We saw a hugely pregnant woman standing near us on the L train this morning and tried to get the attention of some people who were sitting so that they could let her sit down. But they ignored us, much as they ignored us when we were nine months pregnant last August and standing over them. And yet, these same people play peekaboo with my baby and yell, "Make way for the stroller!" In her hilarious Babble essay on this phenomenon, "Notes from Underground," new mom Lynn Harris writes, "When the train arrived, I — facing, mind you,
a long ride to or from Brooklyn — would enter, ever hopeful . . . to a
sea of blank stares, bald spots, Post headlines. Headlines held
up to hide faces. Headlines reading, CHIVALRY DEAD. That's right: no
one budged. Time and again. No. One. Budged." Well, a few people budged, but who stepped up might surprise you. Check out the feedback from all over the country (and Japan!) to see how universal this phenomenon is. Portland Parents calls it a "must-read." And see the Glamour blog post our friend at Jezebel just sent us that draws similar conclusions.
