london overground and underground RANT!!!

[michelle1985]

hi ladies i have just got home from a busy day shopping in london, i just wanted to share how rude people are i got pushed i got prodded and no one offered me a seat i had to stand for 30mins on a packed train. even on the underground no one offered me a seat and im very noticable pregnant (i look about 35 weeks already)

 

[scuffer]

I remember going to London with my Mum and sister when my sister and I were both heavily pregnant (this was 13 years ago) and people were SO rude and no one offered seats to us. Luckily our mum was with us as she just turfed people out so that we could sit down!! It's sad to hear that things don't change, these days I'm much better at saying "excuse me but I'm struggling to stand do you mind if I have your seat?", usually they're too mortified to turn me down!

 

[chelleyve]

I feel for you & clap you at the same time for braving London shopping when pregnant - I barely cope when I am not

It's as bad here with anyone over 50 giving me evil looks for daring to sit down on a nearly packed bus... normally I am the first to stand and offer a seat to anyone of any age who looks like they need it but excuse me I am pregnant and the bus drivers are overzealous on their breaks so I am not risking going flying...

 

[michelle1985]

i have just moved to croydon (south london) and fancied a change also my partner is a dj and wanted to go to soho to some record shops so i thought why not pop to oxford street and do some shopping as well. anyway other than the train journeys it was lovely, we went to covent gardens, soho, china town (for lunch) piccadilly, oxford circus, notting hill, and leister sq. as you can imagine my feet were killing me at the end.

 

[Popcorn11]

I know - it's awful. Get one of those 'baby on board' badges - you can get them from tube stations

 

[hevGsd]

Aww poor you! bet your feet were killing after all that walking you must of done!

My mum lives in London an I go down there every few months, last visit was when I was 30 weeks, nobody offered me a seat on the tube! I didn't mind standing but the fact that I have a huge pregnant belly and baby on board badge on didn't seem to bother anybody! some people are just so rude! on one journey I got up off a seat to offer it to an old lady as nobody else did! Shocking!

 

[Ruthalaska]

Weird, I was visiting London about 2 months ago and I was ALWAYS offered seats on the tube. I was just visiting so I wasn't usually riding at rush hour though. But I remember thinking how polite everyone was!

Sorry you ladies aren't having as good experiences.

 

[Londonbump81]

I was travelling across zone one daily up until 28/ 29 weeks and the only way I got a seat on the tube was by wearing my 'baby on board' badge, otherwise you're having a laugh if you think you'll get a seat. People don't do eye contact on LU, you have to spell it out to them As for the bus...that was much better!

So glad i'm not doing that journey anymore, I feel for any preggos having to do rush hour in the summer heat...yuck!

https://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev171pr___.png

 

[Gbobs]

I was travelling across zone one daily up until 28/ 29 weeks and the only way I got a seat on the tube was by wearing my 'baby on board' badge, otherwise you're having a laugh if you think you'll get a seat. People don't do eye contact on LU, you have to spell it out to them As for the bus...that was much better!

So glad i'm not doing that journey anymore, I feel for any preggos having to do rush hour in the summer heat...yuck!

https://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev171pr___.png

That's me unfortunately and the commute is killing me. Still only a week left!! I've found that more lately since my bump is more obvious I've been getting a seat easier but previously even with a baby on board badge I struggled. Generally I think it's ignorance half the time as people stick their head in a book or paper and don't look up - or don't want to look up in fear of having to give their seat up!! Some people are generally apologetic when they've finally noticed me but others I know have seen me and then pretend they haven't. You can also tell when people notice but sit tight in the hope someone else will offer before they have to!!! I find middle aged women the worst as they seem to feel like they are more entitled to a seat as they are over the age of 50 even if they are fit and healthy.

It's not all bad though as I've had plenty of lovely people get up without hesitation and even had someone turf somebody off a seat for me!! I can't wait to not have to get the tube though.

 

[lushlush]

I too do the journey on the tube every day - victoria line and jubiliee line. It is true that people in London do not do eye contact so some may not notice, and it is true that you get the odd person that 'pretends' to be asleep (not only for pregnant women but for the elderly).

the thing to do is to ask for a seat if you need one. It is only you that suffers physically (by standing all that time when you are tired) and mentally (by getting annoyed/angry/disappointed).

I would also suggest getting a seat even if you think you can stand because the way the tube is running nowadays you often encounter delays, and you don't want to be stuck standing if there are problems on the line.

Hope your next trip (either still pregnant or with baby in tow) will be better...

 

[Blah11]

IDK why people get so pissy about not being offered a seat. Unless you have horrendous SPD or something, pregnant women are quite able to stand up and walk!

