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

I was shopping recently and a young boy (about 10) held the door open for several people (of various ages) going through - when I went through I smiled and thanked him - his mother who was standing waiting for him said the only people who thanked him were "old people". I hope he doesn't lose his good manners because of those who are so wrapped up in themselves they don't notice when someone does something for them.

It is the little things which make all the difference

I went on a shopping trip with my daughter . As the train doors opened , grown men pushed past us , So they could get a seat . So we stood for an hour journey laden with bags , why they sat there quite smug . I wonder how they would feel if someone did that to there mother ?

I was offered a seat on the Tube the other night. I was gutted. I'm only 63 and, I thought, relatively fit and not too old looking for my age.

PamelaJ1 You did a Greta Thunburg! Picture at the weekend of her sitting on the floor of a train in Germany all posed apparently. If anyone saw it I wondered how on earth she managed to fit all that luggage on the yacht she used for sailing to and fro America. In UK if someone looks fit and able I wouldn't offer ny seat no mater age. And, sorry not even a pregnant female. I am so fed up of women shouting about how they are just as capable if not more than males that I say - let them get on with it. Gone are the says of courtesy. Yes, earplugs, and you can ignore the world around you.

I have found that people do offer a seat on the train. I was given one recently when the rush hour train was extra crowded due to delays/cancellations. There are seats marked for people with disabilities/difficulty standing though this tends to be ignored.
Daytime bus users can be polite but I used to find that in the rush hour no-one offers a seat on the bus.

Ha ha I was on the London underground with my friends last month. We were only going one stop. My friend managed to grab a seat and I stood. A young woman offered me her seat as she said she was only going one stop. I thanked her and said there was no need as we were only going one stop too. When we got off the tube I turned to my friend and said' I think it is about time I dyed my hair again! I am only 64!

well I don`t use trains very often, but when I used one very recently, Chippenham to Bath,, got caught up in the rush hour, and a lovely man offered me his seat immediately, he was of ... how to say it nowadays, not white British! lovely man...young man

next journey, Bath to Chippenham, rush hour again, and two young ladies insisted I had their seat!

can only comment as I find

My husband has had people say very unpleasant things to him on holding a door open for someone behind him !
He is a generous, public spirited person and would hold a door open for anyone.

I agree with Humbertbear that people always give up their seat on the tube but never on the train. Is it to do with the distance? Not necessarily because across London takes a good hour, that's longer than London to Cambridge. Is it because people have reserved their seats and it's their right? And I have to say it is the young foreign gentlemen who are the first to offer, not that I look particularly old.

Totally agree teetime

(I must sign off from GN and do some jobs????)

We do seem to have lost a lot of the basic courtesies and social niceties but there are still very nice people around. We both make sure we continue with them and find that we get some in return. What goes around comes around lets not give up on social manners.

Sp!!! him not us

We travelled home on the C2C line last year approx 9pm, Mr.Gravy, myself, D and GS (3yrs old). The train was overcrowded and GS was exhausted, we passed us between the three of us for the entirety of the journey.

No eye contact with other passengers, all engrossed in their tablets/phones with earphones in.

I think it is common sense as well as courtesy to give up your seat - to someone who is less able to stand than you are.

So I wouldn't necessarily stand up for someone my own age (retired) if they seemed capable of standing (yes, it can be difficult to tell sometimes) but I would for someone who was pregnant, managing small children, or on crutches, regardless of their age.

And I agree with inkcog.

People with their earplugs rammed in their ears seem totally self obsessed and oblivious to those around them.

I don’t think I would have put my coat on the floor!

People will give up their seats on the tube but not on mainline trains. Don’t forget that on the tube you can always ask people in the seats designated for the disabled/ elderly/ pregnant to move

I don't thin it's necessarily and " age thing". Stuff which seems like very basic courtesy to me.,holding a door open, saying Good Morning and so on seems to have been abandoned by many.
There are some real rude oldies out there!

I would say it’s nit a sign if the times as I have a son 33 who gives his seat up regularly if someone of a certain age needs it. He said he’s often the only one to do so but couldn’t sit and watch someone else need it. Maybe I just have a well brought up son but I’m biased.