It's a good thing

I remember back in the day when I was preggers with Jack, no one would give me a seat on the subway. I got so fed up with the ignorance of people that I would lean over, stick my belly in their face and say, "Scuz me, but I'm pregnant and I need to sit down in that seat." It worked. But it pissed me off that most people didn't offer. And on more then one occasion, I would give my seat up for a blind person or an senior. When I did that, I would glare at everyone else on the car - trying to send then some shame. My friend Lisa wrote an angry letter to the METRO TODAY about how rude people were in not offering seats to OBVIOUSLY pregnant ladies. And I remember Havoc having some pretty intense arguments with people on the Go Train when she was pregnant.

There was one time that I was attempting to get on the subway and I slipped on some spilled coffee. I went up in the air like a cartoon character and landed with quite a thud on the platform right in front of the doors. I was having trouble getting up (imagine a turtle flipped over and you'll get the picture) and I was flailing about. NO ONE OFFERED TO HELP ME UP! People actually stepped over me to get on the train. I was so pissed that when I got up, I started yelling at people and then I started to cry. I love acting all crazy on public transit. I miss that about the T Dot. Anything can happen.

And now for the article! I think this is a great idea.


Baby badges help pregnant women get to work

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo rail companies are providing pregnant women with badges in the hope of prompting other passengers on the Japanese capital's crowded trains to offer them seats.

The pink and blue badges reading: "There is a baby in my belly" are being handed out at stations around the region to try to make commuting and other train journeys easier for pregnant women, who are often left standing. No proof of pregnancy is required.

"Especially in the early stages, it is difficult to tell from someone's appearance whether they are pregnant," said an official at the Health Ministry which came up with the idea. "But these early stages are rather unstable and it is important to take care."

The move comes as Japan scrambles for ways to persuade women to have more babies. The dwindling birth rate has left the nation with a shrinking population and the world's highest proportion of elderly people.

"We want to create an environment that is pleasant for pregnant women," the agency official said.

The move was welcomed by many.

"When I was three months pregnant and got on the train, no one would really notice me and I couldn't really ask them to give me a seat," said Yoshiko Kato, a self-employed 38-year-old who is five months pregnant. "So these badges, I hope, will help some people to notice I am pregnant," she said.