Man Asks If He Is Wrong For “Not Offering” His Seat To A Pregnant Woman Who Was Tired Of Standing

Jun 16, 2023

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey that mothers go through to give birth to their children. A human is usually pregnant for nine months, after which the baby is delivered. While it might seem like a walk in the park, pregnancy is, in fact, a herculean task, consisting of twists and turns that will keep the mother in and out of the hospital for constant checks with their health practitioners.

Although it's a beautiful thing to be a vessel through which life is continued, the process itself can be risky. For some, pregnancy might be easy, while for others, it is a constant battle to stay alive due to health issues or complications that may arise. Keep in mind that no two pregnancies are the same. One mother could have two polar opposite experiences with two different pregnancy journeys.

While the experiences of mothers around the world differ during pregnancy, there are still an array of similarities among pregnant women. Hormonal changes and weight gain, among a host of others, are some of the similarities that cause constant tiredness in pregnant women around the world. This implies that these people require family, friends and even strangers to go out of their way to assist them.

Although it is easy for some people to go out of their way for pregnant women, it is not quite the case for others. In this instance from June 2023, a Reddit user refused to give up his seat for a pregnant woman who had been standing for a long time. Read on to find out the details of the man’s encounter with the pregnant woman.

Oftentimes, the general consensus is to give up seats for people with disabilities. Yet many people still struggle with this act of humanity. While they may be perceived as unreasonable, some of these people have reasons for why they believe they shouldn’t have to give up their seats for anyone, regardless of the situation.

For many, the definition of people living with disabilities is blurry. While it might be crystal clear in certain instances, these people do not know what qualifies a person as disabled and thus act on their ignorance in cases where these people require help. 

Many people might argue that pregnancy is a disability. But is pregnancy really a disability? No, generally, pregnancy is not a disability. However, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “pregnancy itself is not a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but there are conditions that are associated with certain pregnancies that will qualify it as a disability, under the ADA."

Regardless of what the definition of disability is, it is only humane to show some form of goodwill to people who appear to be struggling or in pain. Expressing humanity is not limited to giving seats to the elderly or pregnant women. It could mean leading a blind person across the road, helping someone access places where their disability restricts them or simply not occupying spaces meant for these people. As able-bodied individuals, you will be doing a greater good to these people if you stay away from parking spaces and priority seats reserved for the disabled. 

A Reddit user concerned about his actions sought the opinion of his fellow Redditors over his refusal to give up his seat for a pregnant woman. The man explained that he was enthused to be attending a graduation ceremony where two of his nephews were among the graduates.   

In his eagerness to take the front seat at the event, he took his folding chair and set it up at the entrance of the school way before the event started. In addition to his chair, the man carried his headphones to listen to his show. All was well and good until 40 minutes before the school opened its doors to the awaiting guests. He was approached by a pregnant woman who asked to have his chair, as standing through the wait time would be too much for her.

“About 40 minutes before the school would let us inside, a pregnant woman got next to me since somebody let her in line (I assume her partner). She asked me within 5 minutes (politely admittedly) if she could have my chair as she was going to have trouble standing the whole time,” he wrote.

The man declined her initial request, citing his bad knees and feet as his reason for not giving up his chair. But barely two minutes later, the woman asked one more time but got the same answer from the man. The third time, the woman’s partner asked for the same favor from the man, and like the first two times, his response was negative. The woman’s partner, who was unimpressed by the man’s resolve, called him an “a**hole.”

After the event, the man took to the platform to get others' opinions on the situation, and many of them supported him for looking after himself. The top-rated comment said:

"You refused to give up the chair you brought because you needed it due to your own health conditions. I do feel for the woman, but she and her partner should have brought their own chairs and not assumed they were entitled to yours."

Another user put it simply: 

"Need a chair? Bring a chair."    

What do you think of this man’s encounter with the pregnant woman? Do you think he could have handled it differently? Do you think he is at fault? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family members.