How effective is the ‘Please offer me a seat’ badge from the TFL website?

30 comments

1. Officially nothing but anyone in the real world should do their best

2. Honestly, not very useful. People look at you weird, like you said, you’re not disabled or you’re too young to be disabled. Despite having a walking stick, people just look stare at you and not offer up their seats at all. It’s ridiculous. Maybe it may change for you and I hope it does.

3. I’ve never seen anyone use these effectively once they just get strange glances

4. It never helped me get a seat. But it did stop any questions when I did get a seat in the priority seating section

5. I also don’t “look disabled”, and as an elder millennial look “too young” to need seating. I’ve found the effectiveness of the badge varies – generally buses are better than tubes (by virtue of the layout of most buses, people in priority seats are facing forward looking at the main door so can see me getting on the bus, whereas busy tubes are frequently so packed that no one can see anything).

   I’d say 20-30% of the time I’m offered a seat, and the rest of the time I ask for a seat. I find catching someone’s eye and saying “Hi” is often enough, otherwise I use my words and ask for a seat. I’ve never been turned down for a seat when I’ve asked, but you do need to advocate for yourself – not everyone is paying attention (which I get, travelling is stressful for everyone so most folks zone out). I’ve found carrying a stick or similar aid is a useful visual cue (even if I don’t actually need it that day).

   I also just try to make my own life easier – if the platform is busy, I’ll sit down and let a couple of trains go past until it’s a bit quieter and then I can get on the train much easier (and get a seat). It does mean budgeting extra time for travel (although I do that anyway, because Citymapper’s estimate of walk time between connections is always wildly over ambitious for me).

6. My partner uses one, and says it’s mostly effective.

   She wears it on a sunflower lanyard, occasionally has to announce to the car that she needs a seat though

7. Pretty good actually.

   The train I usually take on my work commute is always packed so I just bought one of these off eBay and now I never have to stand lol.

   Even if people don’t offer me a seat I just ask if I can sit and usually they give a puzzled look until they see the badge and get up no questions.

8. I have to say I have never seen those badges personally but Londoners are generally really polite and would not hesitate to offer you a seat

9. I’m usually not paying attention to what other commuters are wearing or I take a little nap while I’m travelling, so you’re going to have to ask me for a seat.

10. Just ordered one today after nearly collapsing on a train this morning. Am likely to only need it temporarily as I’m dealing with fatigue after an illness in October. Still, not sure I’ll actually feel up for using it – I don’t look like I need it so I worry people will judge me and be mean.

11. A woman got on a bust tube the other day with a ‘baby on board’ badge.
    I didn’t see her at first, and no-one moved.
    As soon as I noticed I gave her my seat.

    I also do this for any other ‘in need’ type badge or lanyard but, the majority of the time everyone is too busy doom scrolling to notice.

12. I havent used the badge but I carry my card. I have shown it once to some tutting pensioner who I am sure was also exhausted. I’m in my 50s so get less of a reaction than someone younger. I have chronic fatigue syndrome so sometimes it’s a choice of sit or collapse.

13. I’m honestly very happy I don’t need to guess, I offer my seat to visible old people and pregnant women, but if it’s not visible to me, how am I going to know when someone needs a seat?!

14. ngl, Totally agree! It’s all about raising awareness. Hopefully, more folks will get the message and offer a seat when needed!!

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16. I had major surgery last year, and found people very accommodating during my recovery. I don’t know if it was the badge and sunflower lanyard, or if it was the stick I carried that did it, though. I suspect it was the stick.

    I’d really recommend just a cheap folding one. You can get them new from charity shops or just online. It’s a very visible indicator to people that you need a seat, which means you have to ask less often.

17. The other morning on the Lizzy line a member of platform staff got on the packed train to ensure people moved for someone. Depending on how comfortable they feel could be worth approaching platform staff if travelling at peak times. I’ve always found outside of rush hour people are very willing to move even if it takes a direct request to someone in a priority space.

18. I think it helps. I do use mobility aids but sometimes on busy trains people spot the badge before the stick, it’s also useful when sitting in the priority seat that I need it especially on buses where I’ve had issues with old people

19. It’s a shame to hear all the reports that it may not do much good. Personally I immediately offer my seat if I see these or a “baby on board” badge, no questions asked. I think they’re a great idea for exactly that reason.

    > people look at you weird when you sit on a priority seat because ‘you don’t look disabled’

    I don’t know about this; I mean I don’t want to invalidate your experience but I wonder if it’s a perception issue caused by self-consciousness about it, but my experience of being a fully able-bodied person who frequently sits in priority seats (while remaining alert to anyone who may need it, of course!), I don’t get so much as a questioning look. I think it’s totally normalised for *priority* seating to be treated as just that, not exclusively reserved. So I urge you to try not to feel awkward about using them!

20. Pretty effective I’ve found – left the tube with two armchairs and a chaise long the other day.

21. I just got one of these and feel too shy to use it, which is ridiculous, but so it is. I look visibly fine, and I’m scared of someone challenging me or just being flat-out ignored if I ask for a seat.

22. I’ve always offered my seat to someone who’s needed it and seen many others do the same. The badges aren’t always easily visible, or I’m just not looking at people get on so either ask or some other prompt.

23. I once saw someone with a badge down nearer the bottom of their coat, not sure if it was more effective but might be worth a try to see if it’s more noticeable for people avoiding eye contact/looking down/staring at their phone.

24. I’ve just ordered one. I also have a sunflower lanyard but I find on buses people are generally willing to offer me a seat. I’m in south west London and people are generally chill. But then again I’m older and while not visibly disabled I’m not in the best shape.

25. Any time I sit on a priority seat I’m always scanning at new stops making sure no one else needs the seats more than me and I saw someone getting on with this badge the other day when I was sitting (not in a priority seat) and I immediately offered my seat and it was easy and she thanked me.

    I have briefly wondered if it’s socially acceptable to get one of these badges for myself sometimes because I can have bad anxious days when I’ve been overstimulated being in central and just need a seat on my journey home and I purposely take a longer route when commuting to avoid a heavily traffic route. But I’m not from the UK and I’m unsure if me being overwhelmed sometimes on the tube is ‘worthy’ enough when others need it more. But sometimes if I have too many people in my space while trying to stand and hold on I want to scream 😅 but def only sometimes.

26. Just one person’s experience here, but I’ve found they’re less effective than a baby on board badge but not completely useless.

    I am a disabled millennial so I’m not super young but definitely a decade or two short of looking old-lady enough for seat offering without a badge. For a month I switched out my “please offer me a seat” for a “baby on board” badge because I was curious about the relative success rate. Every busy tube ride with a baby on board badge I’d get offered a seat whereas with the disability badge it was about one in four.

    Once I’d satisfied my curiosity I stopped using the BOB badge as it felt dishonest, plus strangers would feel a lot more entitled to ask questions (mostly well-intentioned “when are you due? Do you know what you’re having?” stuff but still intrusive and a little grating) about the “pregnancy” whereas with the disability badge, aside from a few elderly folks commenting that I look too young and healthy to disabled, there are far fewer badge-related interactions.

27. Seen these a few times on my morning commute and each time multiple people have got up to offer their seat. Londoners are alright people!

28. It’s useless. I’m disabled, I wear the badge and use two crutches for mobility. Nobody offers me a seat ever. I avoid the tube at all costs

29. Trouble is it’s in English, half of London’s population won’t be able to read it.

30. Totally get that! Visibility makes a huge difference. It’s all about advocating for yourself; hope you find it helps.

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