With it's ming boggling population China is a country very familiar with crowds. Attaining even the most mundane of services requires lenghthy queues. Outings to banks, supermarkets, book stores and most everywhere else will test your patience. These crowded conditions are unavoidable and a good example is public transportation.

I take public transportation as rarely as possible due to the exhausting crowds of people. Seats are on buses, subway carriages and some classes of trains are like gold. If you aren't boarding within, say, three stops of the originating stop then you will be standing. Guranteed. Public transportation is cheap, however, and for the average Chinese person the way to travel.

Time and time again I have watched as an elderly person boards a crowded bus and is offered a seat by someone. Of course the person being offered the seat will refuse to sit down at first, out of politeness, but after a minute or two will sit down. It's a common courtesy thing to let the elderly sit. For one reason or another I've never had the oppurtunity to relinquish my seat to someone; until the other day.

I was taking the light rail to work and the carriage began to fill up. After a couple more stops it was like being in a sardine can. Everyone was extremely close together but I had a seat.At one of the stops an old woman and a pregnant women got on and made their way down the train. When they stopped they happened to be right in front of me.

The old woman looked tired and the pregnant woman was obviously exhausted and really wanted to sit down. Here was my big chance to "do the right thing" but who do I give the seat to?

After a moments contemplation I decided to slowly get up and just let them figure out who would sit down. I made good on my resolve standing up and making my way to the door. I'd be getting off in a few stops. After elbowing my way to the door I glanced back to see who got the rare seat.

I had to smile and felt a sense of inward glee when I saw that they were both sharing the seat. I got off the train with a slightly warm feeling in my gut and a lighter than normal step.