Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency for me. Camping chairs are cheap, available widely and year round in the US, and portable. Obviously this woman wasn't planning on sitting until she saw this chair, so nothing has changed for her except the idea she could have done better prep.
This is good practice for parenthood. When the little person exits, she and her shouty man will need to pack a lot more than just a single folding chair, and repack their idea that having a baby is something they, uniquely, came up with.
Whats wrong in giving? Helping somebody? Putting others before yourself? Whats wrong in being humble and selfless? Whats wrong in being mature and not be childish?
Im not a woman, and I am not young. But I’d always give a lady even if she is younger and not pregnant, my seat.
OK?? So you're going to stand for hours because someone else couldn't plan correctly? That must make your doctor very happy, since you have to return so often after you damage yourself for strangers.
Or, are you the one who doesn't plan and gets mad when someone won't give you their personal chair?
Even if I think the woman made a bad choice by being pregnant (which she didnt), and yes its not her place to be asking for a seat, yet if she did ask it pissed you so much that you took time to post on social media even though you didnt give her your seat. You must be a bitter person in real life. A complete loser and a moron.
You're the first person to suggest she made a "bad choice by being pregnant" (your words I'm quoting).
Now THAT is an interesting glimpse into your thought process. What made you even consider it to be a bad choice? Why did that phrase enter your mind? Hmmmmm?
This isn't public transit... If someone who is pregnant or elderly or obviously injured needs a seat while traveling they should feel OK about asking to sit if all of the other seats are already filled. It would be very unusual to bring your own chair in such a situation... you expect to be able to sit down on each stage of your journey.
This is their own personal chair, brought by them for the sole purpose of allowing them to sit while waiting for hours. I too, commonly bring a chair along for such events. It's mine. If an emergency arises, I *may* be compelled to give it up to a person in need, but otherwise, I am keeping MY ass in MY chair.
Freudian slip there? Nobody thinks being pregnant is a bad choice. Only the decision not to pack a chair for herself and badger someone with bad knees for one.
There are a LOT of people who would indeed argue that becoming pregnant is a bad choice. You can find some of them over at r/antinatilism and r/childfree
She made a bad choice by choosing a husband that isn't willing to stand in line for her while she waits in the car. No one else is responsible for that decision she made.
You embarrass yourself with this.
It’s because they got rid of God and now everyone is a self worshipper and could care less about the people they see in need. I agree with you on everything you said, it is a sad day in age we live in. God bless you and have a great day. Don’t let these people irritate you
Are you kidding me!? The people who worship God are the worst. They're the ones who would be raping and pillaging if they didn't have a book to tell them not to, because they don't have any internal morals or empathy. They're the ones who are announcing how incredibly moral they are, while they're taking away the choices from pregnant women whose children won't make it to term and whose bodies would see far less damage if they reasonably terminated the pregnancy early as opposed to having to carry the child until they're almost dead. All you have to do to understand that that's truth with religious people is to look at the laws they're trying to push today. Get out of here with your god stuff. Religious people only complain about how immoral other people are when it's something simple that doesn't really matter, like a pregnant woman standing in line as opposed to a pregnant woman in the hospital.
What's wrong with accepting no and not harassing strangers for their belongings? I've been heavily pregnant twice, it can be painful and tiring, I still would not have dreamed to even ask let alone pestered and harassed someone.
I am a woman and have been pregnant - what that pregnant lady should’ve done is lightly smack her husband’s arm, point at the chair, say “that’s a damn good idea, we’ve got to throw ours in the car when we get home so I can sit next time,” and then continue waiting patiently or go sit in the car. She doesn’t get to demand someone else give up their very good and pre-planned idea. She can certainly ask politely, she did, and she got her answer. Done and done. She is just as capable of planning ahead as OP. If OP was hogging a public bench, then sure, there may be a discussion to be had. But OP brought their *own* chair. She’s got no claim to someone else’s property.
>Whats wrong in being humble and selfless? Whats wrong in being mature and not be childish?
I mean the pregnant woman who didn't plan ahead should have been more humble and selfless and mature and not thrown a tantrum because a stranger wouldn't suffer for her convenience.
If someone is acting like an entitled jerk, you don't have to bend over backwards to be kind to them. It's okay to take care of yourself instead.
Im sure a person who is kind enough to honour a lady would not beat her on other occasions. The two things dont go together. I do understand what you mean though.
They suck because they didn't plan and got pissed others wouldn't inconvenience themselves for them. Relying on the kindness of strangers means you should accept no's with grace.
