Any London commuters about?

[GingerDoodle]

Hi ladies

Just wondering if there way anyone else here who commutes into London and how you were finding it?

GD

@LordyLady - they are not making or giving them out any more?? might ask my friend if she wants yours.

With Ds I didn't get a badge as I thought it was bit naff and ''entitled' but now pg with dc2 and I've had one & worn it everyday since 15wks when I started getting spd so was finding it a real struggle to stand. Initially I didn't really have a bump so people
often wouldn't offer but now the bump is more obvious (should be at 35wks!) they do offer and a number of blokes who offered have said they were glad I had the badge as they weren't sure and didn't want me to be offended if I wasn't pg. I have now developed a method of getting into people's eyeline and turning around so people get a good view of the badge - still the odd rude person who looks at the badge then shoves past me to grab a seat and turns and looks at me smugly

kipperandtiger I think OP mentioned it a few posts back - why oh why they are stopping them god only knows, I understand cutbacks but that's just mean! More than happy to forward you my spare, just drop me a line :)

I remember once going on the tube and train with someone who was on crutches and had a leg cast and people still rushed past and tried to grab the seat. I think they seem to think that at rush hour, other people are not human but just moving pieces of scenery who must be avoided and no courtesy shown to them. More nicely behaved people seen at off peak times but not always.

Thanks, LordyLady, I'll ask her......provided she hasn't gone into labour tonight or tomorrow. That's v kind of you, thank you!

Always always ask for a seat. I didn't and ended up fainting. Very embarrassing (although it did mean I was allowed to start mat leave early ;) )

I don't think the badges are entitled, they give the info but you don't have to act on it. I have spent many a pre pg journey surreptitiously eyeing women's tummies for three stops wondering 'is she or isn't she?' and getting in a tizz. At least with the badge we all know where we are.

linsell people have actually barged past you and nicked your seat?!!! How do you keep from sitting on top of them?! I couldn't keep my mouth shut if that happened to me, that's despicable behaviour. Honestly, Londoners are an embarrassment sometimes.

PickleSarnie, I don't really get your POV.

Do you really think that at 38 weeks pregnant in the boiling heat being bashed into and not given a seat is the best thing for your physical health and that of your baby just because you don't have some life-endangering pregancy-related condition? . Is it really princessy to realise that actually, whether you feel physically fine or not, there are greater risks to overheating or being bashed into when you are heavily pregnant than if you are, well, not? The discomfort is only one aspect. Unborn babies don't like those conditions, whether or not you think they are AOK, and though yes, in most cases mother and baby will be fine etc etc, it wouldn't really kill someone who is not pregnant or with another alternative reason to be more physically in need of a seat to offer it up.

God. I threw up until 24 weeks. That's 6 months. I never had to ask for a seat luckily as I am not in London but to think it's considered princessy or entitled to want to sit down when you are in discomfort or poorly seems nuts to me. I absolutely agree that everyone should try to be nice to those around them when they can, no one knows when they might need the favour return and besides, it's just nice.

Also, to be fair, you DON'T know how you'll be at 8 months pregnant. I have SPD this time. Not a trace of it last time, was walking 4+ miles a day right up to birthing.

OK, my 39 weeks pregnant friend has just got back to me and said she has the badge (and we all know her bump is totally obvious) - and still nobody is giving up a seat. It's official. The tube commuters (just those on her journeys) have truly become uncivilised.

I've had people barging past me in two separate incidents at 9 mo pregnant to get to the cashpoint and till in the supermarket, and then smirking at me as if to say "what are you going to do about it?". Extremely odd behaviour, and has NEVER happened apart from those two incidents while heavily pregnant. I think there actually must be people out there who take a malign pleasure in behaving badly to pregnant women.

kipperandtiger whhhhhaaaat?! What line does she take? That is unbelieveable, the total sh*tters. Poor lady :( When I hear things like that I feel glad to be moving and to never have to commute on the tube again.

I agree thunksheadontable, no need to be a martyr, no one will thank you for it. Your bab will appreciate it though so for gods sake take the seat when it's being offered and lets all be NICE

AAaaaargh, thunksheadontable, I'm not saying that! And I've never said that. I've read and re-read my posts and I can't see how everyone seems to be thinking that's what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that you dont ALWAYS need a seat JUST because you're pregnant. Yes, you may well do, yes it's lovely and good manners to be asked. But I wouldn't at the moment be demanding a seat because I'm pregnant because at the moment I'm fine. Physically there is nothing wrong with me. I'm not overheating, I don't get on really crowded tubes, I don't currently have any aches and pains that mean I NEED a seat.

I never said it was entitled to want to sit if you're feeling in pain or sick, I'm just saying that just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you'll be in pain or sick and therefore you don't actually need a seat.

Further down the line it may all change. In which case, I'd be entitled to those priority seats. But for now, I don't think that I am.

