'I was slammed after refusing seat for elderly woman – but I had good excuse' – The Mirror US
A woman defended herself after refusing to give up her seat for an older passenger. While it’s courtesy to make way for the elderly, she insists she had a good excuse for not budging
When you're travelling on public transport, you should always be mindful of those around you.
And during the post-work rush, it can be hard to get seats on buses or trains. This is particularly tricky for the elderly, who often can't be on their feet for long periods of time.
Most of the time this involves younger, healthier people standing up to allow older people to sit down. Others, such as pregnant people or those with disabilities, may also need a seat.
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One woman, however, has explained that she recently refused to give up her seat in a public place for an elderly woman – and had a good excuse for doing so. She was given dirty looks by strangers at the time – but her reasoning soon shut them up.
In a post on Reddit, the woman said she and her husband were visiting their favourite diner for breakfast, but when they arrived the restaurant was busy, so they had to sit in the small waiting area.
Two older couples walked in while they were waiting, but there was nowhere for them to sit. When the woman made no move to give up her seat for one of them, she was given a "nasty side-eye" look.
But not wanting to let the stranger belittle her, she went on to explain her own limitations. She had recently undergone breast reduction surgery for health reasons, which left her achey and unable to stand.
The anonymous woman recalled: "Myself and the other couples tried to politely explain how the queue worked, but one of the elderly women interrupted us by loudly announcing, 'Well, you should just let my friend sit because of her age, you know,' then gave me a nasty side-eye, rolled her eyes and shook her head at her friend as if we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
"I finally said, 'I'm sorry, I would have given you my seat, but I'm still recovering from surgery and can’t stand for long periods of time. I'm sorry.' It got VERY quiet until, finally, the same lady said, 'Well, do you want to sit here' – and I just stopped her and replied, 'No, I'm fine where I am.' We all waited in silence until it was our turn to be seated."
The moral of the story is not to judge those around them. You can politely ask for a seat if you need one, but be aware that strangers could be battling personal matters or invisible illnesses.
Reddit commenters rushed to defend the younger woman. One said: "Not every disability is visible; even though yours is only temporary, it doesn't make you any less valid. Hope your recovery goes well."
And another added: "As someone with an invisible illness, I feel you. I just keep sitting. It's less of an issue when I have my cane. Even then, people look surprised, I do not care."
