Seniors vs. Moms with Babies

[hypeforlife91]

Well, I don't know if this has to do with race in particular..but here it goes..

Today I was on the public bus and sat across from an African-American lady that was on the phone holding a baby at her chest that she covered up with a blanket.

Then at a stop, this old Asian lady came in. I don't know why she didn't sit next to me but she asked the African-American lady to move instead. I had 2 seats on either side of me and I would've gladly moved if she wanted my seat. Maybe she's one of those peeps who has "lucky" or "favorite" seats? =3 So she asked her if she can move over a seat so she can sit down and the lady said "NO! YOU CAN SIT OVER THERE!" *pointing at the seats next to me*

The old Asian lady asked her why she couldn't move and she said "I'M NOT GONNA MOVE MY SON AND I!" The old lady said, "But you're taking up two seats..." (Cause she had her bags on one seat). The mom said, "DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO B****!" She screamed it. I thought like wtf lady..you don't need to use that language on people especially at an old lady. She kindly asked you NOT demanded you. The old lady sat in the seat to the other side of her.

You know how senior citizens and moms with babies get "special care and privileges" in America? This is totally an example of when things go wrong. Good thing the old lady was silent when she called her a b**** and the bus driver was like "HEY, KNOCK IT OFF!" or else there would've been a fight. So who do you guys think was right?

[i move the stars for no one]

wow-in this case,NEITHER.
if there were other seats open able to accomdate the woman,i think she was being a bit silly to request the one occupied by the mother.the mother was WAY out of line to put up that kind of fuss and be so incredibly disrespectful over a polite if unecessary request.had i been the bus driver i would have kicked mommy off for that nonsense.
had the mom politely refused i think she would have been rude but not in the wrong (the rude part is just based on my upbringing of somewhat extreme respect for elders.)babies and diaper bags are really not *that* big a deal to lug from one seat to another.strollers and whatnot are a different story.

[admin]

There's another unexplored fact which may be...were those seats reserved for the elderly/disabled, as many in the front of the bus are?

[cm]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow0VdtPXUQ4&feature=related

[i move the stars for no one]

Oct 19, 2009 17:49:17 GMT -5 admin said:

There's another unexplored fact which may be...were those seats reserved for the elderly/disabled, as many in the front of the bus are?

that was my thinking behind mentioning the stroller,the only place for a stroller on the busses i've been on are the same place where wheelchairs would go.
and i don't really think it has much to do with race.

[admin]

Oct 19, 2009 18:12:15 GMT -5 i move the stars for no one said:

Oct 19, 2009 17:49:17 GMT -5 admin said:

There's another unexplored fact which may be...were those seats reserved for the elderly/disabled, as many in the front of the bus are?

that was my thinking behind mentioning the stroller,the only place for a stroller on the busses i've been on are the same place where wheelchairs would go.
and i don't really think it has much to do with race.

You know, I wrestle with the race thing. I wonder, for example, if the mother would have refused the same request from an elderly black woman, or if the old woman would have pressed her case with a younger Asian mother?

People don't always go out of their way to single out someone of another race and then act rudely toward them for that purpose, but when presented with the opportunity to withhold civility, I think sometimes race can play a factor. I have a friend who was a notoriously aggressive driver. This guy would always race to be in front of a merge, pass people all the time, and NEVER let anyone cut in front of him or enter the flow of traffic in front of him. One day, though, he mysteriously stopped and waved an old Asian lady to pull in front of him (he's Chinese). Shocked, I asked him if he knew her. He said no, so I asked if he let her in because she was Asian, and he said yes, and that also because she was old. I asked if he would have stopped and waved in an old Black woman and he said "probably not" (certainly not would be more correct!). I've seen the reverse many times where a black meter maid will relish in writing a ticket for a white or Asian person who is racing to get back to the car and then will enjoy rejecting all their pleas. The same meter maid will happily take back a ticket issued to an old Black person if they manage to get to her before she leaves the car. I saw this outside my office in downtown Oakland all the time with one particular meter maid, though I guess it might be more widespread.

In this case, the bus case, I have to say...I have no idea...but I'm not ready to completely discount race as a contributory factor for the nastiness of the dispute and the tenacity of the parties.

[i move the stars for no one]

Oct 19, 2009 18:39:59 GMT -5 admin said:

In this case, the bus case, I have to say...I have no idea...but I'm not ready to completely discount race as a contributory factor for the nastiness of the dispute and the tenacity of the parties.

well,you have a very strong point .i also doubt the black girl would have screamed like that at an elderly white woman.

Oct 19, 2009 18:08:15 GMT -5 cm said:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow0VdtPXUQ4&feature=related

oh Lord.

[hypeforlife91]

On the bus, yes the first seats are reserved for them, but we are allowed to sit there when no seniors are around or when the bus is pretty empty. But when the disabled or the elderly are coming, then we have to move. She didn't want to sit on my side. *sobs* maybe she looked at me and thought I was scary. She opted for the African-American lady's side instead....me dunno. xD

[milkman's baby]

This is why I'm glad I have my own car that I can drive my fatass around in. That example and the vid topoi posted is so typical of what I would expect on public transportation. Just trash. It's embarrassing, really. When I lived in DC for a semester in high school, I took the metro everywhere and I was always afraid I'd accidentally sit on a heroine needle and contract some disease or get stabbed to death. It's like all the filth of the city (of all races) comes to together x10 on public rides. Only trashy people would manage to pick such fights.

[hypeforlife91]

^Amen to that. I wish I have my own car. That would be just like heavennnnnnn....but I don't even have a license yet lawlz.

[Ganbare!]

I agree with putts, if she were Black or White she might have let her sit, people tend to like to be disrespectful towards Asians because they think they won't react but like in the video you posted they sometimes do and she learnt it the hard way.

Just like hypeforlife, I too noticed that some people seem to be intimidated by me. I can count how many times there were free seats next to me in the subway and no one would ever take them, especially the older folks but I might be imagining the whole thing.

Too many people avoid interacting with ambiguous-looking individuals just because they can't tag them with stereotypical race characteristics and that's not acceptable in this complex multicultural society!

[hypeforlife91]

Whao I just watched the video..good thing a fight didnt take place. It was verbal abuse though. =/

[Yingy]

I don't if it's a race thing, I have seen on the metro a black women ask a black lady to move over so she could sit and the lady went crazy calling her all sorts of names and the older lady did to, lol
I think it's a lack of manners, I've witnessed all sorts of people of different races do this on the metro or bus. People think they are entitled to everything and have the right to act like a ass.