PRIORITY SEATING
DATE: 05.10.10 TIME: 15:50 PM



Once in a while, I’ll hear over the loud speaker on the subway train “If you see a handicapped, disabled or pregnant person enter the train, be courteous and offer them your seat.” Sometimes I think that the train conductor can see me getting on and they have this feeling that no one is going to offer me a seat to sit in on my commute to or from work.

Now, listen. I usually REALLY DO usually sit on the train. But today was a no-go. I calmly stepped on to the train to only realize that everyone and their mother (literally) had their eyes closed on their way to work. I guess they were exhausted from the day-before weekend activities. Maybe it was because they didn’t get enough sleep last night. Maybe they drank too much wine at their Mother’s Day celebration. Whatever the reason, I stood on my 20-minute ride to Union Square.

But there was one man that did see me. This white man, probably in his early 40’s or so, was standing in front of a seat which sat a woman friend. I know they weren’t strangers because this man did not shut his hole my entire 20-minute subway ride to work. They were obviously friends or colleagues and the way the woman was positioned was a perfect angle to possibly give her “friend” a little favor, but in no way was she in any position to see me leaning against the door for support. But again, her male friend did see me.

So what I’d like to know is if any one believes it was this man’s obligation to alert his woman friend to the fact that a pregnant woman was standing only a few people away. My mom says “no, the man was under no obligation to alert his friend of your presence.” I completely disagree! If I were sitting down in front of my husband while he stood, Charlie would MOST DEFINITELY alert me to the fact that there is a pregnant woman who should sit down.

Either way, he didn’t tell his friend. But for some reason him glancing in my direction every time he stopped talking to take a breath really annoyed me! I felt that he might as well have been sitting and looking at me.

Any ideas?