anotherlimey

Today I went for lunch at a little restaurant (Chicken Grill) that only sits about 30 people; a woman from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue had "reserved" 8 seats for her co-workers half of whom were not there yet (the other half were in line).

A heavily pregnant woman in front of me - carrying her food tray - went to get a seat, but there were none left; when she asked if she could sit down in a "reserved" seat because she was pregnant the woman from MD FR wouldn't let her.

I couldn't believe it, and no one else offered to let her sit down (I was still paying for my food).

I'm kind of ashamed of myself now for not saying anything.

EDIT: I'm just venting - I'm still annoyed with myself.

Celsius

Is there something you ain't telling us about the two people involved? Was the pregnant woman non-Caucasian (Black, Latino, Asian, etc.) and the MDFR person another ethnicity (or vice versa)?

BigDavyG

Don't complicate the matter - some people are just plain rude.

The pregnant woman made a big mistake. Sure she was polite enough to ask, but the MDFR person's response was irrelevant - she should have plonked herself down anyway.
If the people are not in the seats with their purchases that's their bad luck - first come, first served.

If I were you I would not have said anything - you don't want to start a ruck in the restaurant. A quick note of the MDFR birds uniform number would have sufficed - you could have made a sneaky complaint to her superiors once you got back to work re her mistreating a pregnant woman whilst in MDFR uniform.
Rude people deserve no mercy - it costs us nothing to be polite and pleasant to others.

anotherlimey

I think they were both Latino.

Celsius

... and you don't consider your suggestion for the pregnant woman to be at the same level as the MDFR woman? Stooping to that level?

If, as the OP believes, both women are Latino, your suggestion could have ended up in a pretty heated battle.

If I were witness to such a situation, I would've said something to the manager/staff to get them to intervene on the pregnant diner's behalf...

BigDavyG

Not really, no.
I think the basic rule in fast-food/self-service restaurants in no food, no seat so the pregnant woman would have been completely within her rights plonk herself down regardless.
The other woman was in the wrong and the fact that the seat-seeker was pregnant just makes her lack of manners even worse.

Like I said before manners are free and people who don't have them deserve to be treated like they treat others.

nottsinCT

I think the people here are just rude full stop I got off a train with my stroller and child had to climb 50 steps to get to the road not one person helped me carry up the stroller I had carried it myself then a guy carrying a baby in a car seat tried to come and help... and not only that have you ever tried taking a child out on foot no one looks he has been fell on and stepped on so many times and no apology I get the look as if I am in the wrong!!! also elevators are for disabled and stollers priority the lift is full not one stroller or wheelchair in it and 2 strollers waiting to get in no one moves out!! now you got me started haha....

snowbunny

Working women are taught to "pretend" that pregnancy poses no obstacles whatsoever to working even if they're puking their guts up every 15 minutes.

I've been hugely pregnant myself and crawling around on a lab floor recabling machines.

America doesn't seem to be able to handle the fact that pregnant women, for the most part, can function "as usual" but need temporary assistance in some areas. They tend to ignore pregnancy as if it's the product of a sex act and no more.

Someone should have given up their seat and I'm ashamed that they didn't.

Many restaurants have a "we-don't-seat-incomplete-parties" policy and if someone can't be arsed to get to a restaurant or a theatre on time, no way will I respect someone trying to hold eight frickin seats.

BigDavyG

Upon further reflection the pregnant woman should have shoot the MDFR woman in the face - job done

Sarah

Very similar thing happened to me when I was on the Tube once. Only two people standing; me and a very pregnant woman. No-one stood up to let pregnant woman sit down and I was stunned, I couldn't believe it. I felt like shouting at the entire carriage but didn't, kinda wish I had now.

Seeing as she was wearing the MDFR uniform, I would seriously think about phoing them up, and just telling someone, not demanding to speak to the manager or anything, just the receptionist will do, and in a non-confrontational way tell them you thought that the behaviour sucked.

Makes me hang my head in despair hearing of women still being so unkind to each other.

TouristTrap

Why should pregnant women get any special consideration? Women's rights and all that.

*don't stone me. That is not what I would do/think how it should be. My kids let a lady through door first, pull out chairs, etc. But, isn't this what the Friedan's, etc., of the world have been asking for for the last 4 decades?*

mandeeuk

I can't stand people with no manners! What a disappointment... and, this morning, I was actually thinking that maybe people weren't that bad as I saw two well dressed men in suits helping a guy with a stalled old beat up truck push it to the side of the road.

I guess it's sad when you start really noticing the nice, kind gestures as out of the ordinary.

snowbunny

If a guy's temporarily on crutches cos he's broken his leg, wouldn't you offer to help him out?

Same thing.

anotherlimey

I think it's self explanatory

I wouldn't give up my seat for a woman unless she was pregnant, disabled or old.

When I was younger and out with my mum, she would make me get up for all women.

snowbunny

And I'd give up my seat for a man with a disability.

Pregnancy is a temporary disability. Try shaving your legs or painting your toenails while nine months pregnant!