In London, on the bus178 heading out of Woolwich towards Lewisham, I sat next to my luggage . An elderly lady stepped on my feet as if my bag was in the way. Finally she told me I was on seat for elderly people. I showed her other empty elderly seats. She insisted on having the seat I had. I got up and went to sit elsewhere. She came to sit next to me. And told me to adjust my legs.I told her I felt intimidated. Almost bullied.
Anyway I ended up standing. Are these fragments of ageism or racism?


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Gistwithgeorgia: In London, on the bus178 heading out of Woolwich towards Lewisham, I sat next to my luggage . An elderly lady stepped on my feet as if my bag was in the way. Finally she told me I was on seat for elderly people. I showed her other empty elderly seats. She insisted on having the seat I had. I got up and went to sit elsewhere. She came to sit next to me. And told me to adjust my legs.I told her I felt intimidated. Almost bullied.
Anyway I ended up standing. Are these fragments of ageism or racism?


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First off, in my own day to day experiences before I conclude certain actions are racism I would first want to give the benefit of doubt by trying to analyze the person's intentions for the act and perform mirror imaging of alternating situations. In the case of the woman, what she did is quite common amongst old women in Nigeria who would automatically boss you around in buses or places that have seats and demand for automatic seating preference given to them. In that case, since old women in Nigeria who, by the way, are black and share the same skin color with me do the same I wouldn't be quick to pinpoint the lady's action to racism, but rather as an act of old age.

On the other hand, it could be racism given that of all people sitted in the bus, you were the one who she singled out to give up your seat for her. If you analyze well, given that it is you experienced the situation, and see that she could as well have ordered some other non-black person also seating in the supposed reserved seating area for the elderly, then it might as well be racism since she felt she could easily boss a black person around than a non-black. That is racism.

Now, analyze both situations and decide which one it is.

Old age is what is disturbing her.