London Underground...where people's manners go to hell?

[AvoToast]

I live in London and know how hard travelling can be especially during rush hour, every day I take 3 trains to get to work and I am sure everyone who has ever been on the underground can agree that the central line is a nightmare. Now I am about to enter my 3rd trimester and so far I have been lucky as I haven’t needed a seat too often (expect during the heatwaves as I had pretty bad sickness). I don’t mind standing on the trains and I don’t expect people to automatically give up a seat for me, there are people who need it far more than I do right now. My belly does show and I am quite big for 6 months so I do get offered either a seat or the little back rest things on the central line, if I am on the train for less than 3 stops I tend to turn it down as I am not at the stage where I need it badly enough.

My question is how often have people pushed you out of the way to get to a seat?! Is that normal behaviour? I have been pushed and barged past in the station during busy periods, I don’t like it but I know there is nothing I can do about it. What does get to me though is people physically pushing past me to get to a priority seat.

For example yesterday after work I was on a train that was not particularly busy, I was standing near the seats exhausted but nobody got us so I was just standing and reading, not too bothered. One stop in a lady got off the train and I made my way to her seat (it was a propriety one) there was a man next to it who saw me so he moved his bag out of the way, there was also a man in front of the seat who waited until I was right next to the seat to turn around and sit down whilst reading his paper. Now part of me wants to say “maybe he didn’t see me” BUT I know he did as he physically had to manoeuvre himself past my belly to get into the chair.

Sorry for the rant, I just find it mind boggling and was wondering if this is normal behaviour that I have just never noticed before. I have been on trains with heavily pregnant women standing and people on crutches being forced to stand for multiple stops.

Got to say that I found London Underground bloody awesome when I was pregnant.

I was constantly offered a seat. It almost got embarrassing. Only on one occasion did someone shove pass me for a seat. Another pregnant woman.

I'm not pregnant but DH has Parkinsons and people often notice that he's "not quite right" and offer him a seat. Yesterday there was buggy carrying at the stairs. Have you got a "Baby on Board" or "Please Offer Me a Seat" badge? They're free from TFL

It's a mixed bag OP.

I take the Northern line most days; I try to avoid rush hour but sometimes can't be helped. I'd say 7-8 times out of 10 people offer me a seat as soon as I get on. (I have the badge + look v pregnant prominent bump etc). It's been a rough pregnancy overall and I've appreciated it.

But I've also had people studiously ignore me sometimes. And a rather strange older lady who looked at me and then proceeded to pull out her sandwich to eat it while not offering me a seat (she was in the priority seat).. and her neighbour did, all fine. But then fell over herself fawning on another pregnant woman who got on at the next stop repeatedly offering her a seat even though she didn't want one.

I've also had one person tell me off for not getting up for a man on crutches on a bus (bus was empty apart from the seats being occupied by the two of us), had people shove and push me mostly by accident I think, etc.

It's so nice to hear about good experiences, really makes me feel better about the whole system! I do have a badge but almost of the times it doesn't bother people. I must say though I do get the central line at really busy times (8-9) because of work so maybe that's why I've seen such behaviour.