Reddit Backs Mom Who Refused to Give Son’s Seat to Old Woman

A mom and her sick son were harassed by fellow bus passengers for not giving up the teen’s seat for an elderly woman.

Sharing her experience on Reddit, the mom claimed she was called an “entitled b—h” for not telling her 17-year-old to give up his seat, even though he was experiencing health issues and physically needed to sit down.

The mom explained that she and her son attend weekly therapy appointments for his health. They had no choice but to take public transport one day since her car was unavailable.

“While it isn’t my place to share why he goes to therapy, I will say that he will often forget to eat. I usually make sure he’s fed, but due to the mess in the morning, it slipped my mind,” she explained in her Reddit post, adding that the bus “wasn’t too crowded, but all the seats were taken.”

“I could tell he was feeling dizzy from hunger and the bus. So, the second someone got off their seat, I sat him down. I then tried to find a chocolate bar I had in my bag. While this was happening, I noticed an elderly woman and her adult daughter standing beside us,” she continued.

The old woman’s daughter tapped her on the shoulder and asked if her mother could have the teenage boy’s seat.

The mom gently declined and explained the situation. She apologized, telling the other woman that she “felt really bad” but had to prioritize her son’s health as she believed her son was at risk of fainting.

“[The daughter] rolled her eyes at me and said that she saw him standing earlier and that he’s a young, healthy teenage boy — he’ll be fine,” she continued, adding her son was so weak he had to support his body against hers even while sitting.

She then noticed the other woman and her mother whispering about her and her son. She wrote that she heard them call her an “entitled b—h” under their breath.

Unfortunately, the harassment didn’t end there.

Once they arrived at their destination, another passenger made a snarky comment, telling her that “a teenage boy can handle standing more than an elderly woman can, and that she hopes someone treats me like that when I’m her age.”

In the comments section, Reddit users rallied behind the woman for having her son’s back.

“You handled it the same way I would have, politely explaining that your son wasn’t feeling well and needed to sit,” one user wrote.

“Having an ‘invisible’ illness is the pits for just this very reason. I, too, get these crashes occasionally, and there’s no choice to it. If I don’t sit down and get something in me, a Gatorade if nothing else, I WILL pass out,” another commented.

“I have been harassed by strangers for having a handicap place card and using designated spots. A man verbally assaulted me because he assumed I was just some a–hole parking in a closer spot. My tag was very visible. I’m sorry I’m not disabled enough for you, sir,” someone else shared.