Public transportation can often become a battleground, especially when it comes to who should give up their seat. Recently, a story went viral involving an elderly woman demanding that a young girl with a prosthetic leg give up her seat, claiming she wasn’t “disabled enough.” Here’s what happened.

The young woman shared her experience: “A few years ago, I lost my left leg in an accident. Since then, I’ve been using a prosthetic leg. It’s a really advanced one, so when I wear long pants, it looks like I have two normal legs. I usually wear long pants because I feel self-conscious about showing my prosthetic.

“I can do most things, like walking, running, and climbing stairs. But my main challenge is maintaining my balance on trains and buses when they make sudden movements, which brings me to this story.

“I was on a crowded train, sitting in a seat reserved for disabled, elderly, and pregnant people. All the other seats were taken. After a few stops, an elderly woman told me to move because she needed the seat, insisting I shouldn’t be sitting there. I politely told her I was sorry but that I needed the seat too. She got angry and said the seat was for elderly people, and I was just a lazy kid who could stand.

“I apologized again and reiterated that I really needed the seat. She left and returned with the train conductor, who also told me to move. By this point, I was tired of being judged, so I rolled up my pant leg, showed my prosthetic, and told them I wasn’t moving.”

This story highlights the challenges faced by those with invisible disabilities, who often have to justify their need for accommodations that aren’t immediately apparent to others.