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

SusanC_2

shonarose wrote: »

What is your point - because she has received a grant of (less than £200 actually), the greedy so-and-so doesnt need a seat? The Health in Pregnancy grant is to help women with better nutrition -which, guess what? Means that less state money has to be spent by the NHS on their/their babies' health.

Maternity leave isnt paid for by the state, it is paid for by the employer (only small employers get repaid by the state), but so what? If you HAVE to find a self-interested reason in order to do the right thing : remember that the UK is an ageing population - and her child's taxes will one day be paying for your pension.

It all comes down to what sort of society you want to live in and what sort of person you want to be.

See post #226 for what kind of person I am.

I was answering a question. Poster A (I forget who) said that they were subsidising the pregnant woman through their taxes. Poster B then asked how they would know that since the OP didn't say they were on benefits. I was just providing some factual information about to illustrate to Poster B why Poster A thinks he/she is subsidising the pregnant woman.

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/sep/29/discriminationatwork.workingparents:
"Maternity pay is met by the employer and refunded by the government. Depending on the size of the organisation, the Department of Work and Pensions repays between 90% and 105% of the figure to the employer, with smaller organisations getting greater compensation."

If you're self-employed or are employed but don't qualify for SMP then you get Maternity Allowance which comes from National Insurance.

Health in pregnancy grant is £190 so my "about £200" was near enough. To be honest I can't really see that anyone is really going to need that money in order to get decent nutrition. If they have a low income then they get enough other money given to pay for proper nutrition anyway and if their income is high enough not to be given the means tested money then they have enough money to pay for proper nutrition already. Anyone not getting proper nutrition in pregnancy probably needs help rather than money thrown at them.

ThomasRonald

Yes, of course. Tremendously impressed by the 'honesty' of the 'ding ding conductor, I'm on the bus' chap who indicated proudly (?) that since he would be travelling 1st class he wouldn't be faced with this dilemma.

tryfive

moneyandmountains wrote: »

If a seat reservation, sleeper reservation or cycle reservation is not honoured, the Train Company responsible will refund any reservation fee paid.

Talk about taking the !!!! - "We'll take your money, and if there happens to be a seat available you can sit down on it. If not, we'll give you your money back?!!!!"

racehorse_2

No I'm sorry but I wouldn't - I have had the foresight to book my seat in advance & I would expect a pregnant woman to do the same especially if this is a busy route. I am female & have had a child so I am not unsympathetic ,but I would not give up seat I had reserved for anyone.

hayley11

tryfive wrote: »

The answer to that has to be a resounding NO!

That may sound harsh, but the reality is I'd have paid 50.00 GBP for the privilege - and the chances are the guy sitting next to me wouldn't have.

Let HIM give up his seat first.If he won't - why the hell should I? The woman would certainly have no grounds for complaining about my behaviour.

Why would the guy next to you have not paid the same?

Two wrongs don't make a right

jarjarmustdie

NO
being pregnant is a lifestlye choice
an old person or disabled then yes.
we already bend over backwards in this country for women that CHOOSE to be pregnant :mad:

Tiger_greeneyes

Reading the original post and going on its face value - no, I wouldn't.

I've put myself in her position and I'd feel guilty if someone gave up their seat for me because I'd neglected to book a seat. If the train has seats available to book, then anyone can book them. If they choose not to book a seat, then it's completely up to them. If the lack of seats is a problem then they still have choices available - upgrade to 1st class or cancel the journey.

The onus to provide another passenger with a seat for five hours shouldn't fall on anyone else. Nobody prevented her from booking the seat, they didn't choose for her to be pregnant/travel/not upgrade/cancel the trip.

Imho, it's more selfish to not book a seat and make someone else feel guilty enough to give up their seat for you than it is to not give up the seat you've had the forethought to book.

I personally think the lady should take responsibility for her own choices - reassess her priorities and decide the best course of action for her and for her baby.

I would upgrade if the journey was essential or go back home if it wasn't. Nothing should be more important than my unborn baby.

MLisking

Absolutely - where is the humanity in some of you??? The world would be a better place if we helped those less fortunate then ourselves.

And anyway, how do any of you know what her circumstances are?

Maybe a relative needed her and she has been UNSELFISH by jumping on the next available train? Why are so many of you ASSUMING she had the time to book herself a seat? Why are some of you blaming HER for something that MAY have been totally beyond her control??

Preganancy is awful, and I would not want to feel responsible if something terrible happened to her unborn child because I didn't want to get off my fat a*se and think about someone else before myself (well, in fact two people)

Karma will always come and bite rude, ignorant, selfish people on the backside for their horrible attitudes. Ugh some of you should be ashamed.

Tiger_greeneyes

MLisking wrote: »

Absolutely - where is the humanity in some of you??? The world would be a better place if we helped those less fortunate then ourselves. Karma will always come and bite rude, ignorant, selfish people on the backside for their acts of nastiness. Ugh some of you should be ashamed.

It's nothing to do with being inhumane/rude/ignorant or selfish, it's about taking responsibility for yourself and making your own choices.

Having the attitude that you can do what you like and it's up to everyone else to make life easier for you is far more inhumane/rude/ignorant and selfish imho.

I wouldn't want to make anyone stand for 5 hours because I chose to be pregnant and not book myself a seat for such a long journey. It would be my problem, not anyone elses.

hislan

jarjarmustdie wrote: »

NO
being pregnant is a lifestlye choice
an old person or disabled then yes.
we already bend over backwards in this country for women that CHOOSE to be pregnant :mad:

Surely being old and disabled is a 'lifestyle choice' too???......I mean, REALLY....if they'd had any consideration for the rest of us, then SURELY they'd have gone and committed voluntary euthanasia by now????.....Some people are just SO inconvenient being pregnant and old and disabled and the like!!!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad:


Oh, and for anyone who is in any doubt, I was being sarcastic then in response to the TOTALLY RIDICULOUS comment made above!!!!!

It's just a shame that a few of these posters mothers made the 'lifestyle choice' of getting pregnant if the comments of their offspring are anything to go by!!!