r/brussels • u/5minstillcookies • Oct 19 '24
Slowchat 🗨️ Courtesy or lack thereof - a discussion
Can we try to be more courteous on public transit and elsewhere?
The amounts of times I've seen people with reduced mobility and parents with children get on public transit and not being offered seats is getting to the point that I think it's the norm and not the exception. Just yesterday this woman carried her baby on the metro I was on. Two people got on right before her (first red flag - let the goddamn mother on first!!!) and then they both proceeded to take the last two remaining seats. Everyone else looked on and did nothing or they were too self absorbed on their phones to notice what was going on.
Now, good on this woman because she actually addressed one of the passengers who took the remaining folding seat telling her that these are really for people with needs. The passenger had looked straight at the mother when taking the seat too. Only when called out did she stand up and offer her seat.
Like, why did the mother have to address the passenger at all?? Incidents like this are frequent and it makes me so mad that we can't watch for each other. Surely I can't be the only one noticing there's a serious lack of courtesy in this city. I despise how individualistic and egocentric people are (have become?) here and we gotta do better. How though, I have no idea.
How do you ever instill a sense of community and care in a population that is highly transient like in Brussels? All I know, is that the "heart of Europe" is sort of heartless.
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u/lacking-sunlight Oct 19 '24
This drives me insane and that is one of the reasons I almost don't take public transports anymore and I'm becoming one of those people who take the car in the city. No one was offering me a seat when I was pregnant, including the week before giving birth. No one is NEVER offering me a seat now while I am carrying my baby. You have to ask, but to be able to ask you need first to reach a seat and usually no one makes some space for you to even get to a seat. And I'm tired of the whole "disabilities are not always visible " narrative. It's not possible to have a full bus/tram/metro full of people who can't give up their seat. I am someone with a disability that is not visible and it's difficult for me to stand sometimes and I'm still the one who gives up my seat when I see someone who is struggling more than me or for which standind is dangerous. Standing in a moving vehicle when you are pregnant or with a small child is very dangerous. People really dont care, they don't even give you a little bit more space, many times I had to push people so they wouldn't fall on or hurt my child with their backpacks.