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

Tiger_greeneyes

Flickering_Ember wrote: »

I was attacked on a London bus and this spilt out onto the street and nobody did anything to help. When I saw a woman being pickpocketed on a bus, I challenged the thief and got her purse back. I'm not a complete ogre because I can't give up my seat, besides which, if the train is that full that every seat is taken, there's plenty of other people who are there potentially able to help.;)

Bless you, that must have been awful for you. Well done for getting the woman's purse back, she must have been really grateful. Not sure why anyone would leave their purse accessible but hopefully she knows better now. I know it's not something you'd have had time to think about but how did you feel once it had had time to sink in?

I know what you mean about being unable to give up your seat, but as you say, there's plenty of heroes around so it's completely unnecessary. Oddly enough, in all the thousands of hours I spent commuting I can't remember having witnessed even one man put down his broadsheet to offer a pregnant woman a seat, it was always a woman. The majority of men just tended to sit there and push their knees as wide apart as they can possibly get them so they can claim as much room for themselves as they can. It's bizarre how many people say one thing and so easily do another

Tiger_greeneyes

hundredk wrote: »

The kid will be fine - don't forget there will be a train full of stangers morally obliged to assist in labour and aftercare while mum goes for a brain scan to check for signs of activity.



I'd just change the ending to reunited with the stranger who gave up that seat and is now responsible for all the consequences.

This actually seems to be a metaphor for life in the noughties.

A year or so ago I added a poll on Toluna, I can't remember the exact wording but it was along the lines of:

"Would kids be better behaved if their parents were fined when their child got into trouble for bullying, stealing, vandalising etc"

The two answer choices were:
"yes, people need to take responsibility for bringing up their children" and

"no, why should parents be held responsible for their children's guidance, it's the school's job?"

A massive 22% actually chose the 'no' answer

Maybe the pregnant woman could sell her story to the tabloids and magazines who like that kind of story. "My pregnant train journey from hell" or "I'm a walking medical marvel" or "Survived against every single odd there ever was" or even "Catastrophe very nearly turned into tragedy". She'd be made for life. She might even be able to afford to actually pay complete strangers for all aspects of childcare. That wouldn't be very MSE though, not when you can get a carriage load of people for free.

hundredk

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

This actually seems to be a metaphor for life in the noughties.

A year or so ago I added a poll on Toluna, I can't remember the exact wording but it was along the lines of:

"Would kids be better behaved if their parents were fined when their child got into trouble for bullying, stealing, vandalising etc"

The two answer choices were:
"yes, people need to take responsibility for bringing up their children" and

"no, why should parents be held responsible for their children's guidance, it's the school's job?"

A massive 22% actually chose the 'no' answer

Maybe the pregnant woman could sell her story to the tabloids and magazines who like that kind of story. "My pregnant train journey from hell" or "I'm a walking medical marvel" or "Survived against every single odd there ever was" or even "Catastrophe very nearly turned into tragedy". She'd be made for life. She might even be able to afford to actually pay complete strangers for all aspects of childcare. That wouldn't be very MSE though, not when you can get a carriage load of people for free.

Clearly it's not preggers fault she has to stand because everyone else's job to consider her welfare. So I wonder how long it will be before the no win no fee's claim damages/negligence against the train company for not providing a safe environment.:think: And then the train company sue all the reserved seat holders for allowing that to happen.

Re the poll, ppl shlould take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that come with that. She had the bonk, got preggers and consequences are hers to deal with.

twentypenceoff

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

I've had people step over me when I've been laying on the ground with a broken arm, wrist and shoulder. I'd be the first to have stopped and helped any of them in the same circumstances

what on earth happened to you, tiger?

and yes i have had people do the same to me, i fell once on a rainy street, not injured thank goodness, but you know how you feel a bit shaky afterwards, and while picking mysef up, had a comment thrown at me about being drunk. (i was sober) :mad:

Tiger_greeneyes

Drunk? Cheeky ********

I had two accidents, exactly a year apart and was stepped over both times. First one was along the Brompton Road in Knightsbridge (by Harrods). Middle of the day, height of tourist season, I was heading back to work in Hans Road with a bit of shopping and my lunch when my ankle turned over on a sticking-up bit of paving slab. My shopping, handbag and me were sprawled on the pavement, my arm clearly broken had swelled to 3 times it's normal size instantly. I looked up and the whole pavement had cleared - there were dozens of shoppers and tourists around a few seconds earlier. A couple of minutes later I stood myself up and noticed three women staring at me (they were there before I fell). One asked if I was alright but that's as far as the concern went.

A year later I was at a huge airfield market in Cambridge. The stalls were set out along a knackered old runway. I was walking along with my first husband - a couple of days before we were due to go away on our belated honeymoon - when I saw a boy (about 8 years old) thrown from his scooter as it went down a pothole. I spun around to go and help him and went down a pothole myself. That was my wrist, elbow and shoulder all broken, battered face and heaps of grazing where I'd landed on rough broken up aggregate. My honeymoon was over before it began. Considering the airfield was packed with thousands of people, suddenly there was an exclusion zone around me where everyone had fled. Thankfully St John's Ambulance wasn't far away, I managed to get there thanks to my husband.

