Dear Fellow Train Passenger

Yes, my feet are hurting. Yes, I have heartburn that would kill an ox and yes, the look on your face as you smugly sit there firmly in your seat does irritate my up-chuck reflex. Not to mention my upper cut.

I have been catching this same train for 5 years straight. I see you every day, at least once. I noticed that you put on weight after an extended absence (I’m assuming a holiday”¦.or surgery), I noticed that you had a haircut, I noticed that you hurt yourself by the cast on your arm. Most of all though, I have noticed that you are refusing to notice me.

See, I know that you see me. I can see every time I get on the train that you put your head down, pretend to read the MX next to you or fiddle with your phone. One time you even had the audacity to stare straight at me, look me up and down, and then continue to do”¦.nothing.

Before I was ‘in this state’, I saw many pregnant women get on the train and not one person shuffle to make them more comfortable or offer up their seat. And I don’t mean to glorify myself, but being a woman who wished to have a baby one day, I always made a point to give up my spot if someone more ‘needy’ than me hopped on the train.

And yes, I said needy. And no, I’m not calling pregnant women disabled or challenged but yes, they are in a position to be classed as needy. They NEED to have regular rest. They NEED to be looked after. And they NEED to be noticed when on public transport. We all know how rockety and rickety trains can be. The last thing a pregnant woman needs is to be thrown to the floor because her off-balancing belly has had to be held up by her spindly legs with nothing but a pole at arm’s length for support.

Do you not know that pregnancy can cause hot flushes, dizziness and severely swollen ankles? And after a day at work or chasing the kids around, fatigue sets in much earlier and heavier than usual. Not to mention there can be in excess of 15 kilos on a pregnant woman’s body that she was not always used to. Where’s the humanity, or even some compassion?!

I’m not asking that you jump up flying out of your seat every time someone who may be pregnant gets on your service. All I’m asking is that when you do see a pregnant woman, ask her if she would like a seat. Most of the time, she is likely to say that she is fine, but other times, she may very well NEED your seat.

And while we’re on the subject, wipe that look off your face or the pre-purchased baby wipe in my bag will wipe it off for you”¦after I’ve exercised my upper cut.