South West Trains slammed for treatment of pregnant woman

[Saint-Armstrong]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10648615/South-West-Trains-worst-response-ever-to-a-pregnant-womans-plight.html

 

 

A pregnant woman who said that she needed to sit down was ignored by her fellow passengers, before being denied the opportunity to move into the vastly empty first class carriage by SWT.

 

I can't decide what is more depressing...

 

- The fact that not one person was prepared to give up their seat, just once, for a pregnant lady in discomfort

- The fact that the railway company or its staff did not apply some common sense and work on a case-by-case basis

[Hatch]

Grade 1 ****s here are the passengers, closely followed by the guard who wouldn't allow her to sit down.

 

I can see SWTrains point though of not just letting anyone sit in first class when they claim to be 'ill' or even claim to be pregnant.

[Saint_clark]

How the f*ck was there not ONE person who would let her sit down!? I wouldn't even need to be asked before offering. Jesus christ.

[buctootim]

Grade 1 ****s here are the passengers, closely followed by the guard who wouldn't allow her to sit down.

 

I can see SWTrains point though of not just letting anyone sit in first class when they claim to be 'ill' or even claim to be pregnant.

 

They could have turfed a passenger out of one of the 'priority' seats though.

[Viking Warrior]

Was she heavily pregnant ?

 

if she wasnt how were the passengers and guard to know she was pregnant.

 

If she was heavily pregnant, then shame on the passengers

[Saint_clark]

They could have turfed a passenger out of one of the 'priority' seats though.

 

Are there priority seats on trains, or is that only buses? Just read another article on this where the author states this is the case.

[Ludwig]

What if all the other passengers were disabled or even more heavily pregnant? In which case, its this woman who is the "grade 1 c*nt" for demanding others less well off give up their seat for her.

 

If there was one able bodied or non pregnant person on the train, then they're a c*nt.

[buctootim]

Are there priority seats on trains, or is that only buses? Just read another article on this where the author states this is the case.

 

Dont know if its national, but certainly on my two local companies First Capital Connect and Southern.

[Hatch]

Are there priority seats on trains, or is that only buses? Just read another article on this where the author states this is the case.

 

yes, on SW trains there are about 8 in each carriage, usually 4 at each end

 

But I guess it's not a legal requirement to give up these seats, just a moral one. I bet it was on the train to Portsmouth!

[pap]

That southern hospitality in action again.

 

To prevent the screams of generalisation, I should say that commuters tend to be amongst the worst. Scared little townsfolk emerging at Waterloo and instantly trying to walk at 7mph because they assume that's what you do in London.

[Whitey Grandad]

Was she heavily pregnant ?

 

if she wasnt how were the passengers and guard to know she was pregnant.

 

If she was heavily pregnant, then shame on the passengers

 

Five months, it says, at that stage she would only look slightly fat at the most. I've had to sit on the floor and I'm a white-haired sad old git but I didn't complain that no pregnant women stood up and offered me their seat.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

It's a minefield.

 

A while a go I offered my seat to a lady, who I thought was pregnant. I stood up and said "would you like to sit down?". Amongst the biggest errors of my life. Turns out the lady wasn't pregnant, just weird shaped (protruding belly, but the rest of her was quite slim really).

 

She was incredulous, red-faced and started screaming at me. This between stations, on a very busy Central Line train. No escape, nothing I could do.

 

I was also recently told by an elderly lady that I should "mind my own business, and not be so patronising" when offering my seat.

 

You really cannot win.

 

[Sour Mash]

That southern hospitality in action again.

 

To prevent the screams of generalisation, I should say that commuters tend to be amongst the worst. Scared little townsfolk emerging at Waterloo and instantly trying to walk at 7mph because they assume that's what you do in London.

Yes, that's what happens at Waterloo

[trousers]

I've been commuting to London on SWT (and whatever it was called before that) for best part of 28 years and not once have I witnessed a scenario whereby someone needing a seat hasn't been offered one. There again, I suppose 28 years of people behaving honourably doesn't make as good a headline as one isolated instance of people behaving like arseholes.

 

But I do agree with a minimum speed limit of 7 mph for all pedestrians. The amount of people I have to clatter into because they drift in front of me on my walk from the station to the office is ridiculous.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I've been commuting to London on SWT (and whatever it was called before that) for best part of 28 years and not once have I witnessed a scenario whereby someone needing a seat hasn't been offered one. There again, I suppose 28 years of people behaving honourably doesn't make as good a headline as one isolated instance of people behaving like arseholes.

 

But I do agree with a minimum speed limit of 7 mph for all pedestrians. The amount of people I have to clatter into because they drift in front of me on my walk from the station to the office is ridiculous.