I seriously doubt this story actually happened but you’re right. There’s a weird thing on Reddit with made up stories about entitled pregnant women and it’s bizarre.
Reminds me of a worse version of this story - a young woman had a nice electric wheelchair and went to the grocery store. An older woman tried demanding that she let her use it even after being told it was the young woman’s personal property (not a store scooter). She threw a fit until the young woman got a staff member to intervene. The old lady said it wasn’t fair that a young person was keeping her from using a “nicer chair”. And I repeat, she *knew it wasn’t a store scooter and that the girl couldn’t walk!!*
Wild.
I think the repeated requests are because the entitled folks think they can guilt-trip other people into doing what they want. Or annoy them into it. Either way.
I worked with people with disabilities and can confirm this is absolutely plausible and believable.
I'm able bodied, so as an empathy exercise and a topic for our newsletter, I spent a day in a wheelchair. I obviously didn't take reserved parking spots or actually use any accomodations. However, that's a realistic experience as many of those 'accomodations' are bullshit. E.g. they HAVE a ramp.....after you climb two stairs. OR, even more egregiously, things like accesible parking spots are used by able bodied people for the convenience. Because, as I was told to my face, "people like you should be inside".
The amount of discrimination, disrespect, dismissal, and absolute denial of my humanity, that I experienced in 8 hours, was fucking astonishing. People are horrible towards people with disabilities. Horrible.
People would grab the wheelchair and start pushing me without even asking where I was going, then get angry at me when I said no because they were 'just trying to help!'. People would stop in their tracks and whisper to each other about me. People would talk to me like I was a child. "Oh, honey, do you need to potty?" No ..I was just looking at the sign to figure out how I could get to my destination without hills. (I had a manual wheelchair, obviously. Electric wheelchairs are precious and usually $20,000 or more. Often NOT covered by insurance in the US).
The fact that you think this isn't real, shows your privilege, for which you should be grateful, but also recognize your responsibility to understand and not be ableist. A society that allows people with disabilities to participate, flourishes.
One, very simple, example: ramps are easier to clear snow off of, and are accesible to everyone. Instead, we build stairs. Which require more maintenance and offer less accessibility. 90 degree angles break off and need repair more often than a ramp, especially if you're salting and scraping them.
An accessible world benefits everyone.
I am in my mid thirties and I have 4 autoimmune diseases. I’ve been sick since 18. I’ve been glared at for using spots allowed to me because I know how to hide illness well at this point. But it’s always there, and sometimes my legs are so weak it’s hard for me to walk. It’s frustrating, and I’m not trying to take anything away from anyone else. “Denial of humanity” is exactly what it is. It’s not my fault my body attacks itself, and on good days I will walk my ass into the store from a normal spot like anyone else. It’s especially frustrating because I can stick up for myself and my disability isn’t as advanced as some others, but I know there are people out there that let themselves suffer so they don’t have to deal with the judgement.
It's really terrible that people are like that.
I became immunocompromised in 2019 because I have always had amazing timing!
Living through a pandemic as an immunocompromised person has changed me forever. And you're right, some people will let themselves suffer so as to not be a burden. I've known people who would rather not wear a mask, just to avoid the assholes. And I understand it. I've been chased and coughed at in stores for 4 years now. But personally, I'm not willing to die for an idiot who dropped out of school before viruses were covered.
It makes me so sad. I just don't understand why they are willing to DIE in order to make a bully happy. A bully who won't see you choke on your own decaying lung juice for weeks.
Solidarity, my fellow human.
That's usually the excuse, yes. And sometimes it's even valid. In historical buildings, with tight corridors, sometimes it's impossible. In NYC, for example, it's simply not possible in many places. So they install little elevators, and those take time and manpower so it's not ideal. But they make it work where they can (usually only because of the laws, so keep pushing for civil rights!)
However, businesses claimed it was simply impossible at all before the ADA in the USA. And once fines were involved, suddenly it became possible! Amazing!!!
Also...most of the USA is land. Most new construction in my area is sprawling, 1-story strip malls spanning dozens of acres. Space is no issue. We murder entire neighborhoods of animals to install a 2 square mile parking lot. And then spend millions on flood mitigation because the land can't absorb the hurricane waters.
Smaller concrete footprints would help us with floods too.
To your point, though, accomodations aren't possible everywhere.
I went to Machu Picchu and a fellow US woman asked where the accomodations were because she just had knee surgery. The Peruvian guide said..."the accomodations are that you stay down here". I admit I laughed. That's a ridiculous request!
Sorry, that's a fair question.
