Stop Standing on my Feet Postcard

I wish this had been made into an official poster for the London Underground. The cartoon postcard below from the London Transport Museum deals brilliantly with two common Tube complaints. Standing on other people's feet when it's overcrowded AND the hot potato about giving up seats.


The disgruntled gentleman seated is moaning as a woman is standing on his feet. "I say Missus, if you're anything of a lady you'd stop standing on my feet". The lady gives back an answer that I'd love to have given myself. "Well, If you're anything of a gentleman you'd start standing on 'em yourself".

So even in Edwardian times, it certainly wasn't given than a man would give up his seat for a woman. I don't expect to be given a seat on account of being a woman, but I if a man offers me a seat (which happens occasionally), I'll gladly take it. I don't know if that makes me feeble, but it's nice that some old fashioned courtesies still exist.

However, I know that a number of men say they won't give up their seat, as they're worried that women will take offence. I think this is mainly down to the dilemma of suggesting that you're only giving up your seat because you think the woman's pregnant.


I wonder if the Edwardian postcard approach would work any better than TfL's current Considerate Londoner / Together for London campaign? There is a poster in the series above which has one of the numpty cartoon characters saying "I'll offer that person my seat" and a female numpty saying something like "I'll politely take it".

It's trying to promote a little give and take or to quote the campaign: "A little thought from each of us, makes a big difference for everyone." Maybe they should test a more humorous or blunt standpoint as seen in the postcard, unless that would lead to even more raised tempers!