18 Dec 2017

A question about : MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you give up a Ј50 train seat for a pregnant woman?

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:

Would you give up a Ј50 train seat for a pregnant woman?

You book an advance seat on a five-hour train journey. It's a Bank Holiday weekend, and there's standing room only for non-reserved passengers, including a heavily pregnant woman. Normally you'd be up in a flash, but are loathe to give up your seat, as you paid Ј50 for it and booked early, knowing it would be crowded.

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Best answers:

  • I'd be in 1st class. I wouldn't notice.
  • No i wouldnt.
    If the woman was up the duff,she should have had the sense to book online,so securing a seat and a seat allocation number. Incidentally,are these enforceable? I mean,if you bought your ticket on line and found someone in your seat who refused to move,what success or otherwise might you have in securing a member of staff to persuade him/her to move?
  • Yes I would....only if I could be sure of getting my seat back when she got off
  • As a (not yet heavily but still) pregnant woman, I'd like to thank anyone who would give up their seat ... However I would have made sure that I booked a seat for the journey for myself anyway, so hopefully the dilemma will not arise.
  • Certainly not.
    I wouldn't want to be regarded as sexist and politically incorrect by showing favour.
    Besides, we taxpayers are subsidising her pregnancy with state handouts, I'm not giving up a seat as well.
  • It would depend how charitable I was feeling, however if I was in a reserved seat probably not. If I was in a non-reserved seat I probably would.
  • Yes.
    And for a old person or a visibly disabled one (cos I wouldn't know if a non-visibly disabled person got on the train!)
    And I have been knocked on my feet on a bus when heavily pregnant. Not one passenger got up to help me. But I would always help someone else (and do).
  • No, she should have booked a seat in advance for herself. I would not stand for five hours for her comfort. She would have saved some money too, which she will need soon if she is heavily pregnant.
  • I would definitely. Just in case the person next to me offered theirs instead and she went into labour!
  • Yes I would. I think I would feel more uncomfortable watching someone who was heavily pregnant stand, than standing up myself. I dont really think it is an issue of money more of manners.
  • No you have paid for your seat she knows she is pregnant she knows to get a seat you have too book !
  • Of course I would, and I'm disgusted that so many people wouldn't, clearly you've never seen how exhausting pregnancy can be - a friend of mine was still commuting when she was heavily pregnant and passed out on a regular basis as tossers on the tube wouldn't give up their seats.
    Crowded trains are dangerous places for pregnant women - a friend of my wife lost her baby at 35 weeks when a busy commuter elbowed her bump trying to rush past her. If people had given up their seat that baby would be alive.
  • Yes I would. Humanity is more important than money and some inconvenience. You never know the full circumstances that led to the need to travel.
  • As a fairly heavily pregnant woman (who doesn't rely on state handouts I might add!) I wouldn't expect someone to give up their seat for me although I wouldn't be offended if I was offered it.
    I don't know what I'd do if I was the person with the seat, a 5 hour journey standing would do my back in even when not pregnant.
    At the end of the day we all have the chance to pre-book our seats.
  • Of course I would.
    I'm a human being. Not an inconsiderate oaf!
  • It's amazing how many people have apparently never had to travel on a train at short notice and hence not been able to book.... A bit of humanity folks please! Presumably some posters would be equally dismissive of someone who's clearly in serious pain from standing up - what, you didn't think to book? Well the suffering is all your own fault.
  • I think I'd ask if she would like to sit down for 'a few minutes' and allow her to offer it back to me after a rest.
    But I do agree with other posters that given she knew she was pregnant if she wanted a seat then she could have booked one.
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