It’s basic manners when riding transit — give up your seat for someone who needs it more than you do.
But how do you know to offer your seat to a fellow passenger if their need isn’t readily apparent?
TransLink is looking at a program to hand out buttons that read, “Please offer me a seat.”
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) recently launched a “Please Offer Me a Seat” button campaign that would make it easier for passengers — especially for those whose needs may not be so visible — to request a seat.
“This is a way for people to self-identify their need for a seat whether they have a physical disability or ‘invisible’ disability in some cases, some injuries for example,” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green told Global News, adding the program could make it easier for people who are pregnant or older to ask for a seat.
LISTEN: Brad Ross of the TTC on the ‘Please offer me a seat’ campaign
“There are reasons that people need seats. We’re not asking people to tell us what those reasons are. They’ll be able to self-identify their own need.”
Similar programs are in place in New York and London.
It’s a program TransLink is keeping an eye on.
“We’re watching closely what they’re doing in Toronto,” Chris Bryan of TransLink said.
“This button campaign sounds like a really interesting idea. We’re a leader in accessibility in North America and we always want to be trying new things and looking at new things.”
— With files from Nick Westoll