Have you noticed that every morning on the Wolfline there are more women standing than men? It is shameful to witness lazy males sit comfortably as their female counterparts struggle to keep their balance as the bus makes its sharp turns and sudden stops around campus.

As state revenue decreases along with the economic state of the country, people are making the decision to switch to public transportation.

According to The Washington Post, Americans took 2.6 billion trips on all modes of public transportation, including subways and buses.

Unless the economy improves overnight this situation will not change as The Washington post also reported that the auto industry had its lowest sales in 16 years in 2008.

People are not buying cars, and with more people riding the bus the need for respectful, polite men who are willing to give up their seat to women is necessary.

I am tired of standing up every morning on my way to class while trying to hold onto a rail, listen to my iPod, send text messages and hold my books. Someone else should be holding my books for me and that same someone (seeing as how there are currently so many men sitting down that one could choose from) should give his seat to me.

I am beginning to wonder if the term independent woman has been taken to another level that DestinyÕs Child never intended for it to reach. While there is no longer a need for men to pay our bills and shower us with money as the gold digging era has reached a decline with the economy, chivalry is still something women expect to receive from men. It would be wrong to say that chivalry is dead, because there is the occasional sightings of men giving up their seats to women, holding open doors or carrying their books to class.  It’s permissible to say that chivalry is on life support with the majority of men begging the doctor to pull the plug.

I am not trying to bash men, but I am tired of seeing women suffer day to day under pressure to continue their day with no relief coming toward them from men who can make their day more bearable with a simple question: ÒWould you like to take my seat?Ó

I do not know what the cause of this shift away from courteous, respectful behavior has been, but I do know that the solution is an easy one. Hopefully, bus riding will soon change to the point that every male will stand to reserve seats for women, but until then, we must continue to hope for the change that Wolfline riders are capable of.