My train seat for your vote

[Cheese]

MY TRAIN SEAT FOR YOUR VOTE

In these days of so-called equal opportunities, it seems to me that some women are adopting an à la carte approach to women's rights and civil equality, asserting their rights when it suits them and reverting back to another century when it doesn't.

Every day I commute on the train from Fife to work in Edinburgh. And every day the train is packed to capacity with scores of passengers being forced to stand due to the chronic shortage of carriages.

This is always a stressful and uncomfortable experience for everyone but is usually accepted by millions of Britons as part-and-parcel of the daily drudgery of commuting.

Last week, however, events took a nasty turn when I was angrily harangued by a 30-something female passenger, for not doing the "gentlemanly thing" and giving up my seat.

My response: "You're joking, aren't you? What? You want my seat and the right to vote? Forget it."

This was not well received and resulted in other female passengers interjecting and saying how rude I was.

Genuine need

Can I be alone in finding this hypocrisy astonishing? Why should I give up my seat to someone solely on account of their gender?

Have these women never heard of the suffragettes? Do the phrases "women's liberation" and "sexual equality" mean anything to these women?

Like many men, I often give up my seat for passengers who have a genuine need - pregnant women, elderly, and visually impaired passengers, for example.

But give up my seat purely because someone is female? Dream on.

Am I being selfish, insensitive, ungentlemanly or unchivalrous? No. In sticking to my guns I'm standing up for equal rights, of course.

It seems to me that these complaining women are the same verbose characters who would are the first to sound off about women's rights and equality of opportunity on issues like equal pay, equal pensions and such like.

No 'special rights'

I'm all for equal rights. But not special rights. People like this want to have their cake and eat it.

But, I suppose, being a member of THE most discriminated against minority (white, middle-aged, heterosexual males) that my opinion will be dismissed as male chauvinist claptrap.

It was interesting that as I was leaving the train at Edinburgh, a number of fellow passengers who had witnessed this exchange, commented in passing: "Well said, mate", "Good on you, pal."

Guess which gender they were.

It's your choice ladies; my seat on the 0755 from Dunfermline in exchange for your right to vote. You can't have both.

Source

Personally I give up my seat to the elderly or infirm, but not pregnant women in case they're not really pregnant.

[Barbarossa]

MY TRAIN SEAT FOR YOUR VOTE

In these days of so-called equal opportunities, it seems to me that some women are adopting an à la carte approach to women's rights and civil equality, asserting their rights when it suits them and reverting back to another century when it doesn't.

Every day I commute on the train from Fife to work in Edinburgh. And every day the train is packed to capacity with scores of passengers being forced to stand due to the chronic shortage of carriages.

This is always a stressful and uncomfortable experience for everyone but is usually accepted by millions of Britons as part-and-parcel of the daily drudgery of commuting.

Last week, however, events took a nasty turn when I was angrily harangued by a 30-something female passenger, for not doing the "gentlemanly thing" and giving up my seat.

My response: "You're joking, aren't you? What? You want my seat and the right to vote? Forget it."

This was not well received and resulted in other female passengers interjecting and saying how rude I was.

Genuine need

Can I be alone in finding this hypocrisy astonishing? Why should I give up my seat to someone solely on account of their gender?

Have these women never heard of the suffragettes? Do the phrases "women's liberation" and "sexual equality" mean anything to these women?

Like many men, I often give up my seat for passengers who have a genuine need - pregnant women, elderly, and visually impaired passengers, for example.

But give up my seat purely because someone is female? Dream on.

Am I being selfish, insensitive, ungentlemanly or unchivalrous? No. In sticking to my guns I'm standing up for equal rights, of course.

It seems to me that these complaining women are the same verbose characters who would are the first to sound off about women's rights and equality of opportunity on issues like equal pay, equal pensions and such like.

No 'special rights'

I'm all for equal rights. But not special rights. People like this want to have their cake and eat it.

But, I suppose, being a member of THE most discriminated against minority (white, middle-aged, heterosexual males) that my opinion will be dismissed as male chauvinist claptrap.

It was interesting that as I was leaving the train at Edinburgh, a number of fellow passengers who had witnessed this exchange, commented in passing: "Well said, mate", "Good on you, pal."

Guess which gender they were.

