Riding the bus
Because of the wedding magazines contract, I've been working a lot in down-town Montreal. I took the bus to get there and to get back. In the morning, at rush hour, there never are any seats available because I'm at the end of the line. People never give me their seat, but that's ok, because a lot of people get down after I get in. So I never got to do the whole bus ride standing up. Anyway, I don't think it shows that much with my winter coat on...At night, when I get in the bus, I am almost always standing up too. There was one night where I was feeling really tired and my back was killing me. I felt bad for wanting to take somebody's place, but my legs were shaking. Nobody offered me their seat. I was weak and tired and so not in the mood... so I opened my coat, took my scarf off and showed my round belly... I know, what a shame! I'm sure I pissed every infertile on the bus and I am sorry! I couldn't believe I was taking advantage of being pregnant... but really, my back hurt like hell. And it worked! The woman in front of me looked up and offered me her seat. And all I could say was "oh that's so very nice of you! But I'm ok, thanks!" After all, I don't know what kind of a day she's had. Maybe her back hurts more than mine. She said "No, no! You sit! I know what it's like and you have to sit." She stood up before I could say anything else, so I sat down, thanking her. A loud "yessss!" was ringing in my head, but I felt bad at the same time...
Having been on the other side of the fence, I can remember how I felt, when I wasn't pregnant, whenever I saw a round belly. And it made me feel so bad now to think somebody, somewhere, would feel that too when seing me.
One morning, a lady told me when a seat became available behind me, even if she was standing too. And my coat was still zipped up! Another night, once again standing up, coat zipped up, scarf up to my ears, the lady in front of me (funny how it's always a lady!) asked me if I wanted to sit down. I told her "No, but thanks a lot!" - I'm not sure why I keep refusing the seats when all I really want is to sit down. She took a few seconds to think and then got up and forced me to sit. All right, all right I get it! I won't play the innocent pregnant lady who thinks she is stronger than she really is anymore. This stupid pride of mine has got to stop.
But I still opened my coat and took off my scarf, in case anybody on the bus would wonder why I took that lady's seat...
posted by Kiwi at
2:03 PM
3 comment(s):
So when is your baby due, do you know if it is a boy or a girl?
By
Anonymous, at
2:13 PM
Kiwi-Too funny!!! Don't feel bad about pulling the "Pregnant Lady" card...just enjoy it:-)
By
Kat, at
7:30 PM
I know exactly how you feel. I have recently done a lot of traveling on Southwest Airlines. They have open seating (no assigned seat numbers) and allow pregnant women to preboard. On the way out to Minnesota from NC, I wanted to be treated like everyone else, and refused to ask for a pass to preboard. On the way back, however, I was so exhausted and had gotten stuck at the back of the plane for the first leg of the flight. The aisle was about as big as my bag and I wrestled it all the way from the near-back of the plane. I was exhausted. The second leg of the flight, I pre-boarded, with a lot of guilt...trying to look as pregnant as possible - and sat in aisle 5. A woman who was walking with a cane had walked past a closer seat, saying she had saved it for me, because I needed it more than she did! I declined and sat down next to her :) Over Thanksgiving, the plane was so ful I was afraid that we wouldn't have any overhead bin space by the time we got on. On the way back, we got placed in the LAST boarding group. Both times I preboarded so that I wouldn't have to cram my 6'4" husband into the back of the plane. I felt very guilty, but relieved at the same time. All I wanted to to was sit down, not stand in the line waiting to board. I still feel bad about it. In another few months though, we get to preboard because of screaming baby. As my husband pointed out - we still have a baby to board onto the plane, she's just on the inside for now :)
By
Anonymous, at
9:51 AM
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