Opinions & practices of seat-offering at public transport in different countries/regions
Hi everybody, this is Shiyuan from China, since I find that the Q&A board is really useful to myself, I decide to ask a question, hopefully could get responses from you, which may help understand the cultural and logical differences among the countries/regions.

Let me start first, the place I live in called SHENZHEN, is an immigrant city located in most southern part of mainland China, in which non-local people seize over 80% of the population. In every bus, a few seats are marked as "老、幼、病、残、孕妇及抱婴者专用座位" specifically for the elders, children, the ills, the disables babyholders or people who else are in need. Apart from that, every time right after the bus restarted, there would be a broadcasting inside the bus informing “Seat-offering is a Chinese traditional virtue, please offer your seats to the elders, children, the ills, the disables babyholders or people who else are in need.” And for dozens of times as I could remember, when one who looked old enough, or a woman whose belly was obviously bending outward, or whoever was holding a baby in his/her arms stepped onto a fully seated bus, they always (at least 80%) unintentionally got a seat offer from others, which they appreciated and accepted it as it’s something ought to be. It has been considered as a necessary and common manner here all along.

But as I hear and see, the situations (mainly on trains & metro) in Hongkong and big cities like Tokyo & Osaka of Japan are somehow different, it seldom happens as a result (restricted to the offer to the elders). Why?

▲Is it because both the seated ones, and the ones considered to be in need according to the aforesaid logic, just don’t have such sort of thoughts?

▲Or they do have such sort of thoughts, but it feels weird or they are too shy to do so, because there isn’t such habit/custom (meaning no one else is offering)?

▲Or in the case of accepting a seat offer ( to a certain degree is equal to saying the recipient admits his/her own handicap towards others.), it will generate a feeling of frustration, which prevents the potential recipient from doing so?

▲Or there is a health reason, because a seat with others’ temperature is unhealthy to take immediately?

Please be noted that, I mean NO OFFENCE to Hongkong and Japanese people by saying those above, because they are the only 2 places outside of mainland China that I have ever been to. It was quite nice enough of them who I got lots of helps from during me traveling or living in those places. Please if you found me misunderstood anything or any information I provided was false, you are more than welcome to correct me.

And as I’ve already reported mine, how about it in your country/region?
Any unique opinions on this issue you can share?
Any different practices happening around you?
Any other reasons for refusing or accepting a seat offer come up to your mind?

COME ON, LET’S THROW SOME BLARBLARBLAR!!!To Wozitoya,
Thanks you for being fond of my question. The comparison you made bewteen the legal respect to the elders in US and China is almost correct, that is a systematic thing and my country is short of many aspects, but it's improving. Once an evil emerged and not being punished, nobody can remain an absolute angel. So the line-up-in-a-bank you said is still a systematic issue. But I want to point out that, "in China, the young give the seat to the old is not normal." is not true, ever.

To Peachey,
It's great that Australia people have such a respectful virtue.

To Mark Kramer,
Thanks for your in-depth explanation and the useful information you had provided. As I know, one of the all-time available lessons which a Japanese parent would teach to a child is that 「人に迷惑をかけちゃダメ！」, which means "Never bother others (while it's unnecessary)." It's true that most Japanese people behave really carefully in public. But everything is about "balance", my personal opinion says they need more individualism,hehe.

To Robert Sneider,
Go ask your Mom again.

To Jura,
Your answer is encouraging!

Question

Opinions & practices of seat-offering at public transport in different countries/regions
Hi everybody, this is Shiyuan from China, since I find that the Q&A board is really useful to myself, I decide to ask a question, hopefully could get responses from you, which may help understand the cultural and logical differences among the countries/regions.

Let me start first, the place I live in called SHENZHEN, is an immigrant city located in most southern part of mainland China, in which non-local people seize over 80% of the population. In every bus, a few seats are marked as "老、幼、病、残、孕妇及抱婴者专用座位" specifically for the elders, children, the ills, the disables babyholders or people who else are in need. Apart from that, every time right after the bus restarted, there would be a broadcasting inside the bus informing “Seat-offering is a Chinese traditional virtue, please offer your seats to the elders, children, the ills, the disables babyholders or people who else are in need.” And for dozens of times as I could remember, when one who looked old enough, or a woman whose belly was obviously bending outward, or whoever was holding a baby in his/her arms stepped onto a fully seated bus, they always (at least 80%) unintentionally got a seat offer from others, which they appreciated and accepted it as it’s something ought to be. It has been considered as a necessary and common manner here all along.

But as I hear and see, the situations (mainly on trains & metro) in Hongkong and big cities like Tokyo & Osaka of Japan are somehow different, it seldom happens as a result (restricted to the offer to the elders).  Why? 

▲Is it because both the seated ones, and the ones considered to be in need according to the aforesaid logic, just don’t have such sort of thoughts?
 
▲Or they do have such sort of thoughts, but it feels weird or they are too shy to do so, because there isn’t such habit/custom (meaning no one else is offering)? 

▲Or in the case of accepting a seat offer ( to a certain degree is equal to saying the recipient admits his/her own handicap towards others.), it will generate a feeling of frustration, which prevents the potential recipient from doing so?

