Pregnant Women on the Bus: Would You Stand For It?

[aduidarnenye]

Despite my loyalty to BG for many years, there are other websites I read for my daily quota of Internet griping. I read a local weekly newspaper, called the Coast, and its website. Mainly the "Love the Way We Bitch" section.

I found this bitch today and was really, really surprised at the comments.

http://www.thecoast.ca/LovetheWayWeB...-the-gestating

Have a little respect for the gestating...

To all of the passengers on the morning Bedford-to-Downtown bus, you know who you are. I realized, years ago, that chivalry is dead on Metro Transit, but I can’t help but feel that our community has sunk to a new low when my six-months pregnant self has to stand for the entire commute each morning, while all of you sit in comfort.

I know it’s early and you’re all tired/lazy/cranky. For weeks I’ve been giving you all the benefit of the doubt, assuming that maybe you can’t tell that I’m pregnant. Well, my ability to hide it and your ability to ignore it has long-since passed.

I know that I am neither disabled nor elderly as the signs indicate, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask that one of those reserved front seats be vacated for me as I waddle onboard. And I don’t think it should be left up to me to awkwardly ask one of you to give me your seat.

By all means, continue to avert your eyes from my belly when I look in your direction. We wouldn’t want your conscience to get the better of you and cause you to yield your seat to a woman with a uterus the size of a soccer ball. —The preggo passenger

Some of the comments:

Aw, suck it up, you lazy cow. I had three and I didn't look for any special treatement. Be grateful you don't have to chomp on a tree branch and squirt your kid out in a squat like our ancestors.

Ahhh, the sense of entitlement of the pregnant woman. You chose to get knocked up (or stay knocked up) and you can live with your choice. If you don't like having to stand on the bus while pregnant, grow a backbone and ask someone if you could have a seat. You are not entitled to a seat any more than any of the other passengers. Expecting them to suddenly jump up and give you their seat is bullshit.

Ladies: go get pregnant all you want. Just please don't expect the rest of the world to cater to you once you're eating for two. It's a simple fact that the rest of society outside your inner circle and facebook friends do not care about your condition. It's not bad manners, psychosis or rude; it's just being human - or even animal.

She probably should have thought about the whole relying on public transit thing before getting pregnant. Unless it was unplanned (I don't think I know of any that are planned nowadays) then it's no one's fault but hers (and the father's) and she should live with the consequences. It's not really that hard to get pregnant, you want a gold star too? Actually I believe it's harder not to get pregnant.

This one really surprised me:

Someone supporting her:

OK I can't stand excessive parental self-entitlement (including obnoxious SUV strollers) but a pregnant woman should be able to sit. If the bus came to a sudden stop and she lost her balance and fell, she actually could suffer a miscarriage.

First response to above:

And what, that'll be the passengers' fault if she does?

There were some comments in support of her but the ones against her really surprised me.


So, would you guys get up for a pregnant woman on a public transit bus?

Do you think that the bitch reeks of self-entitlement?

Do you think I live in a really rude, horrible city?

[Jotaru]

I'd stand. I'm pretty polite and like to be nice. Being an asshole makes the world shitty.

[alt]

I think it would be polite and courteous and probably the right thing to do to offer a pregnant women a seat.

But I also don't think a pregnant woman has any right to expect to be given a seat.

[SubzeroDiabolos]

I would have given my spot without her having to even ask. I would not get mad if others didn't, but sad that they're fucking lazy asses.

[Avanarius]

Honestly, it's pretty fucking dumb that she would EXPECT people to get up for her without asking. Why you ask? To most people, it would be considered insulting because it shows a sign of weakness against your behalf (people are afraid of insulting you). Clearly it's not fucking impossible for her to stand anyways.

[Kaisha]

Reserved seats are reserved for a reason. Gtfo if you're not one of the mentioned groups that the seat is reserved for when someone applicable for it gets on.

[Null]

I would give up my spot. I don't ride public transit but I give up seats all the time to normal people. But if I knew they EXPECTED it, I wouldn't give a damn. I'm overly nice to a point. If you use and abuse that I lose respect.

[zoobernut]

I would give up my spot and I would expect others too. I think the ability to sit down for a pregnant woman is a health and safety issue.

Everyone thinking that it is a self entitlement issue is retarded. A woman who isn't used to weighing that much is more unstable on her feet and it is unsafe to be standing up on a moving vehicle.

[Elcura]

I honestly have no sympathy, but I live in London so that's to be expected.

[quannum]

i'd tell that bitch to put on her big girl panties and deal with it

[BerenTebogo]

I'd get up because I do it without even thinking about it anyways.

That being said, you own a vagina and got your ass knocked up. So fucking what? You now belong to an elite group known as "about 80+% of the women who have ever lived to be over the age of 12."*

I don't give a shit if they drag you behind the bus on a cart because you're too fat to sit in the seats. Pregnancy-related parking spots / reserved seating is the most fucking ridiculous shit in the world. Political correctness gone stupider than I could have ever imagined.

*Source: My ass.

[Mayareira]

Pregnant/old/hot/disabled I'd stand for all.

[Rafbacca]

Being pregnant is not a disability, and if she was so concerned she should be calling a cab.

[Correction]

Bitch can't afford monthly payments for a car and she's about to have a kid, huh?

Yep, sounds like a princess, roll out that 'sit wherever the fuck you want on the bus' carpet.

[Mugekuge]

Pregnant/old/hot/disabled I'd stand for all.

This.

Well actually if there is a hot woman, it'd be better to let her stand up, so you can have a better view.

[Talus]

I ride Metro a lot in D.C. (not the buses, the trains). I usually stand, since I'm a healthy adult male, especially during peak hours but if I'm on off-peak and for some reason the seats are all taken and I'm seated, I'll get up for an elderly man or woman, someone who has a cane, a pregnant woman, a parent with small children, pretty much anyone except another dude I guess.

[Pirian]

What the fuck is public transport?

[zoobernut]

I really don't understand the standpoint of not standing up. If you are a healthy adult who has no health issues at all then it doesn't hurt you to stand up. Big fucking deal stand up and let the pregnant person sit down. It is just a courtesy thing. I agree that there are a lot of "self entitlement" issues and areas where pregnant women think they deserve something but really they don't but in this instance I think that there is no reason why you shouldn't give them a chance to sit down.

IF something doesn't inconvenient you or hurt you in any way but has the potential to be safer and better for someone else there is no valid reason to not help that person out. It doesn't cost you any money or anything at all to stand up and let a pregnant woman have your seat.

[aduidarnenye]

Bitch can't afford monthly payments for a car and she's about to have a kid, huh?

Yep, sounds like a princess, roll out that 'sit wherever the fuck you want on the bus' carpet.

All people who take the bus are too poor for a car? Car is the only real acceptable option of transportation? Maybe people don't like driving through traffic instead of being poor.

[Furtwangler]

I think it would be polite and courteous and probably the right thing to do to offer a pregnant women a seat.

But I also don't think a pregnant woman has any right to expect to be given a seat.

Basically this. I would do it out of my own kindness, but she in no way deserves anything. She got herself pregnant (or chose to stay that way) and chose to ride public transit.