Saturday 24 November 2012

Seat gifting, like 'Baby on Board' the other way around.

In the early hours of this morning, that arch node Dan Sumption passed on a link to a blog post by Thayer Prime called: Would you be happy to give up your seat, no questions asked?.

Basically the premise is that while TFL’s ‘Baby on Board’ badges are a good idea they are

  1. only for one segment of the travelling population that needs a seat;
  2. requires zoned out commuters to spot them;
  3. only (as far as I know) really in use in that London.
So what is Thayer's plan? Simple design new badges, get people happy to give up there seat to wear them, make life easier for all sorts of people who may need a seat on public transport and finally dance on the ruins of the stupid stage.

I have a selfish interest in seeing this work; I recently weaned myself off walking with a stick and still have problems with walking to far or standing to long. Mostly this isn't a problem, Sheffield's tram system covers most of the journeys I need and living at the end of a line is great for getting a seat in the morning. But just occasionally I don't get a seat on a day I really need one and having got rid of the stick have no visual clue for people to offer me a seat (and being terribly British I'm not going to ask, who knows what maybe wrong with them?).

So for now, I’m spreading the word, but if it looks like this is a goer then I’ll be supporting it however that may be.

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