 

People that walk off an escalator an just stop dead need shooting.

 

Same applies for stairwells at train stations.

[trousers]

People that walk off an escalator an just stop dead need shooting.

 

Same applies for stairwells at train stations.

 

I find taking the skin off the back of their ankles with the sole of my shoe works just as well.

[hypochondriac]

How the f*ck was there not ONE person who would let her sit down!? I wouldn't even need to be asked before offering. Jesus christ.

 

How would people sitting down have any clue what was going on? When I'm sitting in a carriage I don't spend my time listening to everyone elses conversations.

[pap]

I find taking the skin off the back of their ankles with the sole of my shoe works just as well.

 

And here was me speaking generally. Didn't realise we'd have a real life taker

 

You're scum, trousers, and I say that as the unkempt bastard chuckling at the over-busy townsfolk under cover of a laptop screen

 

I dawdle off once the headless chickens have disappeared from view.

[Gemmel]

This simply does not ring true. I commute daily from Southampton to London and happy to concede we are miserable gits, but the idea no one would offer their seat to a pregnant lady is ********. I see seats being offered at least once a week, to older passengers.

 

Something is not right in this story, but I would put my house on the fact if you put an obviously pregnant women on a train between Weymouth and Southampton, she would be offered a seat without asking...... do that 100 times and you would get the same result 100 times.

[Whitey Grandad]

This simply does not ring true. I commute daily from Southampton to London and happy to concede we are miserable gits, but the idea no one would offer their seat to a pregnant lady is ********. I see seats being offered at least once a week, to older passengers.

 

Something is not right in this story, but I would put my house on the fact if you put an obviously pregnant women on a train between Weymouth and Southampton, she would be offered a seat without asking...... do that 100 times and you would get the same result 100 times.

 

From the report it would appear that she is not obviously pregnant being only five months gone.

[bridge too far]

From the report it would appear that she is not obviously pregnant being only five months gone.

 

I had this very problem travelling into central London to work when I was pregnant with my first baby. I used to pass out if I stood too long, particularly in crowded stuffy trains. In early pregnancy I had no bump to back up my explanation when I fainted but, eventually, 'my' carriage got to know me and always made sure there was a seat for me.

 

But that was a long, long time ago.

[Hatch]

seems quite a few commute, what trains do people get, just so that I know which ones to avoid ? ;-)

[aintforever]

From the report it would appear that she is not obviously pregnant being only five months gone.

 

Shouldn't make any difference, if a woman is feeling unwell and wants a seat you would think someone would help her out.

 

I can't stand the way these rail companies charge you a fortune for a ticket yet can't be arsed to put on trains big enough. Any empty first class seat should be made available to anyone forced to stand.

[Whitey Grandad]

I had this very problem travelling into central London to work when I was pregnant with my first baby. I used to pass out if I stood too long, particularly in crowded stuffy trains. In early pregnancy I had no bump to back up my explanation when I fainted but, eventually, 'my' carriage got to know me and always made sure there was a seat for me.

 

But that was a long, long time ago.

 

You need to wear a badge saying 'Baby on board'.

[bridge too far]

You need to wear a badge saying 'Baby on board'.

 

Good idea! But some would think it was a con as most women, as you know, don't really show until about 5 months whereas, with me, the fainting only occurred during the first trimester

[RonManager]

Back in the early 19th century, when the first broad gauge trains ran down from London Paddington to Bristol along Brunel's 'billiard table', the loco's had no cabs and the carriages no roofs. During the extreme cold of the winter it was not unknown for passengers to freeze to death on their journey.

 

A wooden bench was situated outside of Temple Meads Station, upon which frozen cadavres would be placed (therefore outwith GWR jurisdiction), still in the upright sitting position, hat on head and briefcase in hand.

 

A discrete understanding had been agreed between the GWR and the local undertakers, who would quietly remove the corpses.

[Matthew Le God]

It's a minefield.

 

A while a go I offered my seat to a lady, who I thought was pregnant. I stood up and said "would you like to sit down?". Amongst the biggest errors of my life. Turns out the lady wasn't pregnant, just weird shaped (protruding belly, but the rest of her was quite slim really).

 

She was incredulous, red-faced and started screaming at me. This between stations, on a very busy Central Line train. No escape, nothing I could do.

 

I was also recently told by an elderly lady that I should "mind my own business, and not be so patronising" when offering my seat.

 

You really cannot win.

 

 

Like this...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK0Xw9bpFL0

[Viking Warrior]

kelvin

blame the feminists for this "She was incredulous, red-faced and started screaming at me".