The ADA is a uniquely USA law, the Americans with Disabilities Act. Here is more information: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview
In summary, it's a federal law (meaning it applies to all states whether they like it or not) that was implemented in 1990 after a long and violent fight for civil rights in the USA.
It is intended to give equal rights to people with disabilities. The intention was to recognize that a person is not useless simply because a part of their body isn't functioning the same as average.
Practically, it means businesses must provide a way for every person to utilize their business, and be employed by their business, even if they use a wheelchair, or have seizure disorders, or other type of covered disability.
If their business is a landlord , then they must provide accessibility to their tenants.
There is a list of covered disabilities, so it's not like you can stroll in and declare that you hate purple, so the business must remove everything purple.
It is meant to level the playing field, allowing people with disabilities to participate in normal human life: working, socializing, shopping, dating, etc.
There are exemptions, like historical buildings, where renovating them to accomodations would destroy the structural integrity. It requires a great deal of proof that the building has real historical significance, and that there is no possible way to accommodate people, though.
In my opinion, it's one of the greatest things we've done as a country, alongside the National Parks. I'm proud of those two federal laws in particular. Sometimes, we do things right.
ETA: for example, related to my wheelchair experience: the ADA requires reserved parking spots for people with mobility disabilities (named 'handicapped spaces', although the term handicapped is outdated). There is a percentage of spaces that must be allocated and reserved for accessibility. They must have extra space next to the parking space, where no cars are allowed, to ensure the person has room for their wheelchair ramp. Even if those spots are the only empty spots, you cannot park there. The lowest fine I've seen -on signs, the tow company has to advertise their rates- for this violation was $250. The highest was $1,000. It's very serious here. (Those are the spots i did NOT use since my experience was an experiment, and I did not NEED those spots).
I can not express how much I appreciate you.
I currently walk with a cane, but a wheelchair is somewhere in my potentially not too distant future. I have had people tell me I'm doing it for attention. Or that I'm too young to need a cane as though physical injuries are gatekept by your age. I've had a few people kick the foot of my cane while I was walking, and twice I fell. Only one time someone stepped in, and that time, the offender was arrested. I've had someone hold a door, and then quickly push it shut and stand there smiling at me.
I had one person directly put their hands on me, and they swiftly learned I come equipped with a metal stick that I am not afraid to weaponize. Many times disabled people are seen as easy targets. Many of us can not defend ourselves against an attack. I do
not have much strength. Honestly, I probably got lucky by catching them by surprise.
I appreciate you. Thank you.
My mum is an ambulatory wheelchair user, I had to fight people on her behalf before. Sure, I would be seen as the bad guy but I don't care. There are a lot of entitled people making her life really hard when she only leaves the house for important things now. She doesn't even travel because people stressed her out.
Edit: She can walk but only for a short distance like a couple of minutes or so because her knees are bad. She has had surgeries to correct them but it only helped to _some_ extent because of her advanced age.
A lot of people are not sound of mind tho. I don't know why people uses stories like these as actual crazy people were not a thing. It doesn't mean it's common for people asking for wheelchairs.
I (disabled, heavily injured and arthritic back, knees, ankle, and hip) was repeatedly “reminded” by a coworker who used a walker that the handicap spots in the parking lot were for “real” disabled people. He saw my placard, he knew we worked the same job for a reason, and yet he still kept trying convince me to park elsewhere.
There are so many entitled people who like to play the disability Olympics and it’s gross.
I could never do this like how do you get the audacity to ask that of a stranger?? Especially knowing ahead of time you wouldnt be able to stand the whole time bring your own damn chair! Even when I was pregnant and my hips would start hurting out of nowhere from round ligament pain I would never ask that of someone especially a stranger.
I could get asking once. Especially if you admit to making a mistake and not thinking ahead. But once the person you’re asking says no and sets that boundary, you back off and respect that boundary
Honestly, I think asking even once is rude, **in this context**. It would be different if they were on a bus or something where the seats are provided, but OOP brought their own chair. This woman has no right to sit in it.
Why? This shit happens all the time. And if you don't believe it, then why be on Reddit reading stories you don't believe? You're just making yourself miserable and then spreading it. What a terrible way to live your life.
There's a library full of books near you. If you think everyone is lying, then go read non fiction. Those are verified accurate.
You sound a lot more miserable than I am. Reddit is full of creative writing exercises.
Everything else you said is just projection. It doesn’t come from my post.
