It is called priority seating for a reason

I don't know why this little tale from dear husband surprises me so much, but it does.

As a one-car family, dear husband takes the bus to work. Having the car at home allows me to get out and do errands, plus it saves us money. Parking in Ottawa's downtown core is expensive as in $13 a day expensive. During last winter's bus strike dear husband was spending much moola in parking fees.

I've taken the bus and I know how difficult it can be to get a seat on a jammed-packed OC Transpo bus, especially on the ride home to the suburbs. Although I don't want to paint dear husband as a knight in shining armour in this tale, I do hope that this post will make some people think twice when they see someone in obvious need for a seat.

As told to me by dear husband, he saw a visibly pregnant woman looking for a seat. As the gentleman he is, he offered the woman his seat and she gladly accepted his offer. But the thing is, dear husband was sitting in the middle of the bus. Meaning, this woman had to walk through a crowded bus, past priority seating, looking for a seat.

According to OC Transpo's website, priority seating is available near the front of the bus and is for "anyone who has difficulty standing in or walking to the back of the bus. This may include a senior citizen, a pregnant woman, or a passenger with a disability."

To be fair, I wasn't on the bus. The priority seats could have been taken by other pregnant women, senior citizens or passengers with disabilities. Maybe the woman didn't ask for a seat. Maybe she did and her request was ignored. Regardless, passengers sitting in priority seating (if they were able to) and passengers sitting in seats near priority seating should have offered up their seats.

When I was visiting my brother in Singapore several years ago, I spotted an advertising on the bus, advising passengers if they are able to, to give up their seats to passengers who need them. At the time, I scoffed at the advertisement, thinking it is just plain old common sense to give up your seat to someone who obviously needs it more than you do. If they haven't already, perhaps OC Transpo needs to consider installing such advertisement on their buses as common sense seems to be in limited supplies these days.