my age (late 20's) basically pushed past me and literally ran to the last open seat which I was headed to. I didn't say anything as I just couldn't be arsed at the time. At the next stop, a VERY heavily pregnant woman got on and looked around for a seat, no-one got up. I very politely looked at the above mentioned "gentleman" and asked if he'd mind getting up for the lady to sit as she hadn't asked anyone. He started saying how he'd been on his feet all day and was too tired to stand, WTF? I then not-so-politely-anymore told him to stand up, backed up by a few other men standing around me telling him to get off his arse and eventually he did, and then got off at the next stop, idiot!

Ahhh, that would the shame of being told off by everyone on the train, to be fair. He probably had another 8 stops to go, but had to wait for the next train ?

I did think that too at the time ? Either way, [mother-wagging-finger-icon] I hope he learnt his lesson [mother-wagging-finger-icon]

Serves him right ?

Ahh, it's actually a rule in Melb! Thanks Pommie, I knew that was the reason I always gave my seat up. (see my previous post)

If a teenager offered me a seat today I would probably be too shocked to accept! When the bus is packed with kids going to the language schools during the summer holidays I always have to stand. But being fair to them, most of the kids are willing to give up their seats to someone who's obviously elderly/disabled. Although why an older person would choose to travel during those peak times I don't know! One thing I would love these kids to remember is that wearing a backpack on your back in a crowded bus is not on, I've seen so many people wacked in the face by them.

It shouldn't be anything to do with respect, it should be to do with need surely? And I suspect the young people of today don't see people older as them as in any way more needy? Why would they? We don't (and at 43 I put myself in that group ?) seek to define ourselves by our age, how are they supposed to think differently.

I'd hope my children would look around them and see who was in need, young or old. But with the Cult of the Individual as we have it today, you aren't going to see people doing much of that as an example, are you? Everyone seems to think they're so much more needy, more important than anyone else...

I'm absolutley with Sophie, BGb abd LaP- as far as I am concerned part of having a good upbringing is respecting others automatically. "Earning respect" just makes me cringe, I totally associate it with teeth kissing and wannbe gansta rappers who can't afford trousers that fit.

TBH, I would absolutley hate to be the type of person who is so distrustful and paranoid about fellow humans beings that they didn't respect them by default. What a miserable way to live.

Although, I have to say, My inital thought about this thread was how people will start an argument out of absolutley nothing ?

I was taught as a child to give up a seat to someone who needed it more than me - pregnant women, elderly people. Essentially, a seat should be given to whoever has the most need. I dn't see that most adults need a seat more than most children, so I don't see any reason for children to give up seats in general.

However, a mass rush pushing past everyone to get to seats is rude, and, well, not British. We queue, ffs, what is WRONG with kids today? ?

L
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Didn't expect this still to be going ?

Cleverer people have said it better than me now anyway.

But basically: yes, of course I think able-bodied people should give up their seat to whoever else is less able (elderly, pregnant etc). But I don't extend this to teenagers standing for able-bodied 30-40 somethings! Are teenagers not allowed to be tired either? As someone else said, it's about need, not age.

And no, I don't think that gang culture is 'just' about being told to stand on a bus. But I do think that we as a society have doubled standards with our teenagers: we want automatic 'respect' from them just by virtue of being born a few years earlier, yet they have to 'earn' adults' respect (which some of them misguidedly try and do in gangs, with often disastrous consequences).

My default position is to respect everyone equally, regardless of age or anything else that they can't change about themselves.