When YOU take Esther to the village for the one-hour bus trip, do they give you a seat for Esther?

Could it be that they would not bother doing it for a Chinese woman with a child, but that they would do it for a tall Caucasian with the same child?

That's a jolly good point, Arthur. I don't know as I have not been with them when it was crowded. If that is true it would make them pretty shallow indeed.

Some habits they have in transit are the same the world over, like sitting in the aisle seat(baggage goes on free seat) so anybody who wants to sit will maybe not press to sit there. I always sit by the window as I do not want to be a moron. I make a point of gesturing there's a seat going begging next to me.