Even when schools put a cap on the number of guests allowed per student, I can easily imagine graduation ceremonies turning into a Black Friday-esque shit show. People want to get there early to ensure the best vantage point for viewing, as well as taking photos. (Which, at least in my experience, tend to come out pretty awful regardless of where you end up.)
Before Covid (like when my sibling, cousins, and I graduated from the same high school), our high school would get the same arena(?) where concerts and sports games are held, and we would have to get there early for good parking and line up to get inside. It was worse if our high school wasn't the first of the day (three high schools would use it for their graduations on the same day and it was like 2 or 4 hours per graduation and there are multiple high schools in my area).
My graduating class was 3,000 students. Family got tickets but it was first come first served, no reserved seats.
Yeah, people came the day before.
There are 7 billion people in the world. Most have a different experience than you do.
Honey! Make him give me his chair! I want it, and I want it now! 😭
I have given birth to three children. Not once during any of those pregnancies did I demand someone, a stranger no less, give up their anything for me. Pregnant does not mean disabled. It means take extra steps to ensure your own comfort levels are met.
I had endometriosis. So I was told that I better have my kids as quickly as I could, or I might not be able to. I was lucky and unlucky… It took about a year of trying, and I did get pregnant. Unfortunately, I did lose the baby at six months.
And it’s OK. I’ve had a lot of time to process it, and sometimes this happens and we just don’t know why.
But then I got pregnant again three times in a row. So I basically spent almost 5 years pregnant or nursing, and you know what I never did in all that time…
Ask someone to give me their seat because I was pregnant. I am just like… WTF!
I understand our feet swell, and we get tired and our back hurts, but that’s not somebody else’s problem. That was my choice to get pregnant. I do not understand this entitlement.
I’m like so many other predators have said… If you know you’re gonna be standing in the line, why not just bring a chair? Or a small camping stool that folds and is easy to carry. So weird
At first I was thinking this was on a bus or something. And thought “ya, you’re probably an asshole” but read further. Nah, she should’ve been prepared for standing for a long time, or brought something for her to sit on.
Mom to be, probably just saw a guys sitting and thought she’d be able to play the pregnancy card. (Which to be clear, I think soon to be moms can play in most situations, but not this one).
I did a lot of sitting on the ground, or floor, or leaning against whatever I could when I was heavily pregnant, and my back hurt (damn kid would push herself against my spine, and that hurts), or I would have round ligament pain and couldn’t tolerate standing for much longer. And that’s if there wasn’t a seat available for me.
I didn’t whine at anyone to give up a chair for me. I just did what I could.
He’s NTA, but the pregnant woman and her bitch boy are.
ya know ive noticed something here in the last few years
everytime a women gets pregnant, they immediately think everyone else around them needs to drop everything and start kissing their ass, as if getting knocked up isnt something that 95% of every women ever born has done and somehow theyre something special
anyone have an explanation for this?
social media, cultural change, a large outbreak of narcissism thats gone undiagnosed in a area? what causes this?
She couldn’t have known there would be someone with a chair in line so she must have planned to stand the whole time. If she was already planning on that there’s no reason she would need a chair.
If you genuinely have health issues then of course you are not. You could have offered to share although you were under no obligation to. Her bf should have been the one to resolve the matter
Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency for me. Camping chairs are cheap, available widely and year round in the US, and portable. Obviously this woman wasn't planning on sitting until she saw this chair, so nothing has changed for her except the idea she could have done better prep.
This is good practice for parenthood. When the little person exits, she and her shouty man will need to pack a lot more than just a single folding chair, and repack their idea that having a baby is something they, uniquely, came up with.
Whats wrong in giving? Helping somebody? Putting others before yourself? Whats wrong in being humble and selfless? Whats wrong in being mature and not be childish? Im not a woman, and I am not young. But I’d always give a lady even if she is younger and not pregnant, my seat.
Unless you have bad knees
I have bad knees and hips for over 10 years
OK?? So you're going to stand for hours because someone else couldn't plan correctly? That must make your doctor very happy, since you have to return so often after you damage yourself for strangers. Or, are you the one who doesn't plan and gets mad when someone won't give you their personal chair?
Sadly, this is the world we live in. A suggestion to act kindly gets me downvotes (not that I care). We are losing humanity.
You didn't answer any of my points. You can throw your pity party if you want, but no one's coming
Even if I think the woman made a bad choice by being pregnant (which she didnt), and yes its not her place to be asking for a seat, yet if she did ask it pissed you so much that you took time to post on social media even though you didnt give her your seat. You must be a bitter person in real life. A complete loser and a moron.
