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

YABU to keep referencing the woman speaking "in another language" when you are travelling. She has understood you and made herself understood to you in YOUR language - how could she know you had been "placed" there by staff, when yes, she also needs some space for her (pregnant) self and her family? Pregnant and travelling with children is quite a stressful experience, can't you recognise that? Also those saying"never lay hands.." when you travel you have to account for different cultural norms, and in many cultures, a woman touching another woman is not the horrific infringement being implied by soem here.

Imagine being inside her head if she gets like this about something so minor. It can't be a nice place to be.

I really hate the way women who've had easier pregnancies feel entitled to negate the different experiences of other women.

goodness she was exceptionally rude. I’m slightly in awe of her gall to actually physically move you! But it was completely out of order. Seats are first come first served and you needed them.

She’s was obnoxious. Hope you feel better soon.

yanbu given you were feeling ill and explained that and that their were other seats plentifully available.
I do think though if you were really feeling that unwell that you couldnt sit up the airport staff should have taken you to first aid room .

“Seats are first come first served and you needed them.”

One seat, per person. Not lying down (with feet on a seat) over multiple seats.

Then you sit on the floor, not physically manhandle someone out of the way!
What the other woman did was technically an assault on OP

It might be she's been teaching her kids not to put their feet on seats, and they said you were so why shouldn't they. Not that I'd ever grab someone's feet-you might have a damaged meniscus/acl that I could have completely wrecked! Leg problems can happen to anyone of any age, so I wouldn't assume young people wouldn't need to put their feet up (obviously on a towel or something).

"Cut her some slack"?

It was the other woman who came into OP's space. Not the other way round.

Lol. If someone grabbed me and shouted at me because she took exception to me being comfortable at no cost to her whatsoever I would peg her as someone the world would be better off without. I doubt anyone would describe you are pleasant.

She should have kept her hands to herself. Neither of you were in a easy situation. I'm surprised the airline staff encouraged you to take up all that space and for such a long time too.

@NewLifter appreciate that thank you! Yes I can avoid travel after this - it's an unavoidable journey on this occasion. If I could have avoided coming I really would!

It wasn't staff that intervened. It was a member of the public.

Just to reiterate for others, I was and would have moved for her. My query when I woke was down to the fact I'd been woken from sleep and my legs were being moved by someone I didn't know. I was confused.

@whoopsnomore I mentioned that she was speaking a language I didn't understand precisely because I couldn't understand what she was saying... I could, however, observe her tone, tutting and behaviour. It's simply a factual detail when recounting what happened. The issue was her behaviour, not the language she spoke.

I'm not sure why you're trying to make it about anything else.

Why are you still at the airport im.confused

tbh I think at airports this is what it’s like and it’s best to avoid it if you are pregnant - it’s best not to expect special treatment as you won’t get it from the public. Sad but true!

She wouldn’t have known you were pregnant. Most people at airports speak different languages; she probably didn’t understand you either which is completely reasonable.

This. Three hours is a long time tbh.

Sure, people can be ignorant about someone's condition, BUT you don't start manhandling them.

Exactly this. If only because she was nauseous and other travellers don’t want to be wheeling their cases through potential pools of vomit.

Or the OP could have made the very sensible decision that she isn’t well enough to be in a public space if she requires a three hour nap in said public space and asked for staff to take her to a more private one?

The OP is presumably not a child. I don’t see why the options are dramatic ‘three hour public nap’ across three seats if the staff don’t babysit her.

Just that perhaps your disadvantage in terms of comprehension may have contributed to your annoyance and feeling "got at" and unable to fully communicate

This isn't going to be popular but some women, especially from some countries have massive internalised misogyny and are enraged by certain behaviour from young women, in particular. Pity you didn't kick her, purely out of shock, of course.

Which countries would these be?

Where are these spaces? I haven't seen any. I have seen quiet rooms but these seem to be more labelled for prayer.
I shall certainly know to ask about a quiet room in future though.

Fwiw I can sleep across 3 metal/plastic chairs. I tuck my bags around me - one as a pillow and one tucked into my foetal position with the strap round my shoulder. If you're feeling really tired or unwell it works.

OP you were not unreasonable. The most I would have done if I was the woman and couldn't see any spare sets of seats would be to ask. If you didn't wake up or respond I would assume your need was greater than mine or that I wasn't going to get any further by forcing you to respond.