7.5 months pregnant & rudely refused a seat on the train!

Lucky94

I remember an eldery friend telling me once that he stood up to give his seat on a bus to what he thought was a pregnant lady.....saying something like you need this seat more then me as you're with child..she looked around blank?? Oops she wasn't pregnant..he felt so bad he got off the bus early and had to walk home.:o

roses

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

First Capital Connect Priority Scheme

' Who can apply?
Any person who cannot stand safely for their journey and are elderly, pregnant, or have a disability. '

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/customer-care/priority-cards/priority-card-faqs/

Does anyone think that showing this card to the foul mouthed lady in the OP would have resulted in a different reaction? :think:

Juxxize

I'm sorry @LannieDuck that my opinion offended you so much but thats all it is 'my opinion' I did read the thread and I did read all the posts from so many other women who have been pregnant at one point or another comment on how being treated as if they poorly/ disabled/ ill/ different and so on as an an insult.I'm sorry but the truth is most women I've ever known who are are pregnant do think the world evolves around them and that they are somehow special why that makes me bitter for just making an observation I don't know .
I also find it odd that the comments from people who have the view a pregnant women is just a normal person who doesn't need a seat to be given up for them have been the object of criticism from those who don't agree but the comments who think the opposite ( the seat should have been given up for the pregnant lady ) have not been the subject to the same attacks even so to me it would seem the comment are around 50/50 ,50% of the comments think the seat should have been given up and 50% think as no disabled people / old people are on the bus the seat was available to either women pregnant or not.
LannieDuck >quote
'If you have two people less able to stand and only one priority seat, I would hope that someone in a non-priority seat would give theirs up. You might as well ask what would happen if two disabled people got on that tube. Would you expect one of them to stand because there was only one priority seat?'<I thought the issue was there was no seats and the thread author asked someone to give up the priority seat and if there is only one priority seat and two people who need to sit of course I would hope someone would give up there none priority seat.
LannieDuck >quote
'This is obviously an emotional issue for you, but again, I don't belive anyone is claiming that pregnancy is a disability. Only that a proportion of pregnant women are less able to stand on public transport'< not an emotional issue just plain fact. for example I've had a family member in a wheelchair left at the bus-stop because there was already a buggy/ pram on the ( mini bus in this case) and there was no room for the wheelchair ! for goodness sake the buggy/ pram could have been folded up! this has happened to a family member 2 times in the last 18months, yes the bus driver could have insisted the buggy was folded up but the mother had eyes in her head so in both cases she could have offered couldn't she?
LannieDuck >quote
'That's really quite offensive to women who have difficult pregnancies. '< I suppose fat people have health problems too ?? so why is this offensive?

I take insult that you think I haven't read the thread as I have which is why I commented and I find all the comments very interesting a snap-shot of English society in modern times .
By -the-way I just want to add again that no matter what the issues are around this subject that fact the girl was so rude is horrid but this story also shows us as one person is horrid and rude TWO people did a nice thing and gave up their seat so that gives us some hope that not everyone is so rude ( what -ever her reasons were) I suppose doesn't it.

Juxxize

oh and PS and I think with all the money it costs to travel on a train or bus these days there should jolly well be enough seats for everyone! the cost to travel on public transport have gone through the roof but no extra seats / buses / or train carriages are provided yet our lovely government expect us all to use public transport to save the environment HA what a joke save the environment and make the whole country have panic attacks and fall out with each-other.

*max*

jizzler wrote: »

take no notice just look for one where *max * comes from & all his comments are really self exsplanitory !

This whole statement is so ironically funny, I won't even bother to respond.


Anyway. I think a lot of people misunderstood what I was saying. I agree that I was harsh, and that I was cutting. Bad day.

The fact is, people are the way they are. Yes, it's a shame not everybody is polite and respectful. Yes, this young woman was horrid and she shouldn't have shouted. I think we'll all agree on that. What I was saying was, you shouldn't expect people to change because you're pregnant: it doesn't matter to them, they will be a$$holes no matter! You shouldn't expect people to magically become nice to you, if they weren't before. It's the active expectation of preferential treatment that's annoying. Like asking someone to give up their seat.

Yes, she shouldn't have shouted at you, and she should have given up her seat. If she was my daughter, there would be hell to pay. But you have to get used to it: some people are tw4ts. Pregnant or not, you'll have to deal with them. You shouldn't expect any different.

Felicity

Being pregnant does not give you an automatic right to anything.

Hopefully most people are courteous to take extra care of you but if you have an obvious 'attitude' of 'righteousness' then you might get less care.

LannieDuck

Juxxize wrote: »

I've had a family member in a wheelchair left at the bus-stop because there was already a buggy/ pram on the ( mini bus in this case) and there was no room for the wheelchair ! for goodness sake the buggy/ pram could have been folded up! this has happened to a family member 2 times in the last 18months, yes the bus driver could have insisted the buggy was folded up but the mother had eyes in her head so in both cases she could have offered couldn't she?

That's totally wrong. I don't know of anywhere that allows pushchairs to be prioritised over wheelchairs. Both the mother and the bus driver were wrong.

Juxxize wrote: »

LannieDuck >quote
'That's really quite offensive to women who have difficult pregnancies. '< I suppose fat people have health problems too ?? so why is this offensive?

Yes, fat people can be disabled too. And if they are, they're entitled to use the priority seats. Saying 'pregnant women are just fat' is quite unkind.

Juxxize wrote: »

this story also shows us as one person is horrid and rude TWO people did a nice thing and gave up their seat so that gives us some hope that not everyone is so rude ( what -ever her reasons were) I suppose doesn't it.

I absolutely agree it was nice of those people to offer a pregnant woman a seat. I hope that most people would.

...incidentally, I also agree with your subsequent comment that public transport really does need improving.

adouglasmhor

Felicity wrote: »

Being pregnant does not give you an automatic right to anything.

It gives you an automatic right to quite a few things in the UK actualy.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/953.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=138#close

When you’re pregnant, you have rights related to your healthcare and your job. After your child is born, you can claim Child Benefit and your child may be entitled to a Child Trust Fund voucher.

Healthcare
You’re entitled to free NHS prescriptions if you:

•are pregnant, or
•have had a baby in the last 12 months
You’re also entitled to free NHS dental treatment, including routine check-ups, if you’re accepted for treatment:

•while you’re pregnant, or
•within 12 months of giving birth
All pregnant employees are entitled to:

•paid time off for antenatal care
•maternity leave
•maternity pay benefits
•protection against losing your job or being treated unfairly because you’re pregnant

marcowil

jizzler wrote: »

take no notice just look for one where *max * comes from & all his comments are really self exsplanitory !

*Max* , you're a better person than I would be for ignoring this comment. Someone obviously has a problem with Belfast (or a slightly wider area)!

OP, I would have made a complaint - it probably wouldnt have helped in this case but at least I would have felt better

mrs_sparrow

Originally Posted by Juxxize
I've had a family member in a wheelchair left at the bus-stop because there was already a buggy/ pram on the ( mini bus in this case) and there was no room for the wheelchair ! for goodness sake the buggy/ pram could have been folded up! this has happened to a family member 2 times in the last 18months, yes the bus driver could have insisted the buggy was folded up but the mother had eyes in her head so in both cases she could have offered couldn't she?

Unless of the mother, or the baby was also disabled of course. As your family member was not on the bus, looking in the pram or at the mother, they'd not actually be able to tell, would they?