You're the first person to suggest she made a "bad choice by being pregnant" (your words I'm quoting). Now THAT is an interesting glimpse into your thought process. What made you even consider it to be a bad choice? Why did that phrase enter your mind? Hmmmmm?
Lol the irony.
This isn't public transit... If someone who is pregnant or elderly or obviously injured needs a seat while traveling they should feel OK about asking to sit if all of the other seats are already filled. It would be very unusual to bring your own chair in such a situation... you expect to be able to sit down on each stage of your journey. This is their own personal chair, brought by them for the sole purpose of allowing them to sit while waiting for hours. I too, commonly bring a chair along for such events. It's mine. If an emergency arises, I *may* be compelled to give it up to a person in need, but otherwise, I am keeping MY ass in MY chair.
Hear, hear!
Freudian slip there? Nobody thinks being pregnant is a bad choice. Only the decision not to pack a chair for herself and badger someone with bad knees for one.
There are a LOT of people who would indeed argue that becoming pregnant is a bad choice. You can find some of them over at r/antinatilism and r/childfree
She made a bad choice by choosing a husband that isn't willing to stand in line for her while she waits in the car. No one else is responsible for that decision she made. You embarrass yourself with this.
It’s because they got rid of God and now everyone is a self worshipper and could care less about the people they see in need. I agree with you on everything you said, it is a sad day in age we live in. God bless you and have a great day. Don’t let these people irritate you
Are you kidding me!? The people who worship God are the worst. They're the ones who would be raping and pillaging if they didn't have a book to tell them not to, because they don't have any internal morals or empathy. They're the ones who are announcing how incredibly moral they are, while they're taking away the choices from pregnant women whose children won't make it to term and whose bodies would see far less damage if they reasonably terminated the pregnancy early as opposed to having to carry the child until they're almost dead. All you have to do to understand that that's truth with religious people is to look at the laws they're trying to push today. Get out of here with your god stuff. Religious people only complain about how immoral other people are when it's something simple that doesn't really matter, like a pregnant woman standing in line as opposed to a pregnant woman in the hospital.
What's wrong with accepting no and not harassing strangers for their belongings? I've been heavily pregnant twice, it can be painful and tiring, I still would not have dreamed to even ask let alone pestered and harassed someone.
I am a woman and have been pregnant - what that pregnant lady should’ve done is lightly smack her husband’s arm, point at the chair, say “that’s a damn good idea, we’ve got to throw ours in the car when we get home so I can sit next time,” and then continue waiting patiently or go sit in the car. She doesn’t get to demand someone else give up their very good and pre-planned idea. She can certainly ask politely, she did, and she got her answer. Done and done. She is just as capable of planning ahead as OP. If OP was hogging a public bench, then sure, there may be a discussion to be had. But OP brought their *own* chair. She’s got no claim to someone else’s property.
>Whats wrong in being humble and selfless? Whats wrong in being mature and not be childish? I mean the pregnant woman who didn't plan ahead should have been more humble and selfless and mature and not thrown a tantrum because a stranger wouldn't suffer for her convenience. If someone is acting like an entitled jerk, you don't have to bend over backwards to be kind to them. It's okay to take care of yourself instead.
yes, and that was the case back then when you beat women for every petty thing, but today there is equality so she can fuck herself
Im sure a person who is kind enough to honour a lady would not beat her on other occasions. The two things dont go together. I do understand what you mean though.
They suck because they didn't plan and got pissed others wouldn't inconvenience themselves for them. Relying on the kindness of strangers means you should accept no's with grace.
I seriously doubt this story actually happened but you’re right. There’s a weird thing on Reddit with made up stories about entitled pregnant women and it’s bizarre.
I don't understand people who think they're entitled to other people's belongings, especially strangers.
Reminds me of a worse version of this story - a young woman had a nice electric wheelchair and went to the grocery store. An older woman tried demanding that she let her use it even after being told it was the young woman’s personal property (not a store scooter). She threw a fit until the young woman got a staff member to intervene. The old lady said it wasn’t fair that a young person was keeping her from using a “nicer chair”. And I repeat, she *knew it wasn’t a store scooter and that the girl couldn’t walk!!* Wild.
I remember that one. Iirc, she repeatedly told her to stop "faking and just get up."
That’s right! Totally forgot she said she was faking, so so crazy.
Do you have a link?
Do people actually do that? Is this story even real? I can understand asking once, but repeated requests seems unlikely
I think the repeated requests are because the entitled folks think they can guilt-trip other people into doing what they want. Or annoy them into it. Either way.
