7.3 Courtesy Seating

The Courtesy Seating section of the tour is typically straightforward because the video has been watched and accessibility has already been discussed in the classroom.

Although the topic may have already been addressed, it remains significant as it constitutes an important aspect of the etiquette training associated with using public transportation.

There are a couple of interactive methods to engage the students during this part of the tour.

1. Show of Hands: Once we are all seated on the bus, ask the group to please put up their hand if they think they are sitting in a courtesy seat. Some kids will put up their hands and some won’t. You can give them a hint and remind them that courtesy seats are in the front and can fold up and down to try to get some more hands up in the right seats! Then you can go around to indicate whether they are in a courtesy seat or not.
2. Role-playing: Ask the children to act out scenarios where they offer their seat to someone who needs it more, such as an elderly person or someone with a disability.

Taylor’s Tips: Elderly Teacher

Sometimes, to make it fun, I will pretend to be an old lady when I get on the bus after they are seated and see if any of the kids will move for me. This gets a ton of laughs and almost always at least one kid recognizes that I need a seat and will get up and give it to me! Then I will say “Thank you SO much wow you are so KIND and COURTEOUS!”

Another thing you could do is ask your BusReady Ambassador partner to act this out. They could say “Excuse me, please” and make their way past you to the courtesy seating area. Same thing as before, the kids will almost always give up a seat for them as soon as they see someone needs it.

If you have a very involved teacher, it’s always a hit to ask the teacher to play an elderly person when they get on the bus. I will ask ahead of time while I’m outside the bus with the teacher, and before they board I will say, “Oh, look, it there seems to be a veryyyyyyyy old person boarding the bus now!” The kids think this is absolutely hilarious as their teacher boards!

Please see the following video for an example of the Courtesy Seating section of the Bus Tour: