After work, I take the downtown 6 Train to the Q. Standing on the platform, waiting for the Q Train, I noticed a pregnant woman. She was wearing a top that said "Baby Phat" and I couldn't help but thinking: you certainly are.
The Q Train is usually rather crowded and we entered the same car. Now, this was a noticeably pregnant woman. I'm not talking nine-months-along-if-the-train-takes-a-sharp-bank-to-the-left-this-baby-is-gonna-make-an-appearance, but we are talking about seven or eight months here. No one got up to offer this woman a seat. And of course, I didn't have a seat, so I couldn't offer one to the poor pregnant woman.
To my left, there were all types of people sitting down, but there were also a lot of people standing, possibly obscuring their vision so that while I'm sure that all the sitters saw the pregnant woman standing, they could at least pretend that they didn't see her. But to my right there was one older woman sitting, three young men sitting, two young alternative types and myself standing. The pregnant woman was standing next to and sharing a handrail with one of the young guys sitting. And just to toss in this bit o' info, all the sitters were white and the Prego was black.
The guys were perhaps a bit too old for the Hipster label, but they were definately of the Indie Rock variety. One had something in Arabic tattooed on his hand. Well, aren't you goddamned sensitive and open-minded. How bout getting off your ass so this pregnant woman, or, come to think of it, that old man over there, can sit down. I think your lily-white designer-sneaker wearing too-cool self can handle standing up for twenty minutes. EARTH TO HIPSTERS: just because you have you iPOD on does not make you invisible. We can still see you and that does not make you exempt from the laws of basic human decency.
I thought about saying something, but the pregnant woman wasn't giving off any attitude. She was just minding her own business. When it got to be my stop I said to her, "I can't belive no one gave up their seat for you. That is so rude." She just shrugged her shoulders. I get the feeling this happens a lot.
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3 comments:
not only should you have said something, but you should have made a point to the mother-to-be that she should start expecting people to be a bit more considerate.
i have actually faced this same problem. the first time, like you, i did nothing. there would be no repeat of that scene. people: if you face this situation, please take it upon yourself to point out that there is a pregnant/elderly/handicapped woman/man/child STANDING and that those "i'm pretending not to notice b/c i'm too cool" new yorkers with two good legs and one awful sense of manners should actually participate a little in our shared human experience
You know I'm no stranger to hissy-fits, but it did seem like it would embarass this woman. I did think about going over to say, "I find it really rude that no one has offered you a seat. Would it embarass you if I said something?"
yeah -- it's all about the approach. off topic: why does friendster send me an email telling me 'frienster misses you'?
creepy
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