GIVE UP YOUR SEATS JERKS!

[mac117]

It's a shame our society has to resort to this because people have become so selfish and self-absorbed that common decency and good manners are a thing of the past.

June 18, 2009
New York
NYC Transit Seat Hogs Could Face Jail Time
Rudeness could land New York City transit riders in jail.

A new campaign reminds subway and bus riders to give up reserved seats to the elderly or disabled.

Those who refuse could be fined $25 to $50 -- or even face up to 10 days in jail.

Signs are going up this week in thousands of subway cars and buses. The law has long been on the books; transit officials are now trying to get people to obey it.

Evelyn Quinones of the Bronx, who uses a walker, says people used to have better manners.

Says the 77-year old: "The world has changed.''

Quinones thinks the new warnings might get the seat hogs' attention.

http://www.1010wins.com/NYC-Transit-...l-Time/4627219

[Pete]

Originally Posted by mac117

....
Those who refuse could be fined $25 to $50 -- or even face up to 10 days in jail.

Signs are going up this week in thousands of subway cars and buses. The law has long been on the books; transit officials are now trying to get people to obey it.....

Ah, this is the same system that lets thugs ride around beating up and killing other riders?

Oh, yeah - go after the seat hogs.

OK, 30 sitting and one old lady standing. Who gets the ticket? All thirty? The one closest to her? The four closest to her?

I can see it now HC tags for subway riders. Attach to your coat zipper.

Pete

Who still holds doors for the elderly, females, people with their hands full and even guys. I'm never in so big a hurry I can't do that.

[mac117]

Only in NY Pete......being from NC it ain't easy living up this way, but I do enjoy doing acts of kindness....it really confuses the hell out of 'em.

[Richard]

Just some musings on this - the article mentioned 'reserve' seats - I'm assuming these to be the typically marked handicap seats - don't understand the problem with those being given up by non-handicap users on a full subway/train when asked - doesn't say whether or not Ms Quinones or anyone else ever asked - there are also many people with health issues (e.g., cardio-vascular, pulmonary, etc) who look fine and people may assume to be healthy but are physically handicapped - plus many on trains shut their eyes and don't pay much attention to what's going on around them unless something hapens or someone says something to them - civility runs both ways...wherever you may live...and it may be more interesting to hear the rest of the story vs the reported version.

Richard's $.02

[Razor]

Criminalizing rudeness...surely, nothing can go wrong with this idea.

[TDude90]

This is sad that it has actually become Necessary to impose a fine for what should be freely offered by any half decent person.











Edited for spelling

[SF0]

Actually, re reading it, I agree with Pete.

[Saoirse]

Oh, are they hurtin' for money or what?!
The reserved seats are for the handicapped and/or elderly and/or pregnant. You are not allowed to sit there if you are a healthy, ablebodied individual. (Yep, that's where the argument starts....) Sir Richard and Pete, you both hit the nail on the head...as usual.
I worked for the NYC Transit Authority and I spent my fareshare of train riding as a customer on my way to work. NYers do have the notorious reputation of "minding their own business" - nose in a book/newspaper, "sleeping", headphones on (often with music blaring), gazing out the windows, etc. Then you have to deal with the seat hogs with their big butts (Japans Kawasaki, who we bought traincars from, build them like they are building for tiny Japanese butts), their shopping bags/suitcases, their feet, etc. All of which is prohibited and you can receive a citation. And then you have the skells - bums, street people, homeless, drug addicts, winos, etc, who are good at taking up more than just a seat or two...they have taken up entire compartments/train cars because of how badly they smelled/look. The system needs to DEAL with all of them FIRST, instead of trying to be the Emily Post's of the Subway/Bus system.
All those years in that system, I have been offered a seat ONCE and that was by a young girl (I was wearing a heavy winter coat and my purse was slung under it...she thought I was pregnant LOL). After 9/11, NYers woke up and realized there were other humans around them, suddenly people offered their seats to the infirm/elderly/pregnant, etc, opened doors, held doors, allowed people to merge, said hello, etc. (Unfortunately, it seemed to only last a few months then it was "business as usual")
GOOD LUCK, MR. BLOOMBERG and COMMISSIONER KELLY, why don't you go after the REAL crime (that I hear is creeping back into the system).

[echoes]

Originally Posted by TDude90

This is sad that it has actually become nessissary to impose a fine for what should be freely offered by any half decent person.

Well, speaking from experience, not ALL Americans require this type of incentive. There are many law-abiding Gentleman and Ladies, like my nephews, and nieces, who know the "proper etiquitte" in these types of situations.

Though I have met, been confronted by, and hurled my own opinions at this other type of JERK who has no clue, and could care less!

Holly

[Richard]

And then there's this little bit of news - which just supports my wife's personal view that men are basically periodically useful pigs.

Men-only Train Cars Sought In gGoping Fears
Reuters, 17 Jun 2009

Many women taking the crowded train in Tokyo opt for women-only carriages during the rush hour to avoid gropers.

Now, for fear of being accused of groping, some are asking for carriages reserved for men as well.

Ten shareholders of Seibu Holdings, which runs trains in the Tokyo area, have petitioned for carriages reserved for men.

"There have been many cases of groping, as well as false charges of groping, on Seibu Railway," the shareholders said in a notice seeking a vote at the company's annual meeting next Wednesday.

"While measures against groping, such as setting women-only carriages, have been effective to a certain extent, no measures have been taken against false charges of groping... In the spirit of gender-equality, a male-only carriage must be introduced."

False accusations of groping were highlighted when Japan's Supreme Court overturned in April the conviction of a professor for groping a girl on a Tokyo train.

Judges pointed out a need to be careful in such cases when the accuser was the only source of evidence, media said.

But the shareholder request for men's carriages may not be implemented, as Seibu's board of directors opposes the idea.

"The reality is that we have few requests from Seibu Railway users for setting up male-only carriages," the board said in its reply to the shareholder request.

In Tokyo, around 2,000 people were arrested for groping in 2007, data from the police showed. Many crowded train lines, including Seibu lines, designate a carriage just for women during the rush hour.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090617/od_nm/us_train

[Pete]

"....."While measures against groping, such as setting women-only carriages, have been effective to a certain extent, no measures have been taken against false charges of groping... In the spirit of gender-equality, a male-only carriage must be introduced."......."

Looks to be a two way street.

Next they'll need a GLT - whatever car.

[kgoerz]

I ride the DC Metro a lot. It's mostly the young kids who won't offer the designated elderly/handicap seats up. But someone always jumps in their shit about it. The ones that piss me off are the ones who place their baggage in the seat so no one sits next to them. Those are always the first seats I go for on long rides......

[PSM]

I believe that BART, in the San Fran (sf didn't look right) Bay area, has a special car for those who want to be groped.

Pat

[incarcerated]

Originally Posted by PSM

I believe that BART, in the San Fran (sf didn't look right) Bay area, has a special car for those who want to be groped.

Pat

I thought it was for those who do not want to be groped.

[Penn]

http://www.businessinsider.com/where...-killed-2009-6