04.21.05
Unless you’re carrying a living creature in your uterus, stand the hell up
I ride the lovely PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) train to and from work each day. The train takes me from Jersey City to 33rd St. in Manhattan.
This isn’t just any calm little train ride, though. The leg of the ride that takes place underneath the Hudson River is a violent one — the train rocks back and forth knocking people who are standing from one side of the train to another if they are not holding on for dear life. Because of this, seats are premium and incredibly desired among commuters.
Each of the banks of seats has a sign that says “Won’t you please give this seat to the elderly or disabled,” and because of that, people seem to think that they don’t have to give up their seat to women who are clearly 9 months pregnant.
This pisses me off royally — primarily because the people who won’t give their seats up are not only men. Women are not eager to give up their seats either. You would think that a woman would understand that it’s not good for an expecting mother to be flung stomach-first from one side of a train to another. Premature labor, anyone?
I cringe every time I see this confusing phenomenon. Are commuters so incredibly lost in their own worlds that I don’t realize that they are riding with other people, and that occasionally these people need help? I always want to yell at someone and tell them that they should give up their seat, but how can I when the list of offenders is usually 10-15? Should I say, “Will one of you assholes please give your seat to the lady who is about to have a living person pop out of her at any moment?”
All I can do is stare at them with contempt for a little while, and then go back to playing Freecell on my Treo.
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