# An elderly person, a person on crutches, and a pregnant woman all get onto the train... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710 "2013-10-31T02:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/41 "2013-11-01T12:55:14Z")
> [@Charredcasm](#): > > Applying exaggerated stereotypes to benefit your own self-interest. It’s funny that I have _never_ had any reactions like that from anyone in all the years I’ve used public transit. what about before you had your humor bypass? ---
**Author:** ![austerity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@austerity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/austerity)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/42 "2013-11-01T14:18:00Z")
Pregnancy is a choice, so no to her. She could have had an abortion if she felt standing was too hard for her. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/43 "2013-11-01T15:51:04Z")
When I was pregnant, half the time it was the elderly who were the first to offer me a seat. Younger people, and especially young-to-middle-age-women, were most likely to do the “stare at the phone, stare out the window, do anything to make it look like you didn’t see the enormously pregnant lady.” Once, I even had another pregnant lady (slightly less pregnant than I) offer me her seat! Anyway, I didn’t truly _need_ a seat until maybe the last two months (and there did come a point where it was necessary for me to sit), but I always appreciated it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/44 "2013-11-01T17:00:50Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > When I was pregnant, half the time it was the elderly who were the first to offer me a seat. Younger people, and especially young-to-middle-age-women, were most likely to do the “stare at the phone, stare out the window, do anything to make it look like you didn’t see the enormously pregnant lady.” Speaking as a male, I’ll do everything in my power to avoid letting a woman think I saw her big belly and thought _‘pregnant’_. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/45 "2013-11-01T17:10:57Z")
None of them. I’m driving the train. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/46 "2013-11-01T17:18:39Z")
Whoever’s closest ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/47 "2013-11-01T23:38:51Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The old person is old and **the pregnant woman is pregnant**. How attractive is Crutchie? Some people find pregnancy a turn-on. Maybe you could get her phone number. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/48 "2013-11-01T23:59:13Z")
Elderly, then he or she would probably give it up to preggo who may or may not offer it to stumpy. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/49 "2013-11-02T15:14:25Z")
This is one thing that will get me on my soap box. Being both elderly and handicapped, I would start lecturing all the young, abled body people about not offering seats to people who need them. I have done this on several occasions. There is NO excuse for this behavior. To those whose heads are stuck in cyberspace on their devices, I would say “Being addicted to hand helds is NOT a disability. It IS stupidity.” I also tell people “When you get old and people treat you like shit, just remember this. And if you think you are not going to be old, you are very mistaken.” ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/50 "2013-11-04T19:45:50Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > They got onto a train, they didn’t walk into a bar. Crutchie walked into something, how do you know it wasn’t a bar? I’d try to make a determination of standing ability. Old and fragile vs. hugely pregnant vs. painful look while standing. And preggo had better be huge, because I wouldn’t want to get the “I’m not pregnant!” speech. I know, I’ve gotten it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/51 "2013-11-04T23:00:01Z")
> [@austerity](#): > > Pregnancy is a choice, so no to her. She could have had an abortion if she felt standing was too hard for her. No she is the victim of rape and she has a blood clotting disorder, so if she has an abortion she will die. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/52 "2013-11-04T23:01:27Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > Crutchie walked into something, how do you know it wasn’t a bar? Maybe somebody had one too many at a bar and crashed into a person so that he or she needed crutches. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/53 "2013-11-05T08:08:19Z")
I’d stay seated, but feel guilty about it. Damn them! How dare they make me feel guilty! ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/54 "2013-11-05T16:05:46Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Maybe somebody had one too many at a bar and crashed into a person so that he or she needed crutches. Hey, preggo may have gotten tipsy, and that’s why she is preggo. And maybe granny was driving the car that hit crutchie, and she lost her license, so now she’s riding the bus. ---
**Author:** ![Rutabegger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Rutabegger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rutabegger)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/55 "2013-11-05T22:36:48Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > wait I know this… > > First we take the elderly person and the pregnant woman to the other side, then we go back with the pregnant women and pickup the person with crutches… +1 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/56 "2013-11-06T16:04:32Z")
An elf walks into a bar. The hobbit laughs and walks under it. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/57 "2013-11-06T17:33:29Z")
tend towards the pregnant woman, as that will help 2 people, for if momma ain’t happy then no’body’ is happy (and a fetus does have a ‘body’) But the circumstances of the moment will be the deciding factor. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/58 "2013-11-06T19:06:39Z")
I wouldn’t give up my seat unless i were getting off the train soon. I have arthritis affecting all my stupid joints and standing on the tube is incredibly painful. I did give up my seat once near the start of my problems - to a woman carrying a small baby - and it was so obvious that I also had problems that someone else then gave me their seat. However, I’d speak up and say that I really can’t give up my seat because my arthritis makes standing on the tube extremely painful and I can’t even grip the bars for support (but probably in fewer words). Odds are that someone else will then give up their seat. Sometimes they genuinely haven’t noticed that they should and are happy to have it brought to their attention. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/59 "2013-11-06T20:28:51Z")
I’m like SciFiSam, I have non-visible muscle and balance issues that make having to stand while on the train (even with something to hold onto) painful, ranging from discomfort to extreme pain depending on what kind of day my legs are having. It’s not the standing part that hurts so much, it’s the jerking motions of the train as it does corners and starts and stops. It just kills my poor knees. But then, I really never had to worry about the sort of scenario in the OP. Back when I did ride the train, I usually would rather spend the few minutes to go to the first stop on the line (two stops up from the one at my office), than try and stand in the aisle for the 40 minute ride home. Going up to the first stop meant that I could get a seat further into the train and not near any seats where the three in the OP would have more of a chance for someone to give up their seat (such as near the door). I never had to worry about this sort of scenario on the way in to work, because the train was always empty or near empty, as my home stop was the second one on the line at that end. There were lots of good things about the light rail but I for sure don’t miss how crowded it would get sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710/60 "2013-11-06T22:16:51Z")
I offer my seat to the first one I see, or the one closest to me. I see it as my duty to offer the seat to someone who needs it more than I do- not to judge who’s the most needy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-elderly-person-a-person-on-crutches-and-a-pregnant-woman-all-get-onto-the-train/672710.md?page=4)