It's an opportunity to demonstrate gracious courtesy or face severe shaming by fellow transit users.

But it's not always apparent when you should offer a seat on the bus or SkyTrain to someone who may need it more than you.

Sometimes disabilities, pregnancies, or even age aren't obvious. So the Toronto Transit Commission has launched a program to make communicating less-visible disabilities easier for people — and now TransLink is considering following suit.

The program simply provides buttons reading "please offer me a seat" for people to wear if they want others to be aware of their need. The blue buttons also have a small wheelchair symbol.

Vancouver-area transit users say people are generally good about getting out of the way for people who need a courtesy seat, but there are exceptions. (Rafferty Baker/CBC)

"Looking at what Toronto is doing is quite interesting. It's definitely something we're exploring and it's worth looking at to see if it might work here," said TransLink spokesperson Chris Bryan.

"I think in our region, people are generally pretty great at giving up a seat for someone who looks like they might need one," said Bryan.

But he said there are exceptions, often as a result of people being immersed in their cellphones and not paying attention to their surroundings.

'Worth giving it a shot'

The Toronto Transit Commission has begun offering buttons saying "Please offer me a seat" to passengers with accessibility needs. (Toronto Transit Commission)

Transit user Janice Cameron, speaking outside a Vancouver SkyTrain station, agreed that people generally seem good on transit.

"I've seen younger people who sit in the seats and often don't move ... but when prodded, or asked, they will," said Cameron, who also blamed digital devices.

She said that a button might not help, because people's problem isn't a lack of courtesy but a lack of awareness of what's going on around them.

But Rebecca Karpus believes people are less courteous that they should be.

"Sometimes you don't know who actually needs a seat. I know there are times where there are people who don't really need a seat, but maybe they do for reasons that we can't see," Karpus said.

"I think a button system would help to some extent," she said. "[It's] definitely worth giving it a shot."

CBC News spoke to Toronto's Kate Welsh last October, when she was campaigning to get the TTC to launch the 'please offer me a seat' button program. (Yas Salame)

Dlvia Mohammed said her experience on public transit around Vancouver is usually good, and she sees plenty of people giving up seats for those who need them more.

But Mohammed said that when she was pregnant, there were times when people didn't make way.

"I just stood," she said, adding that she became bitter about it. "I was worried about falling over, my baby [getting] hurt."

"Some of the pregnant women ... people aren't sure if they're pregnant or not, so [the button] would be better for everyone."

Possible downside

Sam Turcott, director of the advocacy access program at Disability Alliance B.C., said the program sounds like a good idea.

"It can be incredibly alienating to have to continue reminding people about the support that they need, and frankly, very frustrating for people with disabilities," said Turcott.

"Anytime people with disabilities have more options for communicating their needs, I think it's a good step."

But Turcott cautioned that there could be a downside to the buttons.

"I do worry about creating a climate where there's an expectation that people who don't want to transmit information about their disabilities feel pressured to do that," he said.

TTC's program is entirely voluntary, and the commission said people shouldn't assume someone sitting in a courtesy seat without a button or obvious disability isn't in need of the seat.

"It sounds like a great idea," said Bryan. "On the surface, it looks like something that would be relatively easy to implement."

Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker