Should You Give Up Your Subway Seat for a Child?
No adult should ever feel inclined to give up their subway seat for a child.
That's the contentious, hot take in a recent opinion piece for The Atlantic's CityLab. The article shot to the top of New York City's subreddit and provoked lots of comments.
So WNYC's Shumita Basu took to the subways to ask straphangers whether they think kids take priority over adults when it comes to subway seats. Hear what a few of them had to say.
(Those voices, in order: Shemekwah Polite from the Bronx; Dennis Klaus from Harlem; Heather Barclay from Harlem; Elisabeth Batista from Harlem; Yvonne Simmons from Bushwick; Jean Philippe from Nantes, France; Risha Foulkes from Park Slope.)
This is part of a new series of low-stakes debates called "You're Entitled to Your Wrong Opinion." Have an idea for what should be debated next? Tweet @shubasu with your suggestions.
Obviously not. Children can stand. I'm tired, worked all day. A pregnant woman? An elderly person? Sure. Not a kid. He should give up for me
— ScrappyTrails (@mister2988) July 12, 2017
No children are young and have energy let them stand and especially since most parents don't pay for them #wethecommuters
— Rocker (@Rocker182) July 12, 2017
Depends on who you are. I'm able-bodied, so I will stand so a child/mom/elderly/disabled person can sit. #WeTheCommuters
— Hugo Jhun (@HugoJhun) July 12, 2017
Depends on how old. 2 to 3 yo or younger, yes. 4 and up? Time for the kid to learn what it means to be a New Yorker ➡️standing on the 🚇.
— Peter Kim (@peterkimnyc) July 12, 2017
I remember being a kid. Children with zero self-determination have to deal with enough self-righteous, entitled adults. #GoSeatYourself
— Christopher J. Rock (@ChrisJRock) July 12, 2017
And many adults get pushed by other adults it's a learning experience for the kid
— Rocker (@Rocker182) July 12, 2017
1. They have fresh legs
— Annie Shields (@anastasiakeeley) July 12, 2017
2. They take up less standing room
3. They need to learn to hold on
4. If they can fit on a lap they should https://t.co/PXBsDofx5Y
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