10/17(Tue) The culture of the priority seat (Host: Jerry)

[jerryozoz]

The conflict of priority seats happens occasionally in Taiwan. Due to social media, the issue causes much more attention to the public. I think it's a good time to discuss this topic in the YoYo meeting.

Section1

1. Situational Questions:

1-1. If you are an older person who needs a seat, when you get on a crowded bus and see a young guy sitting in a priority seat. Will you ask him for the seat?

1-2. If you stand on a crowded MRT train and there is a person of the disability community comes on. At the same time, you see a young person sitting in a priority seat. Would you ask the guy to give up the seat to the former person?

2. Do you have different experiences under a foreign culture when it comes to priority seats? Or do you have any special experience in Taiwan? Please share it.

3. If a priority seat is available, will you sit in it? What's your consideration?

4. Have you ever been offered a seat? Do you think the gesture is annoying when you don’t need it, or just take it for granted?


Section2

5. Do you think the issue of priority seats is getting contentious in Taiwan?

6. In Taiwan's law, public transportation needs to arrange more than 15% for priority seats. Do you prefer to increase, decrease, or just cancel this regulation?

7. Do you think people who sit in the priority seat should explain why they need such limited resources?

8. Do you think the priority sign/marking (such as pregnant stickers) is a good way to avoid arguments? Or do you have better ways to solve the controversial issue?

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Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:45pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
7:45 ~ 8:00pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:00 ~ 8:05pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:05 ~ 8:40pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
8:40 ~ 8:55pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

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Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $85)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘

Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate your ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for two times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1500 lifetime membership fee, or NT$1000 for students.

[miller]

Move to the top.

[Iris Wu]

My experience with Priority Seats is quite universal. During off-peak hours, people generally go the extra mile to be polite and considerate, making sure those in need get a seat.

But during the hustle and bustle of rush hours, I've noticed many passengers, often students and office workers, grab any available seat and turn a blind eye, possibly so they can conveniently 'overlook' the need to give up their spot.

It’s entirely understandable. Given the pressures of modern life, young individuals and office professionals often crave every moment of rest they can snatch. In my view, no city or country inherently holds the high ground when it comes to social manners or kindness. At the end of the day, It all boils down how life treats us.

As far as the priority seat is concerned, I'm fond of the idea of using name cards or other recognizable indicators to make the needs of individuals more visible. Perhaps tech innovators could devise gadgets that highlight these needs without compromising anyone's dignity.

[Sherry Liao]

As far as the priority seat is concerned, I'm fond of the idea of using name cards or other recognizable indicators to make the needs of individuals more visible. Perhaps tech innovators could devise gadgets that highlight these needs without compromising anyone's dignity.

In South Korea, a trial of a bluetooth alert system was carried out in the Busan subway in 2016. When a pregnant woman with a sensor approached, the system would send a wireless signal to a beacon to activate a pink light near the priority seat to “remind” passengers to give up their seats. I guess this is a way of “highlighting these needs without compromising anyone's dignity”:

South Korea trials wireless seat alerts for pregnant train travellers
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36443920



But back to the problem, if the passenger sitting in the priority seat really needs this seat for some unseen reason, will this lighting mechanism also bring pressure to the passenger in need?

[Michael-liu]

What a clever design！

As for the issue Sherry mentioned, I think nothing is perfect. If you have invisible needs yourself, you care about the “pressure”or not is all up to yourself.

After all, this priority seat thing is out of people's kindness. It is nothing compulsory. I would say nobody has right to force you to yield the seat or morally condemn you.