Sign of the times? No one offered me a seat.

When using the London underground - even in the rush hour, always get people offering me a seat. I always thank them for it and take it. I do have grey hair and use a walking stick and find standing very painful and difficult. Try not to travel in the rush hour, but sometimes it is necessary. London buses, again always get offered a seat.
If I am travelling anywhere by train I book a seat in advance so have no problems. Would not take the chance of long distance travel without a booked seat.
Also, at train stations where there are still steps, - if I am travelling with a suitcase, just stand at bottom (or top), and can usually have someone offer to carry up or down my case for me. Usually, these are quite young men or woman, some even going the wrong way on the stairs to help me.
I do not think manners have changed much over the years, however, I do notice how often people will accept an offered seat without even bothering to say Thank you. Personally, I have always found older people less likely to be helpful and courteous than younger ones.

I don't expect to be given a seat because I am elderly (and look it), but I travel on the London Underground frequently and someone usually passes up their seat for me. In fact I don't think I have ever been left standing. Lots of kind folk about.

Off topic I know but Prague is great if you're over 70 because all public transport is free. Doesn't matter where you come from and you just need proof of age.

I was offered a seat on the tube a few years ago when I was 60. We rarely go to London, I thanked him, but said I was fine. Then his wife insisted I take it. So I did. Certainly didn’t expect it as I thought no one offered seats anymore. Made me feel a bit old though.

The same happened to me on Sunday afternoon. As a regular visitor to NY I am always offered a seat on the subway. Maybe there is something we can learn from the USA!

The bag on the seat thing is guaranteed to infuriate me. I always used to ask them to move it, even if there were other free seats! Petty, I know.
A few years ago we went to Prague, and my travelling companions and I were often offered seats on trams by young people. Of course, it may have been coincidence.

I was on a bus yesterday and four of the disabled user seats were taken up by a woman and a toddler. She was on two and the toddler on two. She refused to make eye contact or move. The bus was crowded and eventually a woman reluctantly moved her bag to let me sit down.

A sad sign of the times.

I was traveling home from Hampton court flower show and was offered a seat by a young lady. I'm a very active 68yr old but after a busy day I accepted gracefully. Then I had a dilemma, because several people many years older than me came on the train. My instinct was to give up my seat but I thought it might seem ungrateful to the the young lady who had given it to me, so I stayed put.

I often travel on the Metro (tram) at rush hour when everyone's on their way home from work in Birmingham. I am almost always offered a seat by a young person, usually from a BAME background. There are some lovely young folks around here.

not where I live, people are lovely here, kind, considerate and very pleasant. I have often seen people give up seats.

I think a sign of the times, most younger people just want a seat to watch the latest thing on the mobile device i don't think they even think there's someone I could give my seat to

I don't know about trains, because I can't remember the last time I used one, but I wonder if the fact that pensioners nowadays are travelling for free on buses makes young, full-fare-paying passengers much less willing to give up their seat?

I agree it's often older people who are rude. My beautiful kind-natured daughter who had waist-length dreadlocks was holding open a shop door for an elderly lady with a toddler in a buggy and a little boy. "Look at that lady's hair Nan" said the lad. "That's what you get from taking drugs" she spat!

I agree about London Underground - I am often offered a seat. 8 years ago my son was very ill in hospital in London and I used to get the bus back to my daughters flat. It was the East End and I was always offered a seat. Maybe because I was looking so fraught and worried.

I've just done a train from Somerset to Plymouth, I was lucky enough to meet several gentlemen of all ages who helped me with my luggage. One going the extra mile in taking me to my seat and even coming back when we reached Plymouth to carry my case off the train. I didn't know if I should be flattered or insulted, yes I walk with a stick by I'm only 61 and didn't feel I looked my age! My son said they must of thought I looked like I needed help!

Here's a tip I use on the tube in case anyone gets to the seat first. You make your way on and throw your bag at the available seat to grab it. No one dares sit on your shopping, it works for me!

