Moral Dilemma: Who Deserves Your Seat?

Anonymous
Moral Dilemma: Who Deserves Your Seat?

In case you've never been on a city bus, in most cities the busses have signage above the first couple of rows of seats or seats that face each other near the front that indicate that these seats are for the elderly, handicapped, or infirmed and should you find yourself sitting there, if they approach, you should give up your seat. It is also commonly held that should they approach you anywhere else on the bus, you, be it man or woman, should also graciously offer them your seat with the idea being that because you are able bodied, you can often stand and hold the rails if no other seats are available, whereas they cannot or would otherwise struggle. I think most people would agree with the reasoning behind this and generally have no issue relinquishing a seat for this reason.

Moral Dilemma: Who Deserves Your Seat?

I read this post, that was questioning if there is a moral issue regarding giving up seats for others not listed, like for a heavily pregnant woman, or a woman with a child in a carrier, or a woman with young children, or a breastfeeding mom that needs to sit in order to feed her child (which legally she can do anywhere including public transportation). Is it morally wrong IN YOUR OPINION to not offer this woman and/or her young children, your seat?

Sidebar: there are several conditions that are not visible that men can have that might require them to need to sit down as well. Men on a bus could also have a young child in a carrier or young children with him, but I'm focusing on women exclusively here because the issue in the post and in coversations tends to be more in relation to men specifically being asked to give up seats/chivalry/morals/manners, whatever you want to call it, for women/children. K, I know you exist and have problems too!

One bus driver spoke up about this saying that he typically will not move his bus if a heavily pregnant woman gets on and needs a seat. He said, he will purposefully wait for someone (man or woman) to give up their seat for her because, if she falls on the bus, they have to stop for insurance reasons to call an ambulance so they can make sure she/baby are okay, so they won't get sued (in case you're wondering, cameras are on all busses, so he could also get fired if he ignores it and keeps moving). The bus driver knows that calling 911 will cause everyone massive delays so he essentially will force his hand preemptively for the greater good.

Moral Dilemma: Who Deserves Your Seat?

Another person said, that in these situations if a man or whomever doesn't willingly give up their seat, why is it the fault of that person and why is s/he morally wrong because technically the bus oversold their seats which is why this is even an issue in the first place, so you should be mad at the bus company/driver, and not the man/woman who doesn't give up their seat due to misplaced ideas of what is morally right and wrong.

What do you think? Ever been in this scenario? What did you do? Have you ever hassled someone for NOT giving up their seat to someone else or given them yours if you felt someone was being morally wrong for not doing so?

Moral Dilemma: Who Deserves Your Seat?
151 Opinion