Airport chairs and angry pregnant women

[Champagneponies]

I'm at a major European airport for a changeover. I'm 8 weeks pregnant and have been having constant nausea and some lightheadedness.

Came off my plane a few hours ago and was feeling really really awful and thought I'd faint. Some airport staff showed me through the airport into the gates, were really lovely and put me on some airport chairs and told me to lie across them with my feet up. The staff were so helpful, remained with me for ages and eventually when I kept insisting I was fine, told me to stay there for as long as needed and to make sure I eat etc.

That was about three hours ago. I've had a good nap and I've just woken up to a woman with two children, and she was pulling my legs off the chairs and talking to me in another language. I looked around and there were free chairs across the room and (still kind of in a blur) asked what she was doing. She said she needed the three seats next to me for her and her children. I said I'm really sorry but I'm pregnant and have been feeling unwell, and that I actually haven't been upright for a few hours. I was starting to slowly gather myself and sitting up, honestly the nausea was HORRENDOUS and I constantly feel on the edge of vomiting. And the woman comes out with 'Im pregnant too and need a seat, god not everyone has to be so dramatic about it!'

I wasn't refusing to move btw, I was just awoken in a fog and stirring myself upright while feeling awful.

She looked livid and started huffing, tutting and ranting in another language at me.

Then someone nearby actually intervened and pointed out there were other seats (for three people) just a short distance away, so she walked away still ranting in another language.

So I laid back down and spent the next 10 minutes with her children running back and forth between us and jumping on my seats and shouting. She seemed full of rage that I dare be laid in the seats and didn't immediately jump up when she was literally lifting me out of her way.

I've removed myself, had a cry as I feel awful and full of hormones and am now trying to eat something. But the more I think about it, the more I'm so so angry at her.

I was literally put there and told to lay down by airport staff, and it's quite normal to see people sleeping at the airport. The space wasn't crowded and there were plenty of available seats in the area. I was polite and said sorry and was literally trying to move.

Not sure if I'm flooded with hormones but it feel she's totally unreasonable.

YABU - she's being reasonable and I should have moved quickly

YANBU - she shouldn't have moved my legs and could have given me some grace

I am in awe that you managed to sleep for three hours across uncomfortable airport seats. Weren’t you worried your flight would be called? How did you relax and sleep so well?!

That must have been a real shock for you to wake up like that. She should not have touched you, however irritated she was by your presence. And pregnancy nausea is the worst.

I agree if you are unwell enough to need to nap and lay down for 3 hours you should have been directed somewhere more appropriate. Not your fault but it was always likely that someone was going to take offense at you laying across several seats for hours.

Seriously. Airport seating is few and far between outside of a lounge.
I have no idea what the airport staff are doing letting you do that to be honest. They should have taken you somewhere else. Especially if you knew you would be there for hours.

I’d have given myself over to the feelings of nausea and vomited on her.

Yes the staff shouod not have laid you across seats. Basically they should have given you better first aid.
Travelling with kids is horrid, last time we flew a family of 4 had laid on two rows of chairs and it eas filling fast. Everyone was too polite to move them but as people were standing I thought it was extremely entitled of them....yes they were awake and could see the lounge filling up. If I didn't have a seat I would have politely asked them to move - but no i wouldn't have touched them.

Why, when there was other seating available across the way ?

I’m Canadian and by far the worst people I have encountered on vacation are the English. Horrific. Rude. Entitled.

You see how that sounds right?

Even though she was about to pass out and was put there BY STAFF???

“Not your fault”

It is her fault. She should have had enough common sense to realise that lying across public seats is selfish.

Yes! The staff were unreasonable. If she was going to pass out they should have taken her somewhere else.

I’m English, and same! 😊👍

I know national stereotypes are harmful fwiw, and it was meant to be a flippant comment about the Danish who (ime) I found unflinchingly lovely - right up until the shouty airport man spoilt my illusions.

Because the OP was unwell and alone and airports are awash with dick heads, stressed out travellers. Even with empty seats available someone was bound to want to puff up their chest and police the "entitled woman laying across chairs for hours".

Also the presumably the OP has a bag or belongings with her? Leaving her to sleep alone opened her up to having her things taken.

Ok so you’re feeling really sick, about to pass out… do you..
A - lie down in relief, do as your told and thank fuck for the help
or
B - Risk passing out and vomiting whilst you question the staffs ability to do their jobs, calculate how many seats are free and how many people might need them at any given point before deciding its fine, ill just pass out on the floor just in case someone comes in in 3 hours and needs the seats?

Given there were plenty of other seats, she was really rude but might also have been very hassled by 3 kids and had pregnancy hormones making her a bit unreasonable too.

Sleeping on airport seats is pretty unreasonable unless its overnight and no planes leaving, though. I agree with others that putting you in that situation wasn't ideal.

But it's over now, OP. Try and put it behind you. Hope your flight goes well.

I think that sort of depends on where the other seating was located. I try to sit close to the desk because I find it really hard to hear the announcements over the general airport noise. There is rarely sufficient seating at a gate for everyone getting on the plane…

Well yes I suppose she could have just laid down on the floor 🙄This is why the airport staff were unreasonable because people like you exist with zero critical thinking skills. The chances of not running into someone like you at the airport is pretty low.

She was sleeping for hours, the seats could all easily have been needed in that time if a flight got delayed.

The staff should have taken her to first aid.

I know how to conduct myself on public!

That doesn’t answer the question. Why are you calling OP selfish?

Ah so if you ever have a medical episode in public you gracefully faint off to the side and make sure to not bother anyone? Not on a seat obviously, must be a floor to not inconvenience anyone.

Thank you for your replies! It's appreciated and I feel much calmer now - think the hormones are getting the better of me and the constant feeling ill. I've been a mess for ages.

For clarification I have an 11 hour layover for the next flight, and I wasn't at the gate. That's not been announced yet. It's a big seating area in the terminal.

Clearly not if you would turf a sick, lone pregnant woman off a few seats!

Still not OP’s fault by any stretch of the imagination.