Friday, December 28

Sit down for your rights ... or stand up?

A mother with four children in the 5- to 10-year-old range got on the subway during the evening commute. It wasn't particularly crowded, being a holiday week, so the kids all found spots next to each other, which was next to me. The mom went to sit before she realized they were a seat short, and momentarily looked at me before bracing herself against a pole.

I felt like saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm four months pregnant underneath this winter coat. Otherwise, I would give you my seat." But I didn't say anything, because I hate the idea of pregnancy being an excuse (my nausea was the real reason) or a condition that I should apologize for. Still, I felt uneasy the whole ride because I'm not sure if that seat should have been hers or mine. In the end, I probably should have stood up. Her hands are more full than my uterus.

I guess you could always blame the person sitting on the other end of the kids.

1 comment:

BerryBird said...

I think you were well within your rights to keep the seat. There are all sorts of "invisible" conditions aside from pregnancy that could make remaining seated a better option for a person. People shouldn't be so quick tp judge. And it sounds like there were plenty of other passengers who had the opportunity to give up their seats, too.

No more feeling bad--I forbid it.