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

aliasojo

skintchick wrote: »

I was only clarifying that they had misread the post explaining why you cannot, in the strict linguistic sense, pre-book.

And I thought it was we language pedants who needed to get a life

Thanks for explaining that. It's a shame the thread was derailed from an interesting discussion about people, into nit picking about wording though.

Stuff your wink btw, your point was clear.

Tiger_greeneyes

skintchick wrote: »

But what we're saying is that the use of the phrase 'pre-book' is incorrect. No-one is saying you cannot book your tickets, but we are being language pedants and saying that you cannot 'pre' book because to book MEANS you do it in advance of the journey so it is a tautology to say that you 'pre' book.

So yes, you did miss the point, but that will be because it is off topic and only we language pedants care about these things!

I'm a language pedant too, but that's really not the issue tbh. I was merely highlighting that it's a silly point to pick on in a debate about something completely unrelated. I was being ironically pedantic but nobody got it Rightly or wrongly, that website I mentioned does allow you to pre-book your tickets, whether it's proper English or not is immaterial but it's still possible to do so :rotfl:

I do agree that all things being equal and proper English applied, it shouldn't be possible to pre-book tickets but you can pre-book your seats when you pre-book your journey. It's OT though so it's another thread entirely

mohthom

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

According to the advice given on this website www.departures-arrivals.com/airport-by-train.htm it's actually you that's wrong.

Two inches down from the top of the page, on the left hand side, it clearly states:

Quote:
Pre book the train tickets with us and Trainline and save significantly.
Train tickets are send same day.

I think you just proved my point. Train tickets are send same day. All your good intentions are belong to me very much justly.

Unfortunately, a hackneyed website that links to TheTrainline does not validate an incorrect use of language. There's no entry for pre-book in the Oxford English (and, for clarity, I'm not talking about the single-volume Oxford Concsie - I'm talking about the 20 volume edition). It's simply not a valid usage I'm afraid. Thanks to SC for assisting on my pedantic tyrade!

I'd also like to add that the same website suggests it can pre-book tickets on pubic transport, so make of that what you will!

Tiger_greeneyes

mohthom wrote: »

I think you just proved my point. Train tickets are send same day. All your good intentions are belong to me very much justly.

Unfortunately, a hackneyed website that links to TheTrainline does not validate an incorrect use of language. There's no entry for pre-book in the Oxford English (and, for clarity, I'm not talking about the single-volume Oxford Concsie - I'm talking about the 20 volume edition). It's simply not a valid usage I'm afraid. Thanks to SC for assisting on my pedantic tyrade!

Concsie? That's not in the dictionary either. OWNED :rotfl:

aliasojo

In amongst all the arguing...that made me laugh.

justmarried06

Haven't had a chance to read the whole thread so apologies if any of this has been said already....!!

I commute on a daily basis into work and have frequently given up my seat for pregnant ladies, parents with children in buggies, older people and anyone I feel could do with a seat more than I could - at the end of the day I'm happy to park my behind on the floor if I need to - and I'm used to it with the commute I do!!

However, I have to say that if it was a longer train journey (which I've also had to do regularly in the course of visiting other offices) then I don't give up my (reserved) seat for pregnant ladies - because the train companies all operate on the system that if you have your Mat B1 form with you and there are no seats available elsewhere on the train then you can travel in first class for no additional fare.

That's going to be my approach when hubs and I do have sproglets, I'll just make sure I've got my form with me in case I need to venture into the realsm of 1st class seating

JM xxx

Tiger_greeneyes

Cool! None of it's worth arguing over aliasojo, it's the internet when all's said and done

Richard76

Of course I would, its the way I was brought up a pregnant woman outweighs a measley £50 seat.

No questions asked.

amet_05

As a heavily pregnant woman myself expecting mine and my husband's first child and by the way yes we both WORK!!!!, so don't rely on state handouts thank you very MUCH!!!!. Don't tar us all with the same brush!!!!
I would pre book my ticket on a long journey, I would never expect someone to give their seat up for me but at the same time would appreciate it if some people even had an ounce of good manners or consideration to offer it to someone who was elderly, had an illness, disabled or heavily pregnant.
Thank God I don't have to use the train much but when I did recently travel to London, the amount of commuters and young people that just barge past you without a care in the world as if you are invisible and pretend they haven't seen you behind their widesheet papers. Unfortunately we live in a very rude society!!!, Just remember one day you will be elderly, may be in poor health or pregnant, let's see if these people have the same view then!!!!!. :mad:

shonarose

Its the lack of compassion that is sad here. Rather than debating the petty details of whether or not you can reserve a seat beforehand, whose taxes are paying for what, whether the woman should have considered the scarcity of seats on UK trains before getting pregnant - the simple fact is that there is a human being in front of you who is suffering (and she would be, if standing for any length of time), and if it is within your power to alleviate that suffering without causing any lasting damage to yourself (no, you're not expected to help if you have health issues yourself), why on earth wouldnt you just respond to this need, regardless of how much money you had paid or how "deserving" the woman is?

And those who think that a pregnant woman would arrogantly not bother to book because she'd assume that other people would feel guilty enough to make way for her, are not speaking from experience. It is horrible and humiliating to have to ask for a seat on a train - believe me, you only do this if you are in great need.