At least, not on the L train in New York City.
Elizabeth Carey Smith, a graphic designer for The Letter Office, put together the above infographic, which documents her subway rides to and from the doctor’s while she was extremely, visibly pregnant. During the last month before giving birth, Smith noted down each time her fellow travelers on crowded trains volunteered to give up their seats (and when they were less considerate).
As she told the Wall Street Journal:
New Yorkers aren’t as rude as we like to think that we are, or as other people think that we are … I was sure that I was going to find out that people were terrible.
On 108 packed trains, Smith was given a seat 88 times—about 81 percent of the time. Men and women were about equally likely to give up their seats; the G train was the least friendly and the L and the 6 trains topped the list of generosity.
That said, Smith did encounter her share of bad eggs.
There was a guy on a seat blocking an open seat next to him, and I’m 8 ½ months pregnant at this point. I [tried] to fit in next to him. And he barked at me and said, “All the seats are the same size!” I stood there in anger for the rest of the ride.
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Those disgusting chauvinist pigs thinking that women are weak and can’t take care of themselves.
Chivalry is the lapdog of feminism.
I always give up my seat for the elderly, pregnant, disabled and even mom’s carrying shopping bags. Never give up a seat for a woman tho, the death of chivalry was the best thing that came out of feminism, and ironically if you read about chivalry it was originally designed by feminists. But this article reminds me of a true story that happened to me, this old man was on the bus and 4 young girls occupied the front seats, chatting away about their bullshit while the poor guy held on to the railing. Being an actual man (unlike people… Read more »
So… how did feminists create chivalry?
Feminists didn’t create chivalry. In fact, true feminists reject it as anti-equality and anti-feminist. Chivalry and feminism are obviously incompatible since chivalry, by definition, is anti-equality by treating women based on their gender.
Jijminy Crickets ! All the above folks seem awfully angry about a simple act of courtesy. I guess I just don’t see giving up my seat to a woman, pregnant or otherwise, as anything but the good manners I got taught early in life. If you seek to label the act one connected to serfdom and royalty, or an unmanly caving to women activist, well I guess you can, but there’s no political or gender agenda in me just being nice once and awhile, kids. …and you do sound like kids. Try manners sometime, sans attitude and you might just… Read more »
I’m all for being nice and helpful to woman because for the sake of being nice and helpful but I’m done with the days of being nice and helpful to a woman simply because she’s a woman and I’m a man. If by chance chivalry is not dead then let me know where the killing is becuse I wanna get a few hits in too.
Was there some point this article was trying to make?
If a woman is pregnant or a man is ill, I would give up my seat. Otherwise, you women are now on your own. If some thug attacks a woman I see no reason I should risk my life defending her since she and other women would not defend me if I was attacked. Why should I defend the nobility gender class? I don’t believe in being a serf to royalty.
This is talking about a pregnant woman. Not women in general. Jesus Christ. Suddenly we talk about chivalry and being polite to people who may need seats, like pregnant women (also note she said women were equally as likely to give up a seat as men), and you have to jump on the bandwagon and start being abrasive toward women by claiming you’re not going to protect one should she get jumped. You see? This is why I can’t take the MRA movement seriously. You take any article that talks about giving up a seat to a pregnant woman and… Read more »
I don’t disagree with your thoughts on MRA’s but they and feminists are two sides of the same coin. They each bash the other gender, which is why neither group can be taken seriously.