A man has provoked controversy on social media saying he refuses to give up his seat for pregnant women because of his long working hours.
The trouble began when the man in question took to a subforum on Reddit called Am I The A**hole? - where users post about a recent grievance or conflict they've experienced and the online community then votes on whether or not the original poster was in the wrong or not.
In a thread titled "AITA for not giving up my seat to a pregnant woman?", the original poster asked the community if I was wrong of him to refuse to give up his own seat for a pregnant woman on public transport, after doing a ten-hour long shift at work.
Take a look at this video of a woman who pretended to be pregnant to save money on travel:In a lengthy post the Redditor wrote:
"So last night I’m on the bus, and a very heavily pregnant lady gets on. She looks around for a seat, only to find there are no available ones left. I’m the closest to her, so she starts giving me the imploring eyes.
"I wasn’t rude or anything, I just told her no, I’ve had a long day and my feet are sore. I don’t want to give up my seat.
"She started crying about how she’s a pregnant single mom, and I told her I’m sorry, but that was her personal choice and she can’t expect other people to accommodate her life choices."
The Redditor then said he told the woman that it wasn't his job to support her because she couldn't afford a car, which led to him being berated by an elderly man who was also using the bus.
Suffice it to say, the post divided opinion on Reddit, with many social media users criticizing the man's attitude.
For instance, one Reddit-user wrote: "Yeah, whats next, blaming an old person for being old? Blaming deformed people for being born? You see someone who needs a seat, you give it to them. [sic]"
However, some other commenters were more supportive and said that the pregnant woman didn't have the right to demand a seat just because she was carrying a child.
For instance, one commenter wrote: "I’m a woman, btw. I just don’t feel like you should be forced to give up your seat because she is pregnant.
"Yes, pregnancy sucks, and it’s uncomfortable as all hell, but that is no reason for you to suffer, imo. You’re in pain, too, and there were plenty of other people who could have stood rather than you."
So, was this man in the right for taking a hardline stance on this issue? Or was he being unreasonable and rude? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
