Muni and Children: What's the Etiquette?

As anyone who's ridden Muni knows, the front seats are reserved for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. But there's no mention of people carrying small children.

Pregnant women are given preference, but that's because they could qualify under the "persons with disabilities" category. Small kids seem like a gray area.

Whenever I get onto a crowded bus with Elliot, several people usually offer their seats to me. I'm definitely grateful for that — especially because I'm not sure they need to. I mean, Elliot's old enough to stand on his own two feet (even if he risks getting crushed during the usual exodus at Third Street).

I also wonder if people are cutting me a wider berth because I look like a bumbling dad. If so, I don't need your charity, people!

So the question is: Should small children get dibs on the front seats? And if so, how do they fit into the hierarchy? For instance, do they trump a fairly spry 70-year-old?

UPDATE: You can now follow this debate on the Muni Diaries site.

The consensus seems to be that kids lose their privileges as soon as they can ride the pole. (I'm not sure what kind of message that sends.)