There's a big difference to having an accident like that and simply being pregnant. It's amazing how many people seem to think that being pregnant is one small step from the deathbed/being God but they happily step over someone with broken bones. For the sake of clarity, I was pregnant when I had the second accident, not that it made any difference because people still stepped over me. That's how I know a lot of people here are talking rubbish and getting on their high horses over something that they'd actually ignore if they were in a position where they could help if they really wanted.

I'd say that the larger percentage of random posters on here (65 - 70% at a rough guess) are saying they'd give up their seats. Yet in reality, where are any of these people when something bad actually does happen? Is it only the 35-40% of people I ever come across when I'm out and see something bad happen, or have something happen to me? Surely, out of every ten people at least 6 should have been picking me up?

Unless they're sat on the internet moralising to the tiny minority of people who do actually try to help when someone else is in trouble.

mr-tom_2

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

Drunk? Cheeky ********

I'd say that the larger percentage of random posters on here (65 - 70% at a rough guess) are saying they'd give up their seats. Yet in reality, where are any of these people when something bad actually does happen? Is it only the 35-40% of people I ever come across when I'm out and see something bad happen, or have something happen to me? Surely, out of every ten people at least 6 should have been picking me up?

Unless they're sat on the internet moralising to the tiny minority of people who do actually try to help when someone else is in trouble.

Well I for one do help in these situations. It's one of the reasons why I refresh my first aid qualification now and again.

Plus, commuting daily, the scenario in this thread is one I encounter (in some form or another) with a fair degree of frequency.

seven-day-weekend

I certainly would give up my seat.

Although if it was for the whole five hours I might suggest we share it - half an hour each!

twentypenceoff

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

Drunk? Cheeky ********

I had two accidents, exactly a year apart and was stepped over both times. First one was along the Brompton Road in Knightsbridge (by Harrods). Middle of the day, height of tourist season, I was heading back to work in Hans Road with a bit of shopping and my lunch when my ankle turned over on a sticking-up bit of paving slab. My shopping, handbag and me were sprawled on the pavement, my arm clearly broken had swelled to 3 times it's normal size instantly. I looked up and the whole pavement had cleared - there were dozens of shoppers and tourists around a few seconds earlier. A couple of minutes later I stood myself up and noticed three women staring at me (they were there before I fell). One asked if I was alright but that's as far as the concern went.

A year later I was at a huge airfield market in Cambridge. The stalls were set out along a knackered old runway. I was walking along with my first husband - a couple of days before we were due to go away on our belated honeymoon - when I saw a boy (about 8 years old) thrown from his scooter as it went down a pothole. I spun around to go and help him and went down a pothole myself. That was my wrist, elbow and shoulder all broken, battered face and heaps of grazing where I'd landed on rough broken up aggregate. My honeymoon was over before it began. Considering the airfield was packed with thousands of people, suddenly there was an exclusion zone around me where everyone had fled. Thankfully St John's Ambulance wasn't far away, I managed to get there thanks to my husband.

.

you poor thing tiger i have picked up people who have fallen several times, once staying while an ambulance was called. also i ave given up my seat on several occassions to elderly people with sticks, as it would be impossible to keep their balance on a moving vehicle i am sure.

rkj1948

as far as i know,most train companies allow pregnant ladies to sit in first class.
it would be up to the guard on the train to sort this situation out.
there has been an occasion in the past when this has happened to my knowledge it made the daily papers

aliasojo

Tiger_greeneyes wrote: »

I'd say that the larger percentage of random posters on here (65 - 70% at a rough guess) are saying they'd give up their seats. Yet in reality, where are any of these people when something bad actually does happen? Is it only the 35-40% of people I ever come across when I'm out and see something bad happen, or have something happen to me? Surely, out of every ten people at least 6 should have been picking me up?

Thankfully, I personally haven't found this to be the case. I think this may be due to the area I live in (quieter, less densely populated & more laid back compared to busy cities). People seem to have more time and are less self concerned here. (My opinion only....I'm not saying this is fact before you all start having a go. :rotfl:) I twisted my ankle whilst out walking one day and couldn't put weight on it. Several people in cars stopped to ask if I needed a lift and one woman out with her dog lent me her phone to call my OH to come pick me up.

However, my Father had a stroke in the middle of Edinburgh city centre on a Saturday afternoon and was sat on the ground propped against the North Bridge which is one of the busiest areas, and everyone passed him by. We think they assumed he was drunk. Only one young bloke bothered to even ask if he was ok and he had the good sense to realise there was something wrong.

I know lots of good caring people who live in cities, dont get me wrong, but I do think the nature of busy city life tends to make people have more self concern than in other areas.

(I'm speaking as someone who has lived in both areas btw.)