London Underground - "Mind the bump"

Victor

Are badges similar to these available here?

http://finkangel.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-baby-on-board-badge-tfl.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/4115.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/transportaccessibility/1169.aspx

Das Kitty

Class. Never heard of them before this.

queenm

Victor, I've never seen them here but I emailed the address on the website, explained I'd just been in London but was from Ireland and wanted to get one for my sister and supplied my name/address etc, one came in the post with a note saying sorry for the delay even though I really didn't think there was one.

It is a totally inspired idea...

babyonboard@tfl.gov.uk

How Strange

What a fantastic idea! We need them for Dublin transport.

SugarHigh

They announced this (albeit small) step forward as a result of a survey of pregnant women in 2006 which concluded with the so called "Mind the Bump" report...and it detailed some quite shocking findings -
More than two thirds (71 per cent) of pregnant women in the Capital cited rude and discourteous behaviour as a growing source of anxiety and stress during pregnancy
One in three (36 per cent) frequently felt they had to avoid public transport for fear of having to stand for the duration of the journey
One in five (20 per cent) of expectant mums in the Capital spend more than £100 on taxis and private vehicles during their pregnancy to avoid situations where they may have to stand for long periods of time on the Tube
London emerged as the least pregnancy-friendly place in the UK, with 45 per cent of London mums having saddened by the lack of consideration they were shown while pregnant (Wales was the best, just in case you were wondering)
- just at the minute Flyingpops doesn't actually *look* terribly pregnant, and on at least one occasion having the badge has already proved useful to her, but it's still quite shocking to hear her tell me stories of having to yell out "I'm Pregnant" to even get people to let her crush *onto* a full and standing train...let alone get anywhere *near* a priority seat...

Naughty London...still a long way to go to actual civilisation...

Wow this women has an insanely over inflated sense of entitlement. It's really up to the person if they give up thier seat or not and if they choose not it doesn't make them uncivilised. Giving up your seat is a nice thing to do but it's not mandatory so they are perfectly entitled not to and not be insulted for it.

seamus

SugarHigh wrote: »

Wow this women has an insanely over inflated sense of entitlement. It's really up to the person if they give up thier seat or not and if they choose not it doesn't make them uncivilised. Giving up your seat is a nice thing to do but it's not mandatory so they are perfectly entitled not to and not be insulted for it.

I don't think that's the intention of the article tbh.

The figures show that pregnant women are (understandly) more sensitive to the pushing and shoving that goes on when boarding/alighting public transport because they're suddenly protecting the child inside them.

Getting taxis or avoiding public transport because they fear standing is again understandable.

I don't see anything in your quote (I haven't read the article) that says that people should be guilted into giving up the seats. I'm sure she yells out, "I'm pregnant" to get people to stop pushing and shoving her while she's trying to get onto the tube.

Getting onto the tube during rush hour is not a bag of laughs, I'm sure it's a nightmare for pregnant women. Though still not as bad as Japan.

"still a long way to go to actual civilisation" is a bit presumptious - how do you know that someone is pregnant if they're not showing? - but I'd be of the general opinion that anyone who refuses to give up a priority seat (these are seats close to the doors) to a person obviously in need (be they infirm, pregnant or injured) has a long way to go to being civilised.

The badges are a great idea IMHO.

Squiggler

SugarHigh wrote: »

Wow this women has an insanely over inflated sense of entitlement. It's really up to the person if they give up thier seat or not and if they choose not it doesn't make them uncivilised. Giving up your seat is a nice thing to do but it's not mandatory so they are perfectly entitled not to and not be insulted for it.

In early pregnancy, in addition to fear of harm coming to the baby, there can be other problems. Some women develop very sensitive skin and can be in a lot of physical discomfort as it is, without being crushed into the bargain. Anyone who touched my sister during the first three months or her pregnancies was likely to be thrown up on because of her severe "morning" sickness, which is far from confined to the mornings for sufferers and can continue day and night.

I had one man on the LUAS decide (when I was 4 or 5 months pregnant) that the bump was there as a cushion for him to lean on! You can't tell me that is acceptable. And as the bump grows it completely throws your center of gravity, not to mention the fact that your legs are having to carry extra weight gained in a very short period of time. It can be tough enough to stay standing upright without being pushed and shoved at the same time.

There are seats on most public transport that are intended for the use of the elderly/disabled etc, and these are frequently occupied by people who are unwilling to give them up to people of that description. I've seen elderly men and women struggling to keep their feet on a jerky LUAS while the seats intended for them were occupied by perfectly fit and healthy young men and women.

Sadly, I don't think badges would solve the problem, most people seem genuinely too oblivious or unconcerned to pay any attention to others.

Victor

Squiggler wrote: »

I've seen elderly men and women struggling to keep their feet on a jerky LUAS while the seats intended for them were occupied by perfectly fit and healthy young men and women.

Not all disabilities are readily visible. For all you know, some of those women were also pregnant or had a bad back or a leg brace.

Squiggler

Victor wrote: »

Not all disabilities are readily visible. For all you know, some of those women were also pregnant or had a bad back or a leg brace.

While I understand what you're saying this is a commuter LUAS, and I see these same people pretty much every day. It's not their fault that they weren't brought up to keep their eyes open and look out for other people. I was just trying to make the point that badges are not likely to help, not unless they are part of a general educational campaign.