MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you give up a £50 train seat for a pregnant woman?

hislan

pilotdudeuk wrote: »

I've been in this situation before (although not a 5hr journey thankfully!)

Travelling portsmouth to London at rush hour last year with my mum, we got to our booked seats and sat down. (This was 1 week after I had had double knee surgery and was still on crutches and unable to bend my legs)

At the next stop a heavily pregnant woman got on and was standing in the aisle. All these "gentlemen" from the city in their fancy suits all took one look and hid behind their broadsheet papers.

After a minute or two when it was obvious no one was going to offer her a seat, I struggled to my feet and offered her mine.

She gratefully accepted making some comment about "gentlemen bankers":)

And yes - she made sure I got my seat back when she got up.

Just for the record - I'm a 30yo man who was brought up with manners and a sense of common decency!!

Are you sure you heard her correctly???

Are you sure she didn't say a 'w' not a 'b'???? :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

elizabethhull

I suppose I would try & assess just how uncomfortable she was. Both times I was pregnant, I was fit enough that the journey would not have bothered me. Now I have arthritis in both knees and standing for only half an hour leads to lock-out of joints!

KathyW

If I were the one to be standing for unforseen circumstances having not booked, and no one offered me a seat then I'd head straight for first class. If you are heavily pregnant and have a MAT B1 form.... you are entitled to with some train operators.. I would always offer my seat. I'd rather sit on the floor then watch a pregnant woman pass out.

Lido_2

Oh this is a nice easy one! Yes.

I haven't read all the replies, but I know there are people who will say "no". The reason I know this is that I've seen hundreds of them on buses and trains across the country, no doubt making a number of unfair assumptions about the lady to make themselves feel justified for staying put. Such a shame that some people feel nothing can be more important than their own comfort for a few hours. This is the reason why the UK can be such an unpleasant place to live.

If you're desperate to sit down, how about offering the seat to the lady, then finding the guard and upgrading your ticket to first class for a tenner? A bit cheeky perhaps? You might even give the lady £10 to upgrade her own ticket if you're feeling particularly charitable. "Good gracious, spend a tenner on a total stranger?" For a nation that gives more money to charities for animals, than charities for human beings, I can see why this would be a shocking suggestion!

Try a bit of generosity now and then. I can guarantee it will bring you (and the recipient) a great amount of pleasure and some things are worth a whole lot more than money.

When I die, I won't be remembered for saving a few pounds by booking my train ticket in advance and being lucky enough to get a seat.... I might just be remembered as the nice man that offered his seat to the pregnant lady. That works for me!

koru

Slightly off topic, but I was once travelling with a girlfriend in China and we were due to take a three day train journey, but the booking office said all sleepers were booked. We decided they were looking for a bribe, but we were on a shoestring budget. Rather than sit up on hard wooden benches for 3 days, she stuffed some cushions up her dress to fake pregnancy, in order to persuade them to "discover" a spare sleeper, plus one for me, the concerned father-to-be.

I am not, by the way, suggesting you should assume an apparently pregnant woman is faking it. The dilemma just brought back some memories.

princessscotland

I would definitely give up my seat. The moral discomfort I would feel from being so selfish and - sorry - inhuman as to sit and watch a heavily pregnant woman stand for that length of time to would far outweigh any discomfort I would feel from having to stand. And I have a bad back and knees. Besides, if I were on a 5-hour train I assume I am going somewhere for a day or perhaps more. I never travel light so I'd sit on my bag It's all good.

For those who think it's their right to stay put, I would agree with all the other posters who have mentioned that you don't know this pregnant woman's circumstances. You really can't judge. And anyway, get a life, it's only a seat.

PeteW, so sorry to hear about what happened to your friend. I hope she has been able to move on from that.

grazzenger

pregnant, disabled, elderly, they'd get it. it is the compassion of humanity which keeps us all going and the selfishness of the few (although there seem to be a number responding here) who make the world a more insular and intollerant place to live.

Primrose

When I read some of the replies on here I am truly ashamed of some of my fellow citizens and of the parents who brought them up. What a selfish bunch of citizens some of us have become! . I thought the human species were supposed to be of a higher order than animals who will fight to the death to maintain their territory. To those of you who apparently would fight in this way to maintain your rights, could we perhaps ask you to ponder that one day you will yourselves probably end up being sick, disabled, elderly or otherwise in difficulty. What goes round has a nasty habit of coming back round.

Rosirox

I find it really sad to read all the replies saying that people wouldn't give up their seats and blaming the woman for being pregnant or not booking.

As a young, healthy student I would always give up my seat for anyone who looked like they needed it - I'd give it up for most people - people with lots of bags, families, elderly etc etc. Those people saying that a pregnant woman isn't disabled/chose to be pregnant have to question why the signs on public transport often ask you to give up your seats to disabled/elderly/pregnant people. I generally always buy tickets in advance as it's much cheaper and you don't have to pay to reserve your seat so she will have paid a lot more than me anyway. I would probably just sit on the floor between carriages as I've done many times before!

I wouldn't do it expecting anyone to 'reward' me- I would just do it because I think it's a nice thing to do in the same way that I'm really grateful if someone offers to put my luggage on the rack or something. If I were the pregnant woman and felt too ill to stand then I would probably ask someone for their seat and then see what happened - it's a lot harder to say 'no' than to ignore something...

savingqueen

I would without question offer my seat immediately to a pregnant woman or anyone who needed it more than me. I will refrain from adding my comments as there are enough angry comments going to and fro. Needless to say I agree 100% with all those who have called people who feel they have the "right" to their prebooked seat completely selfish. I feel sorry for you too, what kind of people are you? You can't have many or any genuine friends...unless they are all as selfish as you. I care about other people...otherwise whats the bloody point?