It's your choice ladies; my seat on the 0755 from Dunfermline in exchange for your right to vote. You can't have both.

Source

Personally I give up my seat to the elderly or infirm, but not pregnant women in case they're not really pregnant.

I'd have given up my seat, and spent the rest of the journey farting in her face.

[manker]

j2 would give up his seat because 'A gentleman will always aid a lady, period'.

However, the rest of us would stare with incredulity at the able-bodied woman, demeaning herself in this pitiful way.

Well, I would anyway - with one eyebrow raised in a quizzical manner.

[Barbarossa]

j2 would give up his seat because 'A gentleman will always aid a lady, period'.

However, the rest of us would stare with incredulity at the able-bodied woman, demeaning herself in this pitiful way.

Well, I would anyway - with one eyebrow raised in a quizzical manner.

Busyman would probably do it for a blow-job.

[sArA]

women like that give the rest of us a bad name....

I for one have given up my seat for elderly or disabled people (male or female) and pregnant women etc.

I have also been offered a seat by men before who were operating their choice to revert to courtly manners. I did not demand it, and they offered it freely so that is fine by me. I also always hold the door for the person behind me, regardless of age, sex etc because I think it is just good manners.

[ahctlucabbuS]

Space ship > train set > boat.

Oh wait, wrong thread.


I'd respond like any sane beeing. If she had small children however, it would be a different matter....

[vidcc]

In sticking to my guns I'm standing up for equal rights, of course.

sitting in this case.

I have to say that I am taking the validity of the incident with a pinch of salt, however as a topic it's fair game.
There should never be an expectation for someone to give up a seat. It is purely at the discretion of the occupant of the seat.

I would not give up a seat for a young able bodied person simply because that person is female.(not that I use public transport) I do however still open doors etc. For me the criteria would be age and physical ability. An elderly person will always get my seat, be they female or male.
One addition. If I had no seat and were to see a teenager sat down and an old lady or gentleman standing I would not hesitate in suggesting to the teenager that they should vacate the seat for the elderly person and would have no problem publically shaming the teenager if they refused.

[Barbarossa]

I get quite annoyed on trains when people have their bags on seats and then people have to stand because there's nowhere to sit... I quite often ask if I can sit there in those circumstances.. (unless the person has really bad B.O. )

[manker]

I would not hesitate in suggesting to the teenager that they should vacate the seat for the elderly person and would have no problem publically shaming the teenager if they refused.

Well, that wouldn't be so clever if the teenager had a particular ailment that required him or her to be seated. Who is to say that the teenager hasn't got a valid reason for refusing to move -- if he or she does indeed have such a reason, then why should it be shared with not only some busy-body (you), eager to impose his morals on others, but also the people within earshot.

Politely suggesting that some individual move for an infirm person, if the individual is looking out of the window listening to an iPod or something, is fine - but publically shaming someone because they don't feel like moving or explaining why, is being a tosser.

It also wouldn't be so smart if he or she drew themself to their full height and beat the crap out of you

[vidcc]

I would not hesitate in suggesting to the teenager that they should vacate the seat for the elderly person and would have no problem publically shaming the teenager if they refused.

Well, that wouldn't be so clever if the teenager had a particular ailment that required him or her to be seated. Who is to say that the teenager hasn't got a valid reason for refusing to move -- if he or she does indeed have such a reason, then why should it be shared with not only some busy-body (you), eager to impose his morals on others, but also the people within earshot.

If they have a valid reason fine, I am not talking about tiny tim with his crutches

Politely suggesting that some individual move for an infirm person, if the individual is looking out of the window listening to an iPod or something, is fine - but publically shaming someone because they don't feel like moving or explaining why, is being a tosser.

Do you honestly think my initial approach would be "oi wanker move!!!!!" and do you think it unreasonable to voice my opinion of the selfish youth. Of course they have every right to not give up their seat and i have no right to force them, I am not talking about yanking them off the seat by their ears.

It also wouldn't be so smart if he or she drew themself to their full height and beat the crap out of you

That is the difference between people of character and cowards. If everyone were to cower and assume the foetal position we would live in a world where you couldn't take your kids to Disney without people pushing in front of the line.
If Gandhi or Martin Luther King jr. hadn't stood up and be people of character where would we be ( i know a completely different ball park)