Anyone who has ridden public transit - doesn't matter where - is familiar with the signs about giving up your seat to the elderly and disabled. But I've started to notice an unspoken bus rule...if you have the choice between people, give your seat up to the better dressed.
Now I do believe in coincidences and of course this theory could be isolated to just my route; which goes from the town center of the neighboring city (with a reputation of Tweek-Central), through East Portland and then into Downtown. The patrons on my route range from the elderly Russian Grandma stopping at the local Russian market and deli for her weekly shopping, the fourteen year old mother getting off at the county clinic with baby in tow, the hipster couple toting yoga mats and gym clothes in hand, well dressed business wo/man heading to work in one of downtowns city center buildings, and everyone in between.
Most days coming home from work there is standing room only and on most days I stand with the others, holding on like Gibbons in a tree. I have had people offer up their seats to me a few times, usually their stop is coming up and they need to make their way to the doors.
Then there were the other times. Times when a man jumped out of his seat to stand and offer it to me - instead of the woman in jeans and a sweatshirt who was closer to him.
The Asian Grandpa that tried to have a young business man take his seat - the younger man declined and insisted the older man stay seated.
The scowling woman who refused to move her knitting bag until a well dressed woman with Prada and Smartphone needed a place to sit.
So what is it that I'm witnessing?
A random group of coincidences where people would rather give up their seat to the business dressed 20something over the 40something in t-shirt and jeans?
Is there some unwritten rule someone forgot to tell me about when I joined the 20somethings?
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