The issue of giving up seats on buses

There is indeed such a problem. I think these elderly people also really like to take advantage of these prime times to go back and forth, buying cheap items or occupying seats in senior activity centers and things like that. Another issue is that their ability to crowd onto buses isn’t any worse than that of young people. Why? First, they have accumulated experience over time. Second, young people assume that the elderly should give way voluntarily. Seeing how determined they are to get on the bus, they think it’s fine to let them go home standing up. Here’s another piece of advice: if you have a choice when getting on the bus, pick a seat towards the back. That way you can feel at ease. Of course, I usually offer my seat voluntarily, as I’m still quite young after all.

Hehe, I do encounter this situation quite often. If possible, one should still yield their seat; after all, our upbringing and cultural traditions tell us to do so, otherwise we can’t accept it psychologically. I often come across elderly people who show no gratitude when you offer them your seat. In my experience, if you sincerely say \"Thank you\" to them out loud, most of them will feel embarrassed and respond with their own thanks. But there have been times when they act unreasonably and question me, saying something like, \"What’s the big deal about giving up a seat?\" I would politely reply, \"I’m sorry; it’s my fault. There’s nothing special about giving up a seat – I shouldn’t have given it to you.\" Then I’d pull them up from their seat. Well, everyone around would cheer and support me. I believe people who go to work understand this well.

Just give up your seat; there’s no need to overthink it

This post was last edited by chen-jun-1024 on 2010-11-5 at 12:51. Giving up one’s seat is a virtue, but sometimes it makes one feel uncomfortable. The much-talked-about incident involving seat-sharing on Chengdu buses that went viral online a few days ago is indeed worth careful consideration. Giving up seats to the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled reflects the traditional virtues of our nation. It is a question worthy of our deep reflection that passing on virtues simultaneously gives rise to numerous conflicts. The struggle for seats can be viewed from an economic perspective as a conflict between supply and demand. Everyone is a rational actor; they wouldn’t go out early in the morning to cram onto a bus without a reason – there must surely be a need for that. If a few buses from other routes with lower traffic levels could be allocated to serve the busy routes during peak hours, thereby balancing demand and easing congestion, some of the problems might be resolved ； But, at its core, this problem is caused by human nature. Respecting the elderly is a virtue; it is something that young people can do to provide assistance within their capabilities. Provided that they themselves are in a convenient position to do so, I hope that the elderly will not consider this to be an obligation on our part as the younger generation. Nor should they take it for granted and sit down without saying at least thank you!

Nanjing is also free for the elderly. As for taking the bus, my current approach is as follows: First, I never sit in the reserved seats for the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled on the bus, under no circumstances ； Second, for distances within 15 minutes, I basically don’t sit either ； Third, when I’m sitting and there’s an elderly person standing next to me, I’ll give up my seat. Fourth, when an elderly person is a few meters away from me, I won’t call them to sit in the seat where I’m sitting, nor will I rush to offer them my seat.

Actually, sometimes the elderly act in a way that takes advantage of their age; special buses for the elderly should be introduced so that they can squeeze in there by themselves.

First, check how well the elderly can walk; those who walk unsteadily should be allowed to board, while those who can walk swiftly and confidently should not. Second, make sure there is enough space on the vehicle for me to stand firmly. Third, those who try to board at the second stop from the starting point must not be allowed to do so

It depends; if I see that someone is kind-looking or indeed seems a bit unsteady on their feet, I’ll definitely help them. After all, many elderly people give off an air of respectability. If you think he/she is okay, or if they give off an uncomfortable vibe and you firmly refuse to allow it, then why? Giving up one’s seat is an act of virtue; it is not a sin to refuse to do so when one is in a difficult situation oneself, and giving up one’s seat is not an obligation.

Introducing buses for the elderly is a good idea; I really approve of it, hehe

These days, many elderly people take buses during peak traffic hours to go to the park for morning exercises