290 travellers on a busy London Underground line were asked: “If you saw a pregnant woman standing during a journey on the Underground, would you get up and give her your seat?”
76 percent of travellers said ‘Always’, 20 percent of travellers said ’Sometimes’ and four percent said ‘Never’:
| No. of people | Percentage | |
| ALWAYS | 221 | 76 |
| SOMETIMES | 58 | 20 |
| NEVER | 11 | 4 |
Of the 290 passengers asked, 178 were men and 112 were women:
| Men | Women | |
| ALWAYS | 75% | 78% |
| SOMETIMES | 20% | 19% |
| NEVER | 5% | 3% |
The survey covered a wide age range of travellers, from under 25 to over 56. It
seems that the youngest and the oldest passengers are those most likely to give up their
seats, while the middle-aged seemed more reticent about getting to their
feet:
| 16-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56+ | |
| ALWAYS | 81% | 76% | 74% | 65% | 84% |
| SOMETIMES | 17% | 21% | 24% | 27% | 16% |
| NEVER | 2% | 3% | 2% | 8% | - |
Blue collar workers appeared more likely to offer their seats than their white collar
counterparts:
| Employed | Unemployed | Retired | |
| ALWAYS | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| SOMETIMES | 21% | 17% | 21% |
| NEVER | 4% | 4% | - |
| Blue collar workers | White collar workers | |
| ALWAYS | 93% | 71% |
| SOMETIMES | 7% | 24% |
| NEVER | - | 5% |
Frequency of travelling on the Underground does not seem to be a factor in giving up
your seat:
| Daily | Once a week | Less frequently | |
| ALWAYS | 78% | 75% | 75% |
| SOMETIMES | 18% | 25% | 20% |
| NEVER | 4% | - | 5% |
Where to next?
- Do you agree with the man who said he didn’t always think pregnant women would appreciate the gesture? Have your say on our Views on the News discussion board
- What sort of attitudes have you encountered from others during your pregnancy? Share your experiences on our General Pregnancy discussion forum
- Keep a permanent record in your own Pregnancy Diary
- Do you use public transport? Do you find it convenient? comfortable? the cheapest option? Share your experiences on our Travel discussion board
- babyworld reported two incidences of women and their young babies being thrown off public transpor:
- Mum and disabled baby booted off bus
- Baby booted off bus
- Click here for some advice on travelling while pregnant
- See here for babyworld’s advice on travelling with your baby once it’s born, how to keep your baby comfortable on long trips and some tips for stress-free travel
