The Halfway Seat

It was a day like any other during my usual subway commute through the city. I
was one of the fortunate few to live slightly outside the city and yet still within reach of
the subway. I say fortunate because, as a result of my chosen residence, a seat on the
subway was almost guaranteed, no matter the day or time. On this particular day,
comfortably sitting in the corner of the carriage, I began to ponder the various individuals
around me. Such thinking during my journeys was something of a habitone that gave
me great pleasure. I wondered, how must they feel standing for so long? This physical
feat should not be underestimated, especially considering that it has to done for large
amounts of time every weekday at a time when most would rather be sleeping. And so I
started, Would anybody like a seat? Im halfway through my journey, and Im happy to
stand for a while.
I remember hearing a story of someone who regularly received a free tea with her
purchased breakfast, and, not being a hot beverage drinker, she attempted to offer the tea
to others. Interestingly, she typically found it very difficult to get rid of it. Likewise, I
had no takers to begin with, as often seems to be the case when things happen out of the
ordinary. I wondered if it would be possible to make it seem less unusual. (In case
youre wondering, after I stood, eventually someone sat, perhaps not even aware that the
seat had been given voluntarily.) On my subsequent commutes, I continued putting into
action my little idea.
Whyd you give away your seat, mate? Its rightfully yours, an innocent
bystander once proclaimed.
Always happy to discuss, I responded, I have a long commute, and I greatly
appreciate sitting, which would indicate that, most likely, others also prefer to have a seat.
So, why not share?
Sounds difficult to me, mate, he continued. Howd you know who sits when?
Despite the rhetorical nature of his question, I had plenty of time. Its true that
you can get caught up in the details, but the basic goal is simply for each individual, on
average, to be slightly more comfortable and content. You may have noticed that the
difference in the number of people sitting between my proposal compared to whats
typically done is zero; after all, the seats are always full, no matter who is sitting in them.
However, there are two benefits to switching seats from time to time. Would you rather
stand for an entire day, then sit for an entire day, or, over the course of forty eight hours,
continuously alternate standing for five minutes and sitting for five minutes? Assuming a
desire to maximise comfort, one would almost certainly choose the latter, simply because
standing for a day would be unpleasant, whereas standing for five minutes is no problem
when its followed five minutes of sitting.
The second advantage is that while the number of people sitting at one time
remains unchanged, there is an increase in happiness, especially in seat-givers, due to
their altruistic act. Yes, there is a small cost to giving up a seat, but if the system became

established, one would not be surprised, although shouldnt expect, to receive the favour
back before long. Related to this, I would also argue that all of this social interaction is
highly beneficial. Although not the intention, that shut him up!
It was hit or miss as to whether my offered seat was taken. However, eventually,
there was progress. Once, after standing and offering my seat, I observed another person
do the same, having clearly noticed my action. It was then that I recalled a thought Id
had before about human natureone persons atypical action makes them a pariah,
whereas the action of a group is accepted (or at least excused).
However, the real breakthrough came a few months later following regular effort.
After watching the train fill with its many passengers during a few stops, I heard a voice:
Anybody want a halfway seat? Not even halfway through my journey, I jumped out of
my seat in joy! The fact that the idea had become so acceptable that someone else had
initiated it cheered me to no end. And, despite not being a fan of labels, I felt that
"halfway seat" was an interesting evolution and indication of the theorys growing
support.
One could say that this experience was the end of the beginning. The more I
travelled, the more often I witnessed this altruism. And it grew to become a rather
dynamic system; what started as one or two people offering seats became a handful (or
even the majority of the carriage on a good day) throughout the train's journey. It wasnt
long before I saw it drawn to attention in the free subway newspapers.
I began hearing stories of people who chose to never sit, instead matyring
themselves by standing for sometimes hours on end. It seemed kind, certainly, but I still
enjoyed the idea of actively sharing; this interaction embodied community spirit
wonderfully. It was a reason to look up from phones from time to time, to remove
headphones. It was a way to start and end your day with a smile, shared with all of those
around you.
Its not really altruism, is it? a clear-thinking observer once queried in a
discussion I overheard. It was certainly true that often the giver of the favour appeared to
gain greater satisfaction than the receiver. The argument seemed to be based on a
biological theory that everything is done for personal gain--a theory that some consider a
great revelation of humanity's evilness. But for me, whether true altruism can exist or not
was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was that there was an increase of contentment in
the worldand whats more important than this in a life? Nothing as far as I'm
concerned.
Eventually, I came across coverage of the story on a nationally-broadcasted
breakfast TV programme. Supposedly, the "halfway seat" had even travelled to other
cities! What amused me was hearing someone (on the same programme) discussing how
theyd supposedly developed the idea. I could have been annoyed by this, but like I said,
I see long-term happiness as the only real goal in life; this is unlikely to come from great
renown or riches. Instead of becoming riled up about false claims, I was content in the
knowledge that Id contributed something positive to the world. And despite all the

claims, I knew who created it really; after all, I wrote about it long before any of it
actually happened.