The mystery of the subway lady

So, I talked to my aunt about my encounter with the lady who refused to take my seat on the subway. She explained that when younger people offer their seats to older people, the older people sometimes refuse because the younger people here lead such stressful, busy lives working or studying that they want them to be able to rest a bit when they can. So, the lady probably didn't want to take away my opportunity to sit and rest. I really hope that is the case.