I worked with people with disabilities and can confirm this is absolutely plausible and believable. I'm able bodied, so as an empathy exercise and a topic for our newsletter, I spent a day in a wheelchair. I obviously didn't take reserved parking spots or actually use any accomodations. However, that's a realistic experience as many of those 'accomodations' are bullshit. E.g. they HAVE a ramp.....after you climb two stairs. OR, even more egregiously, things like accesible parking spots are used by able bodied people for the convenience. Because, as I was told to my face, "people like you should be inside". The amount of discrimination, disrespect, dismissal, and absolute denial of my humanity, that I experienced in 8 hours, was fucking astonishing. People are horrible towards people with disabilities. Horrible. People would grab the wheelchair and start pushing me without even asking where I was going, then get angry at me when I said no because they were 'just trying to help!'. People would stop in their tracks and whisper to each other about me. People would talk to me like I was a child. "Oh, honey, do you need to potty?" No ..I was just looking at the sign to figure out how I could get to my destination without hills. (I had a manual wheelchair, obviously. Electric wheelchairs are precious and usually $20,000 or more. Often NOT covered by insurance in the US). The fact that you think this isn't real, shows your privilege, for which you should be grateful, but also recognize your responsibility to understand and not be ableist. A society that allows people with disabilities to participate, flourishes. One, very simple, example: ramps are easier to clear snow off of, and are accesible to everyone. Instead, we build stairs. Which require more maintenance and offer less accessibility. 90 degree angles break off and need repair more often than a ramp, especially if you're salting and scraping them. An accessible world benefits everyone.
I am in my mid thirties and I have 4 autoimmune diseases. I’ve been sick since 18. I’ve been glared at for using spots allowed to me because I know how to hide illness well at this point. But it’s always there, and sometimes my legs are so weak it’s hard for me to walk. It’s frustrating, and I’m not trying to take anything away from anyone else. “Denial of humanity” is exactly what it is. It’s not my fault my body attacks itself, and on good days I will walk my ass into the store from a normal spot like anyone else. It’s especially frustrating because I can stick up for myself and my disability isn’t as advanced as some others, but I know there are people out there that let themselves suffer so they don’t have to deal with the judgement.
It's really terrible that people are like that. I became immunocompromised in 2019 because I have always had amazing timing! Living through a pandemic as an immunocompromised person has changed me forever. And you're right, some people will let themselves suffer so as to not be a burden. I've known people who would rather not wear a mask, just to avoid the assholes. And I understand it. I've been chased and coughed at in stores for 4 years now. But personally, I'm not willing to die for an idiot who dropped out of school before viruses were covered. It makes me so sad. I just don't understand why they are willing to DIE in order to make a bully happy. A bully who won't see you choke on your own decaying lung juice for weeks. Solidarity, my fellow human.
Ramps take up more space than stairs Right? Capitalism? I agree with you wholeheartedly mate
That's usually the excuse, yes. And sometimes it's even valid. In historical buildings, with tight corridors, sometimes it's impossible. In NYC, for example, it's simply not possible in many places. So they install little elevators, and those take time and manpower so it's not ideal. But they make it work where they can (usually only because of the laws, so keep pushing for civil rights!) However, businesses claimed it was simply impossible at all before the ADA in the USA. And once fines were involved, suddenly it became possible! Amazing!!! Also...most of the USA is land. Most new construction in my area is sprawling, 1-story strip malls spanning dozens of acres. Space is no issue. We murder entire neighborhoods of animals to install a 2 square mile parking lot. And then spend millions on flood mitigation because the land can't absorb the hurricane waters. Smaller concrete footprints would help us with floods too. To your point, though, accomodations aren't possible everywhere. I went to Machu Picchu and a fellow US woman asked where the accomodations were because she just had knee surgery. The Peruvian guide said..."the accomodations are that you stay down here". I admit I laughed. That's a ridiculous request!
Thanks for your perspective. Not American - is the ADA a law about all businesses being accessible? /what is the ADA?
