Head of the Family?

It was on a bus on route 973, on the way from Stanley to TsimShaTsui on the 3rd day of the New Year. A mother, M1, probably in her 30s, was sitting in the outside seat, with her 2-year-old daughter, D1, in the inside seat, next to the window.  The seats were all occupied already, with more people piling in.  Another mother, M2, came on, with her own 2-year-old daughter, D2.  M1 picked up her daughter, moved to the inside seat, and offered the outside seat to M2. M2 put her own daughter on her lap.  All four of them were seated, a civilized solution.

D1 started to cry, wanting her seat back.  M1 passed D1 to the father, F1, seated behind.  D1 kept on crying, twisting and turning.  After a while, M2 could not stand it anymore.  She stood up with D2 and gave the seat back to M1 and D1.  D1 is now happy.  Another person across the aisle offered her seat to M2 and D2.

Further down the bus, a young mother, M3, probably in her 20s, came in with her own 2-year-old daughter, D3. My daughter stood up and offered her seat to M3.  M3 put her daughter on the seat.  She then asked her daughter whether it was OK if she took the seat, and put her in her mother’s lap.  D3 said no.  The seat was facing the aisle, and D3 was really too small to sit properly by herself, with the bus swerving left and right all the time.  Her mother had to lean over awkwardly to keep D3 in her place.  After a while, D3 got tired, and allowed her mother to take the seat, and to hold her.  She soon fell asleep.

It makes me wonder who are really the parents here, taking charge of the family.  And how these children are going to turn up as they grow older.

In addition, my wife pointed out to me that most likely neither D1 nor D3 paid the fare.  They should not be occupying the seats in the first place.