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Looking out for pregnant ladies on the bus
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Comments
Express Buses
Kudos is right, but this reminds me of two T issues that I will never understand.
First, as I have said before w/r/t the Green Line, it is ridiculous that people must be asked to get up when a woman who is clearly pregnant gets on the vehicle. The situation of the 503 bus is even more egregious, because the median age of riders on that route is almost certainly somewhere in the mid twenties. Get off your hungover ass and give the lady a seat!
Second, it boggles my mind that T buses are permitted to have people standing up or sitting down without any kind of restraint whatsoever, all while crusing down the turnpike at 60+. As I once put it to the guy I was standing next to: "Wow, if we stop short or get in an accident, I'm a 205 pound 6 foot something long missle that is going to kill everything in my path on my own way through the windshield." Ironically, this is not the case on the express buses that run from Brooklyn to Manhattan, which are MTA operated coach buses that have nice upholstered seats and, wait for it, seat belts. It's ironic because those buses almost never go over 30 because of the traffic.
Its not just the T
It isn't just a "T" issue. I am from Minneapolis and also lived in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) for a while .. both of these places had city buses like boston does going down the highways at 40/50/60+ mph (Have you seen the way Canadians drive?). One bus route I took all the time in Ottawa was an articulated bus like the silver lines/rt 39 buses and would be going at LEAST 60 for a good 10 minutes between stops - and the bus was PACKED every day -- and I do mean PACKED, not what Boston would consider to be a "full train."
as Isaac said,....
It's pathetic that the driver even had to ask someone to give up their seat.
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who and the what now?
Depends on timing
I've seen someone getting on the T before who was going to need the chair I was in. I don't like to get up that soon because one of the people ahead of them might take it and then not get up themselves assuming one of the OTHER handicap-access seats will be made available to the person getting on. Then, you have the driver who sees the person coming on and wants to avoid the whole "will someone let this woman sit?" problem and before she's even paid her fare is barking a request for a seat for her from all of the riders. Now, when I get up and offer her my seat I look like an ass for not having gotten up sooner and "needing" the driver to goad me into helping the pregnant lady out.
So, it's easy to make someone seem like an ass in that situation even if they intended to do the right thing from the start.
kaz
your story reminds of the the episode where george costanza tried to take his tip out of the tip jar because the guy behind the counter didnt actually see him drop it in.
Ha
As I read that same explanation, all I could think was "this is how Larry David would do it."
Simple solution
Get up and put your pack/knee on the seat until the intended person gets there. It makes their life easier because they immediately know where to head, it saves the seat, and saves face.
Yep
That's right...Just hold the seat and wave them over. If they're far away, hopefully someone else closer by will take the hint and offer them a nearer seat.
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who and the what now?
Riding the Commuter Rail and the Bus Pregnant with Twins
Most of the time I had a seat on the commuter rail but the bus was a different story and only 1 time did someone offer me their seat. It was really upsetting to me not because I had to sit down but because people never offered. Also, fast forward to having a double stroller and how few people hold the door. I once had a guy hold the first door for me and then run around squeeze through the second door and take off into the store. The woman behind me commented that she would never have believed it if she didnt see it with her own eyes. I commend this bus driver! I wish there were more people like this!
I agree. Its always baffled
I agree. Its always baffled me that the MBTA uses regular buses for express routes. Even the high floor RTS buses were better for those routes than the low floor buses used now. They really should buy greyhound style buses, like those used in new york by the MTA.
If they get new buses...
.....they'll have yet another excuse to raise fares to generate revenue about 100x what the buses cost
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who and the what now?
As far as I know, there is
As far as I know, there is no law that includes pregnant women in categories of people that must given priority seats. I do not believe that pregnancy is an ADA disability.
depends...
nope, normal pregnancy is not covered under the ADA. in rare exceptions, a pregnancy with excessive medical complications that adversely effects the health of the woman sometimes does count as covered.
however, even if it were covered under the ADA, would it be the law that you give up your seat? nope. the ADA requires you to provide priority seating for people with disabilities. it does not make you enforce it. and in fact, it *can't*, since not all disabilities are visible.
that stated, maybe you should just give your seat to the disabled, the elderly, the pregnant, etc. because it's the right thing to do.
Yeah that's really nice and
Yeah that's really nice and all, except when you aren't pregnant, you're just fat. This has happened to me three times with a T driver and countless times with concerned t-riding citizens. Honestly everyone, a person can ask if they need a seat for a medical reason.