 

I was brought up in the age of chivalry

 

In recent years I have got so abuse from some women for opening the doors and allowing them to go through first

 

The times I have been told , Im more than capable for opening the door myself

so for certain females I no longer open or keep the door open for them

 

They find that rude as well

[Viking Warrior]

OH a few years ago I was in a waiting room full of pregnant women waiting to see my wife at the time

 

I was on crutches following an ankle operation and not one of them offered me their seat so I had to stand for about 30 miniutes before I could go through to the ward

[Whitey Grandad]

kelvin

blame the feminists for this "She was incredulous, red-faced and started screaming at me".

 

I was brought up in the age of chivalry

 

In recent years I have got so abuse from some women for opening the doors and allowing them to go through first

 

The times I have been told , Im more than capable for opening the door myself

so for certain females I no longer open or keep the door open for them

 

They find that rude as well

 

I am of an age that holds the door open for anybody following. Every once in a while I get a thank-you. If I don't I even have to say it for them.

[buctootim]

I am of an age that holds the door open for anybody following. Every once in a while I get a thank-you. If I don't I even have to say it for them.

 

I do that. You almost always get a 'thanks mate' from men but from women its just as often a scowl unless they have children with them.

[Whitey Grandad]

I do that. You almost always get a 'thanks mate' from men but from women its just as often a scowl unless they have children with them.

 

What really annoys me is when you let them through first and they ignore you and stop just the other side in dreamland wondering what to do next.

[Chez]

It's a minefield.

 

A while a go I offered my seat to a lady, who I thought was pregnant. I stood up and said "would you like to sit down?". Amongst the biggest errors of my life. Turns out the lady wasn't pregnant, just weird shaped (protruding belly, but the rest of her was quite slim really).

 

She was incredulous, red-faced and started screaming at me. This between stations, on a very busy Central Line train. No escape, nothing I could do.

 

I was also recently told by an elderly lady that I should "mind my own business, and not be so patronising" when offering my seat.

 

You really cannot win.

 

 

did you bite your tongue on both occasions? I have visions of myself snapping after a long hard day/week in that position.

[Weston Super Saint]

I like the way that everyone is so happy to accept that paying a small fortune for a ticket to travel on a train doesn't guarantee a seat!

 

Frankly, if the train company sells more tickets than they have seats for people to sit on, then they are the ones at fault, pregnant or not, old or young!

 

And yes, before anyone points out that the train companies are selling the journey / transportation and not the seat, I am aware of that, but again, it's only because 'we' have accepted this status quo that it exists....

[hutch]

Are you suggesting something like a Season Ticket with a seat number on it? That might catch on here. You could wave it around for other travellers to see. And if you're not using it, you could lend it to your mates so they could sit for free and watch all the pregnant women fall over.

[sotonjoe]

 

Frankly, if the train company sells more tickets than they have seats for people to sit on, then they are the ones at fault, pregnant or not, old or young!

 

 

Amazing. Let's reduce the numbEr of people allowed on trains so it matches the number of seats and let the leftovers walk to work. You need to get into politics.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Weston Super Saint]

Amazing. Let's reduce the numbEr of people allowed on trains so it matches the number of seats and let the leftovers walk to work. You need to get into politics.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Or, and this might be controversial, how about increasing the number of seats to match the number of people who have bought tickets at enormous expense?

[Whitey Grandad]

Or, and this might be controversial, how about increasing the number of seats to match the number of people who have bought tickets at enormous expense?

 

There's no capacity on the tracks, they're already at maximum.

[Barry Sanchez]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10648615/South-West-Trains-worst-response-ever-to-a-pregnant-womans-plight.html

 

 

A pregnant woman who said that she needed to sit down was ignored by her fellow passengers, before being denied the opportunity to move into the vastly empty first class carriage by SWT.

 

I can't decide what is more depressing...

 

- The fact that not one person was prepared to give up their seat, just once, for a pregnant lady in discomfort

- The fact that the railway company or its staff did not apply some common sense and work on a case-by-case basis

 

 

A disgrace in both instances.

[Barry Sanchez]

I like the way that everyone is so happy to accept that paying a small fortune for a ticket to travel on a train doesn't guarantee a seat!

 

Frankly, if the train company sells more tickets than they have seats for people to sit on, then they are the ones at fault, pregnant or not, old or young!

 

And yes, before anyone points out that the train companies are selling the journey / transportation and not the seat, I am aware of that, but again, it's only because 'we' have accepted this status quo that it exists....

 

What a naive post with no knowledge of how things work

 

Say I board a different train?

What about people who travel on a whim?

Name any other Country that operates your proposed system?

