People Who Need the Priority Seats

張貼日期：Jun 16, 2010 8:1:25 AM

People Who Need the Priority Seats

Samantha Chang

     Nowadays, Taipei City Government promotes that people should show their polite breeding on MRTs. The government hopes that each and every seat will be the priority seat someday. When we take the MRTs, we often hear from the loud speaker the urging statement, “Please yield your seat to those in need.” According to their identities, there are four types of people who need the priority seats. They are elderly, pregnant women, disabled and passengers with babies.

     Elderly people are too old to stand for a long time. They can’t adjust unexpected condition, either. When I was a senior high school student, one day, I went back home by taking the MRT. I saw an old woman about sixty years old. She stood on the MRT but no one cared about that. Suddenly, the train stopped without any notice. The old woman fell. Nobody wanted to yield the seat to the poor woman until she fell down to the floor. I was so disappointed at everyone’s behaviors. “How cold they are!” We must care about the old people and consider their strength and vigor.

     Second, it’s hard for an expectant mother to stand for a long time. They have a baby in their belly so that they have to bear the baby’s weight. They are so respectable and great. I always yield my seat to pregnant women no matter whether it’s a priority seat or not.

     Besides the elderly and pregnant women, we should care about the disabled passengers, too. They are unable to move easily in everyday life so we should be considerate to them. For example, on the MRT, I often see a security help the blind person to get onto the MRT and let him or her sit on the priority seat. It’s not only heartwarming but touching. We have to show our compassion or they will be in danger without our help.

     Like pregnant women, the passengers carrying a baby cannot move easily. They have to protect their babies carefully to prevent any harm to the babies and themselves. Many years ago, my aunt took her baby to take the MRT but the baby was so heavy that she was weary. When she got onto the MRT, a young man gave her his seat immediately and she was so grateful to him then.

     We hope that each and every seat will be a priority seat someday and all of us are happy to yield seats to the ones who need them, and show our polite breeding everywhere.