A pregnant woman fed up of commuting in rush hour and not being offered a seat by her fellow passengers has made a video shaming the people who did not give up their priority seats.
Miri Michaeli Schwartz filmed her daily commute and described as nine months of tube travel, during which she felt awful and was rarely offered a seat, despite wearing a baby on board badge. In a post on her Facebook page, she wrote: London friends, almost nine months of commuting in the tube with the Baby on board badge have come to an end.
At first I thought it is a brilliant London invention. How will other people know its not easy travelling with morning sickness if I dont yet have a real big baby bump? Proudly and happily I wore my badge, hoping people will notice and offer me the priority seat when I need it. That didnt happen.
Then, I thought Londoners get up only for ladies who are later on in their pregnancy. I was frustrated I dont look pregnant enough. That fact did not change how pregnant I felt. It was awful.
Now, from the top of 38 weeks of pregnancy, when theres absolutely no way to ignore my huge bump (with a cute little baby girl inside of it!), I can tell you – London tube commuters just dont care.
During the almost three-minute long clip, which has been viewed more than 5,000 times, Schwartz shows a mother sitting doing homework with her children – neither of whom is made to stand up for the pregnant woman – as well as people ignoring her as she stands up.
She explained her decision to film the commute, writing: Thats why I decided today to take a hidden camera with me in order to show you how one day of my life looks, standing sometimes for long periods of time on the tube, swollen, exhausted and afraid of sudden brakes. Commuters see me, they see my bump, sometimes even stare but dont get up, even if they are getting off of the train at the next station or are seating in the priority seat with a sticker of a pregnant lady as a reminder above their heads.
I already know how people look when they try to act like they havent seen me. The newspaper is held up a little higher, the phone comes out, headphones are placed in ears or sometimes... they stare at my bump and just dont care.
I think the first woman in the video, doing homework with her child on the Jubilee line, missed a chance to teach him a much more valuable lesson – how to respect others and be a little less selfish.
Where I grew up, ever since I can remember myself my mother would get up herself and make me stand up if a person who needs the seat more got on the bus. It was so clear to me this is how it should work. No badge needed. Once in a while there are a few righteous people on the tube, as you can see at the end of the video clip. Unfortunately, they are not the majority.
She also shared the clip with Transport for London, tagging its Facebook page on her post.
Guidelines about use for the priority seats from TFL state: All buses, Tubes, trains and trams have clearly-marked priority seats for anyone who needs them. If one isnt available, please ask if someone will give up a seat. If you are using a priority seat and you dont need it, please be ready to offer it to someone who does.
The baby on board badges given to people who are pregnant were aimed to let other passengers know that that badge wearers may need a seat.