[Barry Sanchez]

OH a few years ago I was in a waiting room full of pregnant women waiting to see my wife at the time

 

I was on crutches following an ankle operation and not one of them offered me their seat so I had to stand for about 30 miniutes before I could go through to the ward

 

Your point?

[Barry Sanchez]

There are some very unkind people who visit these boards, Christ alive give up your seat to someone who needs it more than you, its not rocket science, whether it be bus,train or whatever. Same for queuing, for helping someone who needs it etc etc.

[Patrick Bateman]

seems quite a few commute, what trains do people get, just so that I know which ones to avoid ? ;-)

 

Fleet to Waterloo, normally around 0740. 1st class.

 

I gave in, can't stand the tiny seats and over-crowding. I get on, take a more spacious seat and read or work in more peace and with space. Additionally I can turn back up to Waterloo and dive on a train knowing I can sit down - it's well worth the additional premium.

 

If the majority of commuters weren't so self-centered and weird, it would be a pleasure to travel. I don't know what happens to people but they get all odd when commuting, like it's only them that exist. I have told my fair share of people what I think of them and I can well imagine a pregnant woman getting a delayed and busy train and everyone being too self-centered to give up a seat.

 

I also bet she didn't ask though and just expected to sit in 1st class. In fairness to the guards here, if they applied that rule for free 1st class to one person, then they'd have to do it for all. I actually see a large portion of pregnant women in 1st class who have upgraded - good idea, especially as the normal seats are small and they'd only get some other rude moron tutting at them for taking up too much room, after all, how dare they be pregnant and invade their seat space that is far too small in the first place.

 

God, commuting. ARGH!

[Jonnyboy]

What if all the other passengers were disabled or even more heavily pregnant? In which case, its this woman who is the "grade 1 c*nt" for demanding others less well off give up their seat for her.

 

If there was one able bodied or non pregnant person on the train, then they're a c*nt.

 

Leave it GC.

[Jonnyboy]

I do that. You almost always get a 'thanks mate' from men but from women its just as often a scowl unless they have children with them.

 

That's because the woman's ego tells her you've done it because you want to sh@g her.

[pap]

God, commuting. ARGH!

 

The sensible thing to do would be to demand a de-centralised economy.

 

Does your role absolutely require you to be physically present in London? I suspect that when it comes down to it, many don't. I did the Southampton-to-London commute myself. I was astounded to discover how much free time I had once I got a job closer to home.

[Patrick Bateman]

The sensible thing to do would be to demand a de-centralised economy.

 

Does your role absolutely require you to be physically present in London? I suspect that when it comes down to it, many don't. I did the Southampton-to-London commute myself. I was astounded to discover how much free time I had once I got a job closer to home.

 

Unfortunately yes. I have a senior enough position that requires me to "show my face" - also I need to keep an eye on my own team and micro-manage them to death (joking of course). However I have introduced some remote collaboration tools and am trying to drag some of them kicking and screaming in to this century.

 

It's my choice to live in the lovely Hampshire countryside and commute in, but doesn't stop me moaning about it as you'll see on Twitter

[buctootim]

The sensible thing to do would be to demand a de-centralised economy.

 

Does your role absolutely require you to be physically present in London? I suspect that when it comes down to it, many don't. I did the Southampton-to-London commute myself. I was astounded to discover how much free time I had once I got a job closer to home.

 

I was also astounded at how little the salary gap was once you accounted for everything. I took a job working from home for £18,000pa less than I was earning in London. By the time you had taken 40% tax off, £4,900pa for a season ticket, about £6 per day on coffee and paper for boring train (£1,500pa) and another £6 odd for bought lunch (£1,500pa) it worked out at about £3,000 better off per year but in exchange I got an extra 4.5 hours per day at home and an infinitely better work / life balance

[pap]

I was also astounded at how little the salary gap was once you accounted for everything. I took a job working from home for £18,000pa less than I was earning in London. By the time you had taken 40% tax off, £4,900pa for a season ticket, about £6 per day on coffee and paper for boring train (£1,500pa) and another £6 odd for bought lunch (£1,500pa) it worked out at about £3,000 better off per year but in exchange I got an extra 4.5 hours per day at home and an infinitely better work / life balance

 

Yup, sometimes you've got make compromises to get the important things right. Time is precious when your kids are growing up; the only time they're guaranteed to be under your own roof. I think there's also a very mechanistic aspect to commuting, making you feel like an instrument that performs certain functions every day. There's no getting away from routine, but commuting just puts more crap into it and gives a pretty rigid style of life.

Edited 20 February, 2014 by pap

[Barry Sanchez]

Work life balance for me every time, thats compromised the further you go up the slippery pole.