Giving Up Your Seat in the MRT




I give up my seat to the elderly, the disabled, the pregnant or someone with a baby in their arms. I refuse to do so for active 5 or 6 yr old kids.
I see this scenario happening a couple of times. Parents walk in with a kid or two in the MRT and adults give up their seats for the kids. I really don't see the need. When people giving up their seats to these kids...they get excited and sit for a few seconds only to run up and down and then back to their seats and then decided they would rather stand. The poles and hand hanger thingy and the space in between a person's legs and another person's legs are like playground to them so why not just let them stand?
One time, there was this spoilt kid who was sitting on his father's lap. A commuter sitting on their left got up at the next stop, leaving an empty seat. So I took that seat and this kid who was sitting on his father's lap got up and started wailing and crying and pointing at me. I was confused at first. I thought....either I accidentally sat on his toy or that I looked so terribly scary to him, he mistook me for a monster. Then I heard him crying and telling his father, "I waa...waanntt to siit he..he..here!! I wan..want...to..sit...he..her..here...!!" I realized he wanted to sit on the empty seat that I had just taken. His father said, "No...you can't do that...let big sister sit...you cannot act like that..." His irritating cries and wails continued despite his father's reasoning. At that moment all I wanted to do was knock that spoilt little boy's head and slap him shut. I was aware of everyone staring at us. Still, I refused to give up my seat to a spoilt brat. If I did, he would think that he can get anything he wants simply by crying and wailing.
Unless the train is crowded and they are at risk of getting squashed, then yes, I would give up my seat to the poor child. Of course if the child looks drowsy or falling asleep, then it would be right...or if the MRT is jerky like when you're riding a bus.

Maybe I've got no children yet...so I'm a kinda self-centered on this kid issue.Am I being a bad citizen?

I think I'm just being reasonable...

Niza A.

ps. NizaA , it is a great post(:

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