As you may know,I am 86 and my wife Elie is 85,so I think we qualify as elderley for "special" seats on trains and buses?
We used to ask youngsters (and by that I mean people under 60) if we could sit down.
From white British people we either get the seats grudgingly,or we get a mouthful of abuse!
We have now stopped asking.
Imagine my surprise the other week,a very nice (not young herself) asian lady came half way down the bus to offer her seats(she was with her husband) to us.
So I don't think it's cultural,there are selfish men (and women) in all cultures.
Non~British ctultures seem to have bred into them more respect for the old/elderly.