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Riding the T while pregnant
By adamg on Sat, 07/21/2018 - 10:21am
Kat Cornetta describes nine months of commuting for two, including that middle trimester when you could use a seat but nobody else can really tell you're expecting:
Standing on a moving subway while pregnant is like surfboarding while holding a beach ball
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Comments
When I was pg on the T
Everyone on the Orange line would instantly "fall asleep" when I got on the train so they didn't have to get up. Then one day that poor woman was shot on the train and her baby died. For the last few weeks of my pregnancy it was like a stampede to give up their seats. It broke my heart every time.
Subway Etiquette
Give up your seat to pregnant females
Give up your seat to a blind person
Give up your seat to the elderly
Don't manspread
Don't smoke
Don't spit on hard working employees.
Pay your fare
The seats are not for your backpacks
Don't block the aisles with baby carriages bigger than the Titanic
The emergency intercoms are not for ordering big macs and fries
Follow these guidelines and have a safe ride.
Whoa.. hold on there
Would you dare tell a peacock to stop displaying all those pretty plumage things? Would you yell at a cardinal for his pretty territory call? Would you rant at fireflies for their annoying habit of lighting up the night when they want to mate or something?
Manspreading should be a celebrated national pastime. It is what separates real men from beta males who get to identify themselves with goddess symbol tattoos on their wrists and manbuns.
Last month I was in church and the guy in front of me was manspreading so perfect, that I had to actively monitor my positioning to make sure that there was no mirroring thing going on. Anyway, he turns around and sees my manspread and is all like "Dude, we should hang out sometime" and I'm like "Pfft, yeah.". True story.
If you want a seat, just ask
Unless you speak little/no English, or don't have the ability to speak,
Just ask for a seat.
It ain't hard. I know. I had to do it for three months, on both subway and bus. I appear able bodied, but due to a medical condition couldn't safely stand on public transit. Nobody would have assumed I needed a seat. It was on me to ask. And so I did.
Excuse me, sir/ma'am. My medical condition requires that I sit on this train/bus. Would you mind?
Nobody ever refused. Some were a little annoyed, but nobody refused.
Better yet
Just OFFER your seat. Especially if you sit in a seat with one of those signs that say to do so?
It ain't hard - I see a lot of people do this on the Orange line - like, multiple people at once - at rush hour. I saw a family get on with two young kids and a couple people just cleared out for them without being asked.
Read anon’s comment again
Sometimes people have issues that are not readily seen.
As far as pregnant women go, at 5 or even 6 months, the untrained eye might not be able to see the difference between pregnant and heavy set. By 32 weeks gestation, one should know. The missus rarely had a problem in latter stages.
It's going to get much worse
When I look at the pictures of the new Orange Line cars, it appears that there will be bench seating with no indications or separations of individual seats. At least now, when someone is manspreading or otherwise spreading their body or belongings over more than one seat, it is evident from the seat and back cushions that a seat is available. With bench seating there will be much more spreading out, and less obvious availability of seats.
I havent seen any inside pics of the new Red Line cars but I fear the worst.
Be nice
I'm 66 and in pretty good shape. Even though I dont really need a seat, I notice my ability to keep my balance and deal with the sudden stops and starts of a typical subway ride is reduced as I get older. And I am very sensitive to anyone young or old who looks like they're not dealing well with standing. Often I am the only one to offer my seat to someone else even when the train is full of apparently able bodied younger individuals.
Please people, have some compassion and use common sense instead of pretending you dont notice that someone else needs a seat.