Sitting on the tube

[fluffymark]

atreic and the_alchemist have been having a LJ discussion and poll (? now vanished ?) on the rights and wrongs of giving up your seat to someone on the tube. Go read.

Which leads me rather shamefully to this morning's journey in. *bigsigh*

Managed to get a seat on the Central Line at Leytonstone, which was good. At Stratford, a woman boarded, moved in front of the seats and started glaring at everyone. I wondered what she wanted - she looked a bit insane. A few minutes later someone else offered her their seat, which she sulkily took. It transpired that she wanted a seat because she was pregnant, but she didn't look pregnant. A very minor bulge, yes, but only obvious after she'd sat down. I felt horribly guilty about not spotting this, and failing to offer my seat, and she sat opposite me and glared at me all the way to Bank, which didn't help any and really began to freak me out. What should I have done? *confused* I mean if she was obviously pregnant I'd have happily given up my seat, but I really didn't notice she was until too late. *distressed*

Now I'm beginning to think that these Badges for Commuters aren't such a bad idea after all.

Comments

[ixwin.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

I was once feeling extremely ill on a train where there were no seats, and had been going to ask a female passenger whether she'd mind sitting her small child on her knee rather than letting her have a seat to herself, but robert_jones told me this would be an awful thing to do and did everything reasonably within his power to prevent me.

So there certainly *are* people who do not think this would be acceptable. I'm inclined to agree with you, however.

[ixwin.livejournal.com]

My reasoning is that, whether or not it's reasonable to ask for a seat (and, like you, I think it is - the person you ask obviously also has the right to refuse), it's (I hope uncontroversially) unreasonable to blame others for not offering one when they don't realise you need one. And as it's impossible to tell whether other people have realised you need one (short of, you know, actually fainting or something) you can't reasonably expect ever to be spontaneously offered a seat. So the choice is only between asking and willingly suffering - either way not asking and then glaring is rude.

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter too. :-)

[karen2205]

If I'm on a train (as opposed to the tube) I often sit on the floor space between carriages by choice - it's more comfortable & there's more space to knit without elbowing anyone.

I don't recall any time when I've felt very ill on a train, but I'd quite possibly just sit on the floor where I was standing (depending upon space/safety ie. am I going to be tripped over) or move to somewhere where it'd more convenient to sit on the floor.

On a tube, I'd probably ask someone for a seat if I was very ill, 'cos sitting on the floor on a tube train wouldn't be very safe during rush hour.