To think this woman was being an unbearable nob?

[ShushBaby]

Reminded of this by another thread about offering seats on trains, but didn't want to hijack...

Recently I was on a cross-country train and it was extremely busy. Lots of people standing up. The guard was passing through the carriages asking people to remove luggage from seats so that others could sit down.

One woman- pretty heavily pregnant- who had her bags on the seat next to her, in response just looked apologetic and said 'sorry... I'm pregnant?' (no further explanation as to why this meant she needed two seats). And the guard just walked on and left her to it.

I don't blame him for not insisting she move the bags- he was probably wary of coming across as bullish and bossy to a (simper) pregnant woman.

But I do think she was being a bit of a twat, frankly.

Why on earth should being pregnant mean you need two seats? She wasn't abnormally massive, she could have moved to aisle seat if she wanted to have access to the loo....what other reason could there be?!

AIBU?

I'd assume she was hoping that would make people offer to help move the bags. I'm pretty disgusted neither you nor the guard did. Pregnancy isn't an illness, but many people get SPD, are paranoid because they have had previous miscarriages or just find it harder to lift things.

YANBU . I'm 37 weeks pregnant and I'd be happy to just have a seat for my bum let alone one for my bags !!! So selfish !

She undoubtedly meant that she couldn't lift up the bags, as they were too heavy and I'm sure was waiting for the conductor to offer to do it (which he easily could have). I find it hard to imagine no-one would help though. I'm pregnant now and it's not even visible yet, but if I politely ask someone to give me a hand shifting a suitcase or something, they always do.

As for pregnant diva behaviour, I had one shocking instance of it in my last pregnancy, which was unpremeditated and entirely due to hormones and fatigue. I was travelling by plane with my DH to visit family. It was so full we weren't sitting together (he was directly behind me, both in the middle seat) and then it was annouced that there would be an hour's delay and on that basis, I decided to get up and ask the guy sitting next to DH to swop with me. I was 30 weeks pregnant and very tired. He refused (!) and I went back to my seat and sobbed uncontrollably. I was soon surrounded by horrified stewardesses while the men on either side of me both pleaded for the opportunity to move away from the crazy lady. The stewardess looked daggers at the culprit and said in an appalled voice 'would the gentleman not move for you?!' and then gave free drinks to the man next to me who did move so DH could join me. I was mortified. I would never behave like that normally. It was the hormones. Truly it was. T'was not pregnant entitlement, honest!

If the men either side of you wanted to move, why didn't they swap with your DH?

:o BBB A very concerned neighbour once woke me up from a little doze I was having in my car. He thought I had fainted and was just checking before he called an ambulance!

Quintessential am 35 weeks pregnant as I type. But have never been called a twat before, thanks

Personally I don't think it was obvious that she couldn't lift bags onto high shelf or similar. If that was the case, she should have said that. BTW she had a handbag and a WHSmith bag. I assume she managed to carry them onto the train all by herself.

And for those who are talking about pregnant women being left without a seat at all- of course that is not right, of course I'd offer a seat if I was not pregnant.

This was not a poor struggling heavily pregnant woman whom nobody was helping and who was standing in an aisle. She was sitting pretty on her double seat, quite happy to deny others of a place to sit and quite happy to give the reason as 'I'm pregnant' without actually elaborating as to why that should mean she needs two seats.

Princess is indeed the word that springs to mind.

Also

She undoubtedly meant that she couldn't lift up the bags, as they were too heavy and I'm sure was waiting for the conductor to offer to do it (which he easily could have).

Undoubtably? Really? There is absolutely no possibility that there could be a chance that she just used her pregnancy as an excuse because she didn't want to put her bags on the dirty train floor?

You are sure she was waiting for the conductor to move her bags, even though she didn't ask him to, or explain that she has trouble putting her bag on the floor?

The stewardesses you encountered were extremely rude to that man. He may well have booked an aisle seat for many valid reasons, and there is no reason why someone else should be uncomfortable in a middle seat when they have a need or desire for an aisle one.

Did she mean she wanted someone else to lift them for her?

Can't imagine why she would need a seat for her luggage because she was pregnant.

How many bags did she have?

There's generally enough room to stick a few on the floor between your feet, without causing anyone to have to step over them.

worra- a handbag and a WH Smiths bag. Should have said that in my OP.

Perhaps she'd bought every edition of the Guinness book of records?

a handbag and a WH Smith bag? Seriously?

I am completely at a loss then as to why she needed two seats. Agree with mashedup - she must have been planning to deliver onto that seat...

she had a handbag and a whs smith bag!!!!
there goes the "she can't possibly lift them onto/off of the floor argument, some people are just pregnancy using twats!!
it's not that hard to believe!!

If I'd have been stood up I would definately have asked her to move the damn bags.

Without a doubt.

Madness.

What bigwig said. You or anyone else who was standing could have said "can I have that seat please? Let me put your bag up here for you". NOT HARD.

Yes apols for not including that in OP, I can sort of see how a large suitcase might have been a different matter (though I'd still think she was a nob- trains do tend to have floor-level bag storage these days, no?- just maybe not an unbereable one )

Trouble is what else do you do?

Can be very difficult to get them overhead; you are not supposed to blOck the aisles -and the relentless sniping if you do is exhausting, plus of course moving the every minute is physically hard and obtaining any help is hard

BUt sara she only had a WH Smith bag and a handbag.

Ha didn't see the hadbag and carrier post.
She was odd. Some people are

I was at the zoo once and there was a long queue. I woman went up to the front and asked if she has to queue 'because I'm pregnant'

She was sent to the back! Half the females in the queue were either pregnant or with young kids. Not sure why she huffed off!

Ah bollix. Who cares? There are people starving and killing each other. Doesn't matter. Get over it.

It does matter. Everyday courtesy is what makes life bearable.

well I KNOW that peasant read back over my comments. It's just slightly pathetic that people care enough to sit here calling her a nobber and things.

YANBU. Wait until she has a handbag, a carrier bag, a scooter and a toddler to fit on her lap at 30+ weeks pregnant as some of have managed.

Unless that bag was in need of a seat (which it wasn't because it's a BAG) or she had bought a ticket she was not entitled to that extra seat.

It's nobbers like her who make the rest of us look bad. I say that having been thd pregnant woman with SPD, Braxton hicks and severe anaemia recovering from a small op. Still managed to hold my own handbag ffs.

I cannot think of a single pregnancy related condition that requires a handbag and Smith's carrier needing a seat.