Hello...Do I not look prego?

Before my pregnancy I would always watch how people would react when a pregnant woman boards the train and wonder how they feel when no one offers a seat. Now that I am preggers I can now answer my own question!

In the beginning of my pregnancy I would make jokes about people not getting up for me because while I knew I was pregnant the average person couldn’t really tell. Being pregnant in the fall is interesting because it’s not too cold but you still may need a coat. That said, within my first 3 months or so when the bump was barely poking out I was only offered a seat twice! Once because I was reading my pregnancy info I had just received from my OB/GYN at like one month, and again by a nice white man because I had on this skin tight dress. That’s it! I did't actually care to have a seat but the jester was nice.

Now that I’m REALLY pregnant, 5 months and showing, no one even blinks at me! NO ONE! Granted its cold out and I have on my enormous coat, I make sure to unzip and remove my scarf…still nothing. I made a few jokes about this issue on facebook a couple of times but this is a serious matter. LoL!

My train ride today really set me off! It was about 8pm, still a bit of rush hour traffic so the train is crowded; I board the Q train near the end by a two seater where a young man and what appears to be an older woman is sitting. Exhibit A:

 

As I mentioned before, I made sure to unzip my coat before boarding the train. I look at in this man face and poke my belly out; he looked up once maybe twice then looks at the ground and closes his eyes as if he was sleep!!!! The crazy part is when the train was crossing the bridge and we were able to receive phone service he went to reach for his phone with his eyes partially closed looking toward the floor!!! I wanted to flip out. But I said to myself, “No, Toya, what would Jesus do?!?”

I decided if he was going to play sleep this entire train ride, it was going to be a rough sleep! I made sure to hit him with my bag, bump him with my knee, and step alllll over his shoes until he got the message or got off the train! I definitely don’t think he was getting the message because even at one of the stops the train message came on, “offer your seat to pregnant women..blah..Courtesy starts with you!” I was so tired today and my back was hurting I really wanted a seat.

I bet your wondering maybe my belly wasn’t showing enough…Tuh! Please look at the picture I took at work. MY BELLY IS HUGE! He was so rude. He finally got off the train a couple of stops before mine but that just was not good enough.

My thoughts on Public Transportation Courtesy…

• I wish people would learn some!

Wrap up question

Who is should get offered a seat first? The elderly, the pregnant, the mom-baby duo, the woman, the child?