Sir, – As a child when travelling on public transport, should I see an adult standing, I would immediately offer my seat to the adult.
These adults could have been aged anywhere from 14 to 100.
I knew I was safe when the person had grey or white hair but other than that I had no criteria. It was ingrained in my generation to respect adults and our perception of just who qualified as an adult was shaky. We were definitely indiscriminate but like our revered Enid Blyton characters “determined to do the right thing”.
Now my hair is grey and I am waiting for my deserved seat on a crowded Luas.
I stand in the heat with my bags while one-year-olds or maybe two- or three-year-olds (again my age perception is slightly off), sit in splendour in their own seats.
I want to ask the parent to put their little prince/princess on their knee so I can sit down.
Then I look up above their heads and see the writing that states that these seats are reserved for people with children.
It is written in the stars that I shall stand while using public transport. – Yours, etc,
BRENDA CARDEN,
Dublin 6.