The woman refused to give up her seat to the pensioner, but people are on her side

We are all aware of the unwritten rule that you must give up your seat to those who need it.

Usually, these are cheerful people who stand up to offer their place to the elderly. However, pregnant people or people with disabilities may also need to sit.

A woman has sparked an online debate after she detailed her refusal to give up her seat for an elderly woman in a public setting, citing a compelling justification for her decision. The woman described receiving disapproving looks from the elderly, but when she revealed her reasons, the elderly woman was completely stunned.

Recounting the incident on Reddit, the woman recounted how she and her spouse were at their favorite diner for breakfast when they encountered a full establishment, forcing them to wait in a small waiting area with only a few few chairs

As they waited, two older couples walked in, finding themselves nowhere to sit. The woman’s reluctance to represent herself for one of them earned her a “nasty sideways” look of disdain, leading her to assertively explain why she had the right to remain seated.

The revelation was that the woman had recently undergone breast reduction surgery due to health issues, which left her with a sensitive breast and made the extended stop extremely painful.

She said: “Me and the other couples tried to politely explain how the queue worked, but one of the older women interrupted us by loudly announcing, ‘Well, you should let my friend sit because of her age, already you know,” then. gave me a nasty side-eye, rolled her eyes, and shook her head at her friend as if we should all be ashamed of ourselves.

“Finally I said, ‘I’m sorry, I would have given you my seat, but I’m still recovering from surgery and I can’t stand for long periods of time. I’m sorry.’

“She was VERY quiet until finally the lady herself said, ‘Well, you want to sit here…’ and I stopped her and said, ‘No, I’m fine where I am.'” We all waited in silence until it was our turn to sit.”

At the end of her story, the woman appealed to her readers for empathy, stressing that while she usually did not hesitate to offer her seat, on this occasion she felt entitled to remain seated for her circumstances

A supportive commenter commented: “Not all disabilities are visible – even though yours is only temporary, it doesn’t make you any less valid. I hope your recovery goes well.”

Echoing these sentiments, another shared: “As someone with an invisible illness, I feel you. I just keep sitting. It’s less of a problem when I have the cane. People seem surprised though, I don’t matter.”