People are rude, I remember when I was at my last week at work before amelie (so 37 weeks) and i was on a packed bus when an elderly lady got on and the only person who would stand was the heavily pregnant one

 

[caz_hills]

Oh don't get me started. I'm commuting into London today and dread the tube, I started on the rare days i'm in London to get a cab where I can as it's terrible. The train in rush hour too is horrible. I'm 34 weeks pregnant now and people just don't seem to care! I nearly passed out on a train early on and was lucky enough that one of the staff helped me and let me go into first class but it's a scary experience!

Take care ladies xx

 

[Amygdala]

IDK why people get so pissy about not being offered a seat. Unless you have horrendous SPD or something, pregnant women are quite able to stand up and walk!

I guess that depends on your pregnancy and the type of day you're having. I'm ok standing on the bus/tram/underground for short journeys most days. But there have certainly been days where I would have struggled, either due to back or hip aches or some quite serious dizziness I've been getting lately. The point is, you just don't know what the woman with the big belly is going through, so if you're capable of standing it's only polite to offer to let her sit. Just the same as you don't know whether the OAP is fit and healthy or whether they really need to sit for their comfort and safety. That's why you offer. If they're fine standing they can always tell you that. And if you yourself don't think you can give up your seat, then don't offer. But I doubt that in a bus/train full of people no-one would be ok standing...

 

[Londonbump81]

IDK why people get so pissy about not being offered a seat. Unless you have horrendous SPD or something, pregnant women are quite able to stand up and walk!

I was perfectly capable to stand, still am at nearly 38 weeks but for me it was about having that bit of personal space. Once you stick out the front you are far more vulnerable to getting bashed and bumped around by others pushing on or off the trains and that is what distressed me on the tube. I used the Jubilee line straight through the busy area (London Bridge- Westminster) and people don't think about who they are moving past, they just need to get on or off...which is fair enough BUT by sitting down you are a little more protected, I used to put my bag over my bump and sit tight if I was offered a seat.

I did have understanding for other commuters though, I was on a tube before 7am and there were people genuinely asleep because they had finished night shifts etc etc.

What I can't stand is the public school kids with their cargo sitting in the preggo seats completely gormless, I did turf them off on occasion...just for my own fun!

 

[londonangel]

I have quite often been offered a seat when it hasn't been super-busy, but unfortunately it gets so busy I think people just don't notice pregnant women and as we generally don't look pregnant from the back, we get shoved. I hate going into Central London now as I get all bashed about trying to change trains as I can't walk as fast as I used to (even though I move faster than a lot of non-pregnant people) and I get shoved by people. Generally I moan at them and mutter things under my breath like a mad person, haha!

 

[londonangel]

Oh and I've just seen the quote from Blah11 - not sure whether or not you live in London, but the tube gets soooooo busy that you really do get massively bashed and shoved if you don't have a seat. I don't mind standing when it's not really busy, BUT.... for about the first 7 months of pregnancy I had horrendous cramps and ligament pains and found I really had to sit down. Also, you really are vulnerable to being shoved massively - it has happened to me a few times, so that now I try to get a seat if I can. It's not worth risking a placental abruption from someone bashing you in the belly!

 

[electricfeel]

I commute on the underground too. I'd say i get a seat more than i dont now.
Last friday no-one offered me a seat on 2 tube lines, and i had other people telling the people sitting down off!!
Im generally ok to stand except if its hot (like today) or really busy as im scared of people bashing my bump.


Luckily i finish work tomorrow, and then im moving out of London friday evening, so i have 4 more tube journeys to go!!!

 

[lilly77]

Hmm I have never had a problem on the underground and I live in london - people are always giving me their seat! The only time its not happened was when I went on the bus, people just looked out the window and ignored me!! and this is the other day, i am very noticably preggers! It was a short bus ride though so I didn't mind.

I'm not shy myself and would definitely ask someone if they wouldn't mind giving me their seat if I felt I had to sit down. Why suffer in silence? It sounds like you travelled in rush hour which I never do anyway, maybe that;s why I have more luck? I do find navigating through crowds a bit scary, I always have my arms in front of my bump for protection.

re Blah's post - I have vulvar varisocities and pelvic pain so I always take a seat whenever I can. And I agree with londonangel - rush hour is a frikkin nightmare and the bashing of your belly is more of a worry than having to rest your legs!

sorry you had a rough time! xx

 

[Blah11]

Of course it's polite and of course I do offer my seat to any pregnant ladies but 9/10 i dont think its worth the amount of rants i see about it

 

[michelle1985]

thanks for all your replys ladies i didnt expect aruguments to be started tho i just think it is common curtesy to offer your seats to pregnant women or elderly or disabled people especially on packed trains tubes or busses as it is dangerous to stand sometimes when very busy and hot. a lady that was standing on the train next to me shouted it out who will give up there seat for a pregnant woman and guess wat not one person moved off there butts it was a bit embarrasing lol.