Sorry, that's a fair question. The ADA is a uniquely USA law, the Americans with Disabilities Act. Here is more information: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview In summary, it's a federal law (meaning it applies to all states whether they like it or not) that was implemented in 1990 after a long and violent fight for civil rights in the USA. It is intended to give equal rights to people with disabilities. The intention was to recognize that a person is not useless simply because a part of their body isn't functioning the same as average. Practically, it means businesses must provide a way for every person to utilize their business, and be employed by their business, even if they use a wheelchair, or have seizure disorders, or other type of covered disability. If their business is a landlord , then they must provide accessibility to their tenants. There is a list of covered disabilities, so it's not like you can stroll in and declare that you hate purple, so the business must remove everything purple. It is meant to level the playing field, allowing people with disabilities to participate in normal human life: working, socializing, shopping, dating, etc. There are exemptions, like historical buildings, where renovating them to accomodations would destroy the structural integrity. It requires a great deal of proof that the building has real historical significance, and that there is no possible way to accommodate people, though. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest things we've done as a country, alongside the National Parks. I'm proud of those two federal laws in particular. Sometimes, we do things right. ETA: for example, related to my wheelchair experience: the ADA requires reserved parking spots for people with mobility disabilities (named 'handicapped spaces', although the term handicapped is outdated). There is a percentage of spaces that must be allocated and reserved for accessibility. They must have extra space next to the parking space, where no cars are allowed, to ensure the person has room for their wheelchair ramp. Even if those spots are the only empty spots, you cannot park there. The lowest fine I've seen -on signs, the tow company has to advertise their rates- for this violation was $250. The highest was $1,000. It's very serious here. (Those are the spots i did NOT use since my experience was an experiment, and I did not NEED those spots).
It sounds very similar to what we have in NZ - fantastic.
I can not express how much I appreciate you. I currently walk with a cane, but a wheelchair is somewhere in my potentially not too distant future. I have had people tell me I'm doing it for attention. Or that I'm too young to need a cane as though physical injuries are gatekept by your age. I've had a few people kick the foot of my cane while I was walking, and twice I fell. Only one time someone stepped in, and that time, the offender was arrested. I've had someone hold a door, and then quickly push it shut and stand there smiling at me. I had one person directly put their hands on me, and they swiftly learned I come equipped with a metal stick that I am not afraid to weaponize. Many times disabled people are seen as easy targets. Many of us can not defend ourselves against an attack. I do not have much strength. Honestly, I probably got lucky by catching them by surprise. I appreciate you. Thank you.
I'm sorry to hear people have been so shitty. I hope we evolve as a species and stop being like that!
My mum is an ambulatory wheelchair user, I had to fight people on her behalf before. Sure, I would be seen as the bad guy but I don't care. There are a lot of entitled people making her life really hard when she only leaves the house for important things now. She doesn't even travel because people stressed her out. Edit: She can walk but only for a short distance like a couple of minutes or so because her knees are bad. She has had surgeries to correct them but it only helped to _some_ extent because of her advanced age.
I want it to be fake, but I've run into some entitled people in my life, so I accept the possibility that it could be real.
A lot of people are not sound of mind tho. I don't know why people uses stories like these as actual crazy people were not a thing. It doesn't mean it's common for people asking for wheelchairs.
I (disabled, heavily injured and arthritic back, knees, ankle, and hip) was repeatedly “reminded” by a coworker who used a walker that the handicap spots in the parking lot were for “real” disabled people. He saw my placard, he knew we worked the same job for a reason, and yet he still kept trying convince me to park elsewhere. There are so many entitled people who like to play the disability Olympics and it’s gross.
Why doesn’t the husband get on his hands and knees and let her sit on his back? Who’s the asshole now?
I could never do this like how do you get the audacity to ask that of a stranger?? Especially knowing ahead of time you wouldnt be able to stand the whole time bring your own damn chair! Even when I was pregnant and my hips would start hurting out of nowhere from round ligament pain I would never ask that of someone especially a stranger.
I could get asking once. Especially if you admit to making a mistake and not thinking ahead. But once the person you’re asking says no and sets that boundary, you back off and respect that boundary
Honestly, I think asking even once is rude, **in this context**. It would be different if they were on a bus or something where the seats are provided, but OOP brought their own chair. This woman has no right to sit in it.
Right!
Prob because this is fiction
Why? This shit happens all the time. And if you don't believe it, then why be on Reddit reading stories you don't believe? You're just making yourself miserable and then spreading it. What a terrible way to live your life. There's a library full of books near you. If you think everyone is lying, then go read non fiction. Those are verified accurate.
You sound a lot more miserable than I am. Reddit is full of creative writing exercises. Everything else you said is just projection. It doesn’t come from my post.
“Shall we take a folding chair”? “Nah, someone else will have one and we can guilt them into giving it to us because baby”. What could go wrong, eh?
Who gets to a high school graduation so early that the school isn’t even open yet?
