It is called priority seating for a reason

I don't know why this little tale from dear husband surprises me so much, but it does.

As a one-car family, dear husband takes the bus to work. Having the car at home allows me to get out and do errands, plus it saves us money. Parking in Ottawa's downtown core is expensive as in $13 a day expensive. During last winter's bus strike dear husband was spending much moola in parking fees.

I've taken the bus and I know how difficult it can be to get a seat on a jammed-packed OC Transpo bus, especially on the ride home to the suburbs. Although I don't want to paint dear husband as a knight in shining armour in this tale, I do hope that this post will make some people think twice when they see someone in obvious need for a seat.

As told to me by dear husband, he saw a visibly pregnant woman looking for a seat. As the gentleman he is, he offered the woman his seat and she gladly accepted his offer. But the thing is, dear husband was sitting in the middle of the bus. Meaning, this woman had to walk through a crowded bus, past priority seating, looking for a seat.

According to OC Transpo's website, priority seating is available near the front of the bus and is for "anyone who has difficulty standing in or walking to the back of the bus. This may include a senior citizen, a pregnant woman, or a passenger with a disability."

To be fair, I wasn't on the bus. The priority seats could have been taken by other pregnant women, senior citizens or passengers with disabilities. Maybe the woman didn't ask for a seat. Maybe she did and her request was ignored. Regardless, passengers sitting in priority seating (if they were able to) and passengers sitting in seats near priority seating should have offered up their seats.

When I was visiting my brother in Singapore several years ago, I spotted an advertising on the bus, advising passengers if they are able to, to give up their seats to passengers who need them. At the time, I scoffed at the advertisement, thinking it is just plain old common sense to give up your seat to someone who obviously needs it more than you do. If they haven't already, perhaps OC Transpo needs to consider installing such advertisement on their buses as common sense seems to be in limited supplies these days.

A walk down memory lane

The other day while shopping at Zeller's I spotted a very pregnant woman. I'm finding myself very emotional these days as this time last year I was preparing for darling daughter's arrival. I couldn't stop myself from taking a sneak peak at this obvious pregnant woman and neither could others. When you are pregnant people look at you with curiousity and awe. Yes, some times you feel beautiful and other times you feel like a freak show by the way some people look at you. However, I realize now that people are curious as to how big you can get, while others look at you in awe because you are carrying a miracle. When I was very early on in my pregnancy, a nurse told me and dear husband that the stars basically have to align for a woman to get pregnant and retain the pregnancy. If you think about what events have to transpire from conception to birth, it is a damn miracle that there are six billion people roaming the face of the earth. But getting back to the freak show comment, I once had a friend ask me if I had a basketball underneath my shirt. She meant well with her comment, but it still kind of stung. I tried not to stare at this woman too hard because I remember what it is like to be on the receiving end of stares. In the remaining days of my pregnancy, I recall getting odd stares while shopping in Ikea. I thought it was strange. But as I have learned it isn't all that odd as people are curious because you are carrying a miracle. Well, that's what I like to think, anyway.