I (32F) was on the bus with my 5-year-old daughter when we got on at a busy stop. There were no empty seats available, except for one near a person using a wheelchair (40M).
I asked the person if they could move their wheelchair to another spot so that my daughter and I could sit together, but the person declined, saying that they needed the space for their mobility device.
I was taken aback and frustrated by this response. I explained to them that my daughter was very young and needed to sit next to me for safety reasons, but they still refused to move. I ended up having to stand for the entire ride with my daughter in tow, which was uncomfortable and tiring for both of us.
When I told a friend about what happened, they said I was being insensitive and ableist. They pointed out that the person in the wheelchair had a right to the space they needed and that it was unfair of me to ask them to move.