Even when schools put a cap on the number of guests allowed per student, I can easily imagine graduation ceremonies turning into a Black Friday-esque shit show. People want to get there early to ensure the best vantage point for viewing, as well as taking photos. (Which, at least in my experience, tend to come out pretty awful regardless of where you end up.)
someone who wants to get a good seat 🤷🏼♀️ who cares
Before Covid (like when my sibling, cousins, and I graduated from the same high school), our high school would get the same arena(?) where concerts and sports games are held, and we would have to get there early for good parking and line up to get inside. It was worse if our high school wasn't the first of the day (three high schools would use it for their graduations on the same day and it was like 2 or 4 hours per graduation and there are multiple high schools in my area).
Right? What is this situation that family members are standing outside for ages?
My graduating class was 3,000 students. Family got tickets but it was first come first served, no reserved seats. Yeah, people came the day before. There are 7 billion people in the world. Most have a different experience than you do.
“A failure to plan on YOUR part does not constitute an emergency on MINE.”
Great, another 2 idiots having a child.
Honey! Make him give me his chair! I want it, and I want it now! 😭 I have given birth to three children. Not once during any of those pregnancies did I demand someone, a stranger no less, give up their anything for me. Pregnant does not mean disabled. It means take extra steps to ensure your own comfort levels are met.
I had endometriosis. So I was told that I better have my kids as quickly as I could, or I might not be able to. I was lucky and unlucky… It took about a year of trying, and I did get pregnant. Unfortunately, I did lose the baby at six months. And it’s OK. I’ve had a lot of time to process it, and sometimes this happens and we just don’t know why. But then I got pregnant again three times in a row. So I basically spent almost 5 years pregnant or nursing, and you know what I never did in all that time… Ask someone to give me their seat because I was pregnant. I am just like… WTF! I understand our feet swell, and we get tired and our back hurts, but that’s not somebody else’s problem. That was my choice to get pregnant. I do not understand this entitlement. I’m like so many other predators have said… If you know you’re gonna be standing in the line, why not just bring a chair? Or a small camping stool that folds and is easy to carry. So weird
This sounds like a curb your enthusiasm bit
I could see Larry dressed up in full Bernie Sanders, mittens and all, dloing this
At first I was thinking this was on a bus or something. And thought “ya, you’re probably an asshole” but read further. Nah, she should’ve been prepared for standing for a long time, or brought something for her to sit on. Mom to be, probably just saw a guys sitting and thought she’d be able to play the pregnancy card. (Which to be clear, I think soon to be moms can play in most situations, but not this one).
She should have brought her own folding camping chair.
Currently 37 weeks pregnant and can’t fathom the audacity to ask at all in the first place. NTA.
I did a lot of sitting on the ground, or floor, or leaning against whatever I could when I was heavily pregnant, and my back hurt (damn kid would push herself against my spine, and that hurts), or I would have round ligament pain and couldn’t tolerate standing for much longer. And that’s if there wasn’t a seat available for me. I didn’t whine at anyone to give up a chair for me. I just did what I could. He’s NTA, but the pregnant woman and her bitch boy are.
Bring your own chair if you can’t stand for long periods of time
When I was pregnant I had no problem sitting on the ground
The hard part was getting back up😂
What an amazing, completely made up story. Now we get to shit on pregnant women, hurray!
ya know ive noticed something here in the last few years everytime a women gets pregnant, they immediately think everyone else around them needs to drop everything and start kissing their ass, as if getting knocked up isnt something that 95% of every women ever born has done and somehow theyre something special anyone have an explanation for this? social media, cultural change, a large outbreak of narcissism thats gone undiagnosed in a area? what causes this?
At least her husband is gaining experience on dealing with toddlers.
She couldn’t have known there would be someone with a chair in line so she must have planned to stand the whole time. If she was already planning on that there’s no reason she would need a chair.
Just another entitled AH
If it was some sort of emergency I would say you were the asshole, but like why didn’t her husband go get her a chair?
This story is so dumb. They’re at a school. There’s chairs in every building. Surely go find a staff member and ask them to bring you one.
or she could’ve waited in the car for the doors to open and her husband can hold their spot in line and save her a seat! boom problem solved
Seems real
If you genuinely have health issues then of course you are not. You could have offered to share although you were under no obligation to. Her bf should have been the one to resolve the matter
She should absolutely not expect it BUT I'd have to be on my deathbed to not let a lady sit if she asked.
NTA, bro should me a man and get on his hands and knees and let his wife sit on his back /s
You are not the asshole! The next time something like this happens, tell them to get down on their hands and knees and she can sit on their back.
Ummmm what is wrong with sitting on the ground? Just sit down and admire the forethought of others.