So you're traveling to town on the metro and with luck on your side you snag one of those coveted seats near the door, with all the legroom. It seems like a big accomplishment and you can relax with your book or ipod, or chat away with friends. While your body is in contact with that seat, it's yours. All yours. But when should it not be yours?
Apparently his feet get the priority ride.
Ever see the signs at the seats near the center doors of every train car? They say priority seating. That's not just referring to the quick-exit location or the unlimited legroom. To you that means it's your seat until someone who actually NEEDS it arrives. Not only does etiquette require you relinquish your metro throne for disabled or elderly passengers, WMATA requests it, and the law requires that they have them. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that priority seating is available on public transit. This doesn't mean WMATA has to enforce it (so no you won't be ticketed for sitting in that seat), but wouldn't you want that seat if you had problems standing for long periods of time, especially on a swaying jolting train ride?
There's a big message at the top with signs pointing to each seat, in case you weren't sure.
I'll even go one step further and provide some more etiquette guidance. Relinquishing those seats to a pregnant woman is not only thoughtful, but it will keep all the other women on the train from scowling at you while a pregnant woman is standing. Also, giving the seat up to someone carrying a kid or dealing with a stroller is great, and will probably keep that kid from falling all over the floor or touching their drooly hands to the poles. Giving the seat up to someone in a cast or brace is a nice gesture as well. A younger person offering the seat to an older person, not just an impaired rider, spreads the good karma too. And my favorite thing to see is men giving those seats up to women. That is by no means necessary, and not every woman will accept the offer, but a chivalrous gesture can brighten the day for the recipient of the gesture, as well as those witnessing it.
So go ahead and claim the priority seats when you want them, but keep an eye on fellow riders and be prepared to offer it to someone more needy than yourself.
First photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alykat/ / CC BY-NC 2.0
Second photo by the author's obviously sub-par camera phone.
I wish more gentlemen would behave as gentlemen & offer their coveted seats, with extra leg room or not, to women of all ages... When they can stand in heels for 6 stops on a jolting ride on the Red Line, then I'll give my seat up for them.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Today a gentleman offered me his seat saying his stop was coming right up. I declined because I was actually comfortable standing (sans heels). Then as it turned out he was still five stops away from getting off. He had offered to stand not for one stop but for most of his ride. I was pleasantly surprised by his gesture, and it definitely brightened my morning.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by The DC Ladies this morning! I love the concept of your blog, what a great idea! We'd love to have you write a "guest post" for the DC Ladies on Metro Etiquette. I especially loved this post one being a woman and realizing that in 2010 chivalry is basically "dead" and would love to see this common pleasantry come back to "live" and two being the mom of a disabled daughter I hate when we get on the metro and there is "someone" who is definitely NOT disabled or anything remotely like it there. Drop us a line
thedcladies@gmail.com if you'd like to do a guest post! :)
Shelley