‘I refused to move bus seat for elderly woman – she should have planned ahead’

A woman has ignited a debate online after she refused to give up her seat to an elderly woman on a bus.

The 22-year-old woman says she was asked to give an older woman her seat so she could look through the window on their six-hour journey. She had booked a window seat for herself to accommodate her own personal problems with anxiety.

The woman explained that she suffers from nausea and sickness when she uses public transport but has no other options. She pre-books window seats and takes medication 30 minutes before travelling reports the Mirror.

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Taking to Reddit, she said: “I hate traveling by bus. Since I can’t avoid taking the bus given it’s the only way I can get to college from my house, I have found certain ways to cope with that. I always keep a plastic bag close in case I have to use it and I always reserve a window seat close to the door. This method has worked in the past and I try to implement it every time I have to travel.”

But when she boarded the bus, she saw a woman in her 70s sitting in her seat. She said: “I am socially awkward so as nice as I could, I explained to her that she was sitting in my seat – I had reserved the window and she had the aisle. She said sorry, she thought it was hers and moved. Everything was fine after that, or so I thought.”

When the bus came to its first stop, another woman confronted her about making the elderly woman move along the row. The young woman added: “She told me I should’ve just let her have the seat because the window was closed anyway (the bus had AC) so there wasn’t any difference, that the lady really liked the window seat and it didn’t suppose any effort from me to give it up.

“I told the woman I needed that seat as much as she did and if she wanted a window seat she should have reserved one like I did. Apparently this was viewed as rude and she went on and on about how young people are disrespectful towards the elderly and stuff like that. I ignored it and proceeded to continue the trip on my seat.”

On Reddit, many people agreed with her. In response, one person said: “Age doesn’t entitle you to other peoples’ stuff. Besides if the seats didn’t matter why did the woman need it. “If seat reservations are a thing then she was the a***hole for not reserving it and then just taking it.”

Another commenter added: “I just love how millennials are depicted as the entitled generation when Boomers throw more public tantrums than most toddlers. You’re entitled because you want to sit in the seat you purchased and planned accordingly for. Absolutely priceless. “

A third user said: “If there’s ‘no difference’ then why did the old lady ‘like the window better’.

“You weren’t rude and it was your seat. People do this on airplanes all the time. ‘Oh I thought I had the window…..’ No you have middle and no I won’t switch.”