I'm now 38 weeks and stopped commuting about 3 weeks ago. I could have carried on working but the commute was taking it's toll. I was getting the northern line and never had any problems politely turfing people out of the priority seats. I got hold of those baby in board badges from about 12 weeks. If anyone offered me a seat it was a pleasant surprise, but I wouldn't wait to be offered - would just walk up to the nearest priority seat with a (preferably) fit young man sat in it and smile and ask. If an elderly person was sat in that seat I would ask the nearest young man (whoever mentioned young women were the least co-operative was right). No-one ever refused, most jumped up with a smile. I have spd so the worst part of the commute was walking up the stairs from the station to street level at Tottenham Court Road.

I think if you wait to be offered a seat you'll spend a lot of time being pissed off. Not worth it IMO.

Oh yes lordylady it's happened quite a few times - I've not generally had the nerve to say anything but sometimes other people on the tube have shouted at them on my behalf

I'm currently on the bus and thinking of a new dilemma scenario - if you take a priority seat that someone offers you, and subsequently someone else who also needs it comes on, what's the etiquette for offering them that seat?! Are you going to annoy the person who offered you the seat in the first place? Whose seat is it to give away in the first place?! Ah don't you just love London commuting politics...

I commuted when pregnant six years ago (I think before the badges were invented) and found if I wanted a seat I had to ask for one. No one ever refused, and a couple of times others asked for me. I had quite a small bump, but was very tired at the end of the day coming home. My worst experience was when I felt terrible - light headed, woozy - and got off the train. Sat down on the platform, put my head as far forward as I could and ate chocolate...at 7am. Not a single person came to check if I was OK, including station staff. I don't think i looked like a scary drunk!

I got my revenge on SW Trains (for this and various other rubbish things) by my waters going on one of their seats on my way in one morning.

I commuted last summer, I'm sure people weren't sure if I was pregnant or not until I was about 26 weeks. People don't want to offend and risk being embarassed. I had a couple of horrible journeys, including one where a woman got on and pushed herself into my massive bump, I asked her firmly not to squash my baby (well actually I gave her a mouthful).

I didn't wear a badge or anything, as I didn't feel I needed a seat early on.

By the time I was big (like really, really big) I was always offered a seat, often with multiple people offering at the same time. I've also found the tube great since I had the baby, people always offer to help me up and down stairs with the buggy. It has surprised me how kind Londeners really are, I think we get a bad press.

Also - if you really want a seat, just speak up...I did a couple of times early on in my preganacy when I was feeling faint and sickly, and people literally jumped up to offer. Honestly speak up, I know I'd give you my seat with a smile :)

So glad I'm not going the commute this time round. I have taken to carrying a nappy sack in my pocket since the puking began. I used to plan my route by wee stops if I remember rightly.

And I always post on these threads about the time a man asked me to give up my seat (first time in about 8 years of commuting) when I was 39 weeks pregnant and looked like a whale

A couple of times some twat held onto my bump to push into the seat next to me that had just been vacated. Usually so they could rest their heavy gym bag and I was leaned on once. I find "Excuse me, but I already have one passenger on board, I don't need another so if you wouldn't mind... thank you" in Joyce Grenfell terms works wonders.

I commute on the Central Line and with DS I never ever had any problems being offered a seat once I had an obvious bump. At the moment I'm 16wk so nothing too obvious yet and have felt fine. I usually just wait for the next tube and sit down if I am tired.

I have a wierd thing with the badges in that I have one in my bag but would only put it on if I really needed a seat - I think it's karma! If I wore it all the time and always got a seat I bet the one time I needed it I wouldn't get one.

I commuted into various locations in Central London up to 8 months pregnant. Don't rely on chilvalry, get the badge which helps a lot - or ask people because sometimes they can't see you as the train is too crowded. Towards the end my commute it took much longer as I had to wait for a train or tube that wasn't crowded and had to move really slowly through Waterloo station as rush hour there is quite hectic and people can easily walk into you. Carry a bottle of water and make sure that you are not crowded in. I got lots of people asking questions or making sure that I was okay. And 90% of the time it was never the people in the priority seats giving up their seat.

Panpipe that's a great tip about SW trains. I'm 10 weeks and have been commuting into London feeling hideous everyday. I've been really lucky and have managed to get a seat most days.

I did have one unlucky morning when a train was cancelled and the next one rammed. I was about to just give in and sit in First Class whatever the consequences, but by some miracle a lady just happened to get off right next to me at the next stop (never happens) and I threw myself into her vacant seat. I'm going to look into this special upgrade pass. The problem with asking someone for their seat is that you don't know how they're feeling and they might feel obliged to give you their seat whilst suffering themselves.

It's wierd I feel awful, but had real guilt the other day when a very obviously pregnant lady got on the train and I simply couldn't offer her my seat.

Am finding sweaty people and people wearing too much perfum particularly obnoxious at the moment.

I'm all for moving if someone's really showing or feels unwell, but good Lord it pisses me off when 4 weekers rub their non-existent pregnant stomachs and give nearby people evils.