A polite refusal

I know I write about the buses a lot, but they and their culture truly fascinate me.

One thing I've started to notice is the ticket sellers will sometimes announce that an old person is getting on the bus. (There are signs on all buses informing riders that certain seats are reserved for the elderly, sick, disabled, pregnant, and small children.) If no one gives up a seat, the ticket seller will ask someone to give up their seat. Someone eventually will stands up, but sometimes, that's not the problem. It then becomes a question of whether the older person will take the seat.

Granted, there are always the people who are very thankful that someone younger would give up their seat. Especially if they are going a long way, or there's a lot of stop and go traffic, or it seems they just can't take the ride standing. However, twice now I have seen scenarios where the ticket seller asks someone to give up their seat calling it out to anyone who would listen, someone gives up their seat and the ticket seller says to the older person go sit down, but the older person says "no, I'll stand." The ticket seller than got out of their seat behind their little podium walked over and literally grabbed the older person by the wrist to take them to the freshly vacated seat. If the older person puts up a fight still, it seems, the ticket seller just gives up and lets them stand.

It's like some men, as in the cases I have seen it's been men, don't want to admit that their old or they don't want to admit that they lack the strength to stand for the bus route that they have probably ridden for years. Fighting against getting older. Or maybe just stubborn. Or they just want to let someone else sit down... I like the other ideas regarding fighting against old age. Possibly a trait of humanity. But in a place like China, where culture stipulates respect for elders, and where people will gladly give up their seats for older people, why refuse it?

In the end, it's actually quite comical for all those watching. More often than not the old person will take the seat, but there are some who will refuse to take the seat.