Would You Put on the Baby on Board Button to Take a Seat on the Subway?
A pregnant passenger standing on the subway creates a politeness dilemma: are you offering your seat so she can sit down, or go about your business if she is not pregnant and is upset that you thought so?
In New York, the MTA now offers Baby On Board buttons that you can wear if you are pregnant and want others to know that you appreciate being able to get off your feet. There is also a “Please offer me a seat” neutral button for seniors, people with disabilities, or people who find it difficult to stand on public transport and would like to sit down. You can request a button here . A doctor’s certificate is not required: it is in the honor system.
So my question is, would you wear it? If people notice and suggest you a place, great. But strangers already sometimes treat the bodies of pregnant women as public property, and I’m wondering if the “baby on board” button would lead to even more unwanted interactions.
What then if someone thinks you are pretending? If you are in the first trimester and are not showing yet, but are feeling very nauseous, you might need to get on the train. If you are large, your bump may not be obvious . Will people ignore you while looking at daggers? Will they challenge you to prove you are pregnant, as a man did in London a few years ago? Do people with invisible disabilities face similar problems with the “Please offer me a seat” button?
I think this is a minefield. Still, I found it difficult to stand and walk at the end of my pregnancy, and would probably prefer to wear a button. I think. May be. And you?