Times have changed, and sometimes I think they’ve changed too much, and in many cases for the worse.
I usually travel by bus; in fact, I’ve done so all my life, ever since I was a child. I very rarely went to school by car, mainly in my grandfather’s, as he passed away when I was seven and after that there was no car in our home. It was very expensive, and the associated costs were even higher. We barely had enough to eat; owning a car was a luxury.
But the fact is that ever since I was a very young girl, my main means of transport has been the bus, both when it ran more or less well and when the service was dreadful. And this is what I mean by my life in Argentina. The buses in my city were never excellent, and on many occasions people really did seem more like cattle crammed into a lorry than human beings. No heating, no air conditioning, no comforts.
And when I moved to Spain, I carried on using the same mode of transport, but with a world of difference in the service; the first few times, I thought I was on a spaceship from another planet or something similar. There’s space, I don’t travel like cattle, there’s heating and air conditioning, and it’s a pleasure to travel that way. Not to mention adherence to timetables and punctuality, another world of difference between the two countries. I’ve never owned a car and, to be honest, I’m not interested in one, not at the moment, anyway. I won’t say ‘never’.
But there’s one thing I was taught when I was very young: if I was travelling on a bus and an elderly person, someone with a disability, or a pregnant woman got on, I should give up my seat so that person could sit down. That’s how I learnt it, and that’s how I’ve behaved all my life, and I still do. It’s not just a matter of good manners but also of respect for other people.
But on those old buses there were no signs indicating which seats were reserved; it was simply a matter of good manners and custom that young people, upon seeing an elderly person or anyone else in need get on, would stand up and give up their seat without a second thought. That was commonplace and normal when I was a child, a teenager, a young adult… but I think a lot of that has been lost.
Here, on the buses, there are special red seats, but there are also signs, and when I saw this I wondered if it was necessary, because they were marked. Over time, I learnt that it was necessary, because I see people who never get up from their seats when an elderly person gets on; those red seats are specifically left free. But what happens if there aren’t enough of those seats? I look around and nobody gives up their seat, and I wonder… what has happened to society?
I often travel with my mother, who is 73, and there’s usually a seat available, but when there isn’t, not a single young person gives up their seat, and I really can’t believe it, what a lack of consideration, manners and respect for our elders.
I recently witnessed a situation where some tourists from northern countries got on the bus, took the red seats, and a young Spanish man told them in English that those seats were reserved for the elderly or disabled. They laughed in his face, didn’t get up, and argued with him. It got to the point where the young man told them he didn’t want to speak to them any more, that they were disrespectful.
What has happened to society, when young people who don’t respect or consider their elders don’t realise that one day they themselves will be in that position? There is such a lack of empathy, respect and support for those who cannot stand or support themselves properly, like my mother. We’ll all reach an age when our balance, legs and knees won’t hold up, or when we won’t have the strength in our arms to stop ourselves from falling whilst the bus is moving. But young people don’t think about that. And I believe that in other areas, too, those same values towards the elderly have been lost.
Where is our society heading, without principles, values, respect, consideration or kindness? A kind gesture doesn’t cost much, and when done selflessly, it reflects well on the person who does it. I feel so good every time I give up my seat that I can’t quite understand what’s happened, because it seems to be a widespread phenomenon and I don’t know if this will change.
Thank you very much to everyone for reading my post today; I wish you all a very good weekend. See you soon. Amonet.
All the photographs are mine.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