▲Or there is a health reason, because a seat with others’ temperature is unhealthy to take immediately?

Please be noted that, I mean NO OFFENCE to Hongkong and Japanese people by saying those above, because they are the only 2 places outside of mainland China that I have ever been to. It was quite nice enough of them who I got lots of helps from during me traveling or living in those places. Please if you found me misunderstood anything or any information I provided was false, you are more than welcome to correct me.

And as I’ve already reported mine, how about it in your country/region?
Any unique opinions on this issue you can share?
Any different practices happening around you?
Any other reasons for refusing or accepting a seat offer come up to your mind? 

COME ON, LET’S THROW SOME BLARBLARBLAR!!!To Wozitoya,
Thanks you for being fond of my question. The comparison you made bewteen the legal respect to the elders in US and China is almost correct, that is a systematic thing and my country is short of many aspects, but it's improving. Once an evil emerged and not being punished, nobody can remain an absolute angel. So the line-up-in-a-bank you said is still a systematic issue. But I want to point out that, "in China, the young give the seat to the old is not normal." is not true, ever.

To Peachey,
It's great that Australia people have such a respectful virtue.

To Mark Kramer,
Thanks for your in-depth explanation and the useful information you had provided. As I know, one of the all-time available lessons which a Japanese parent would teach to a child is that 「人に迷惑をかけちゃダメ！」, which means "Never bother others (while it's unnecessary)." It's true that most Japanese people behave really carefully in public. But everything is about "balance", my personal opinion says they need more individualism,hehe.

To Robert Sneider,
Go ask your Mom again.

To Jura,
Your answer is encouraging!

Answer

I really love your question, and it should be my question. But, my question will be considered offensive to the Chinese. I want to ask: "Chinese, have you ever been discriminated by the Chinese?" 

In US, it is the law that the handicapped/disability (残) people have priority in the public. By law, there must be some exclusive parking spaces reserved for the handicapped/disability people. 
How Americans treat the older people: the older people may be offered with special discounts, such as eat out in the restaurants, movie theaters, super market and department stores etc. Mcdonald's McCoffee is fifty cents for the senior citizens, which is almost 50% off from the regular price. Kohls department store offer 30% discount to senior citizens in addition to the sales prices. These are only some examples, American's custom is to respect the old and care of the handicapped/disability people. People who were born and raised in US, they will naturally respect the old, handicap/disability people. On bus, young Americans will give up their seats for the old and handicap/disability people.

Answer

Continue 

The bad side in America: 
I am going to use there banks as example. The Bank of America, located at China town, Los Angeles, it was managed by the Chinese people and most of the workers were from Hong Kong, the tellers at that bank closed the window that was specifically reserved for the handicap and/or disability people. During Chinese new years, they even place a plant to block that special window for the handicap/disability people. So the handicap/disability people were treated the same way as other normal Chinese people. However, when they saw the customers are not Chinese and they are handicap/disability people, they will open a special windows for them and serve them with priority. 

Cathy Bank located at Monterey Park, Cal, US, it was managed by Chinese, the neighborhood at that area are mostly from Taiwan. In the bank, there was no special windows for handicap/disability people, everyone just to wait on the line. If there were a handicap/disability person online and he/she was the next in line. The Chinese customers from behind will take over his/her place. Handicap/disability person will never be served. 
Bank of America, located at Pasadena, it is managed by American- when the customers waiting online and notice that the person behind him/her is an elderly, he/she will ask that old person go first. If there were a handicap/disability person. The bank teller will open a special window and serve that handicap/disability person with priority. 
In conclusion and in answer to your question, it looks like that Chinese do not respect the old and the handicap/disability people in the public. So, the older Chinese people in the public were afraid to accept the priority that were offered by the young. As in examples above, in US, the young give the seat to the old is normal, but in China, the young give the seat to the old is not normal - TIME MAY MAKE CHANGE.

Answer

Wherever I've travelled, people have given up their seats on trains, buses and trams for the elderly,  pregnant women, handicapped people or mothers with a baby and toddler
The only difference was if the people were jammed in like sardines and couldn't move.

Answer

Friends told me, it is stupid.

Answer

Pardon the long-winded intro, but I kinda needed it to make my point; which is, that while common courtesy naturally exists in pretty much every civilised society, I don't think our Western cultures are really built around politenes. There are reasons for that. Demographic ones, for one. For example, over here people are socially allowed to use much body talk while speaking, or speak relatively loudly. But in Japan, where space is a rare commodity, and people are living closely packed to one another, one's "social radius," as it were, also needs to be much smaller. Which means no yelling and no unnecessary wide gestures, etc. The sociological impact of such demographics simply results in cultures where one's ego is supposed to stay small. And so forth. Entire books have been written on the matter. 

Our Western societies tend to be more individualistic. Not necessarily egotistical (there's simply good and bad people everywhere, I reckon); but, on the whole, yes, more focussed on the individual. Which inevitably results in less social courtesy, like getting up for elder people on the bus. Decent folks still will, of course, but no one really cares if you don't, is the point. I wish I could make it a bit prettier. And I like your option of disabled people and such simply not wanting to accept a seat, for feeling inferior; but, in truth, it's often simply not offered in the first place.

Answers · 7

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