Woman refuses to give up her first-class seat for an elderly traveller: she is applauded for her decision
We all know that civil, polite behavior follows certain rules. Whether these rules are in writing or not, it is always important to avoid being disrespectful - especially towards the elderly. For example, it is good manners to offer up your seat to an elderly person on a bus or train. But is every scenario like this cut and dried?
The subject of this story found herself in a quandary, so she decided to tell her story about her on Reddit and ask for advice about it.
via Reddit
In a post published on Reddit, the 32-year-old woman described her experience while traveling by train. Returning from two weeks of working away from home, the young woman was returning to Aberdeen from London and, as the journey would take a good 7 hours, she had decided to book a comfortable, first class seat. "I knew that I would have to work on the train, so I reserved a seat where I would not be disturbed. And I make this booking long before the date of departure," she said. But when the woman boarded the train, something very unpleasant happened.
"I got on the train and took my seat. It was one of the priority seats usually reserved for elderly people or those with handicaps. A few minutes later, an elderly woman came up and pointed to the sign above the seat which indicated that the seat was reserved for the elderly or handicapped. The old woman asked me to give up my seat, but I refused," said the woman.
After arguing for a while, the woman had to call an employee to resolve the situation. This employee tried get the woman to move to second class, but the 32-year-old refused.
Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism/Flickr - Not the actual photo
The elderly woman had a ticket that allowed her to get on any train, but did not guarantee her seat. In the meantime, the woman had booked her seat well in advance and had paid a lot for it. Eventually, the elderly woman gave up and went to sit in another carriage.
This incident upset the woman and she asked Reddit user for their opinions. Most users supported the woman and blamed the railway company for selling the seat to regular customers.
What do you think about this story? Would you have given up your seat, or would you have stuck to your guns?
