Its been a while since I last made an entry here. The reason- I'm pregnant and have been busier than usual. Time seems to pass really quickly as there are now extra chores to be done- getting the baby room ready, making sure the flat is baby-safe, doctor's appointments, etc. All of this means the need to be able to get to different places efficiently is greater than ever. Although I am usually an advocate for the use of public transport in the city, the last few months have seen me shift more in favour of the car.
I still commute to work on the tube as it is the most convenient way to get into central London on a weekday. However, I am yet to be offered a seat. It may be that I am not showing particularly but I have seen a number of obviously pregnant women on the trains and they were not offered seats either. Although I don't feel in need of a seat at the moment, there may come a time, as the pregnancy progresses, when this may become necessary and the question is whether to ask people to give up their seats? Some pregnancy books mention that pregnant women should consider wearing 'Baby on board' pin badges to subtly encourage people to give up their seats. I find the idea rather off-putting; I may want a seat but not necessarily call attention to myself using a pin badge everywhere I go. I also find these signs on cars irritating: so other drivers should be more careful driving near a car with a sign like that, as opposed to being generally careful while driving? A bump should be enough of a sign to encourage people to offer their seat, especially those in dedicated priority seats; would people notice a pin badge if they don't notice the bump? As a rule, before my pregnancy, I tried to avoid sitting on prioity seats unless there are no other seats available. When I did use a priority seat I made a point of always looking up at each stop to check if anyone may need it so that they wouldn't have to ask. Most people are so busy with their music and reading material they don't bother to look at the people around them. They should but they don't; this is symptomatic of the increasing tendency for people to close themselves off to other people, insulating themselves with headphones, books, tablet PCs, etc.
Dealing with delays, broken down trains, out of service stations, etc also become more problematic. Being in my own car means not having to deal with these stresses and makes travel more comfortable.