Strangely the one place where I have often been offered a seat is on London Underground.

I do think courtesy and manners have left the building, but I think the younger generation of women are partly to blame, with the constant shouting of equality and their rights. Also, people are oblivious to others, mainly because they’re often plugged into something! The result is, some older people have become rude too. I’d like to think it was because you looked good, and therefore, no one felt the need to offer?. Like another poster, I wouldn’t have wanted to put my coat on the floor.

Recently I was on a train and was offered a seat by a young man, and just as I was about to sit down another man got there first. Luckily the polite youngster told him to move!

Good for you Nanny27??
I have had a young woman give up her seat to me on an
overcrowded train this year when I was standing.
It’s always appreciated when it does happen.

I would give up a seat for someone of any age or gender who appeared to need it more than I do.

The trouble is that we can't always see who needs it. I have arthritis in my knees, and sometimes I am in a lot of pain, but I don't use a stick, so I look fit and well (I am 60, so between old and young, I suppose). I have lost count of the dirty looks I've had on public transport from people who think I am sitting whilst someone less able is standing. I am paying for a seat, and shouldn't have to explain my situation to anyone else.

I have also found that it is older people rather than young ones (if we are generalising) who are very rude on public transport. Shutting (or opening) windows without asking people if they mind, putting bags on seats, pushing past queues to get a seat etc.

There is one older lady who gets on the bus near me. She has a walking frame, and needs to have a seat that will accommodate that (ie an outside seat or one near the gap meant for a wheelchair/buggy). Fine. But she arrives a second before the bus is due, when others have been waiting for ages, literally pushes through the waiting passengers so she is right at the front, and takes that space for herself.

IMO, whereas she has an absolute right to sit there if there is a seat available, and if someone is in an accessible seat they should move to a different one to let her have it, she does NOT have an automatic right to a seat if the bus is full, and nobody should have to wait for the next one in order to let her get on. If she is too late for a seat, she should wait for the next one (there is seating in the bus station), and either way, she should wait her turn to get on the bus in the first place. I have seen her ask (tell) a mum with a toddler and buggy to get off the bus so that she can sit down, which I think is outrageous: 'You'll have to get off - I need to sit here so there is room for my frame, and your buggy's in the way'. Another passenger managed to move the pram so that they could both use the space, but come on!

I realise that she is just one older (and rude) person, but I'm not sure that age is always relevant - it's about understanding that we don't always know who is more in need, and that there are young people who need to sit too.

I was shopping last week. As it was lunch time there were a lot of teenage school children in the supermarket. I stepped back with my trolley to let about 8 through, not one of them said thank you. I was in another aisle and stopped to look at clothes which were in the middle of the aisle. A middle aged couple came up my side of the aisle, the other side was empty. I moved with my trolley to the end of the rack of clothes and stood there waiting for them to come through. Despite seeing me waiting they stopped and looked at the clothes, then moved past me without a word. I did say something under my breath about manners and got a filthy look, but still no thank you. Then, further round the shop there were a group of people chatting away, blocking 2/3 of the aisle (a pet hate of mine). An elderly lady was coming towards me so I reversed to let her through. Guess what, no thank you from her either! In fact the only thank you I got was from a young woman with 2 children.

It does seem like common courtesy has disappeared in all age groups, including in many cases the elderly.

No one ever offers me a seat and I am tempted to flash my freedom pass and shout pensioner I am hoping it's because I look young and fit

Slightly off topic but I have just been shouted at in M&S carpark by an old man because I had parked next to his car and he couldn't get in. I was right up against the post and well over the line but the problem was he had a low two seater sports car with big doors. He told me I was rude and ignorant. I always check my parking so I was quite upset but just wished him a Happy Christmas. Chivalry is certainly dead.

I was recently on a very crowded train, standing. A lady who was seated beside me got up to get off and gestured to me to have her seat. I was half way in when young lad of about 15 tried to push into the seat saying that he had been standing longer than me. I gave him my best icy glare (as I sat down) and told him not to be so rude.