So today I was definitely wearing my Altruistic hat. Well, not for the whole day, just from leaving the office. And not, i'm saddened to say, intentionally, I was just in the right place at the right time.
It began with me paying for 2 Big Issues and only taking 1.
I then stood on the tube to let a pregnant lady have my seat, while the men buried their noses in The Evening Standard. Having previously made the mistake of standing and the lady not being pregnant (awkward) I was relieved to see, prior to standing and after staring, probably quite rudely now that I think about it, that she had a 'baby on board' badge.
I then helped a lady up the stairs at Waterloo station with her buggy, wondering the whole time why she didn't get the escalator, while men stepped past us...
I then stood again, this time on the train to let an elderly lady sit, who then proceeded to thank me the entire way, luckily it was only 2 stops as I was getting quite embarrassed.
Finishing off at my final destination, luckily, as i'm not sure how much more I could've taken, especially as i'd had no lunch today (for some reason I wasn't hungry, which is really weird and is making me slightly nervous), by helping a lady down the stairs with her buggy, again guys stepped past as if we were a nuisance, without a single offer of help. They really need to invest in lifts at train/tube stations, or more ramps or some sort of hover contraption to get buggy's up and down the stairs. Anyway I digress...
So my question to you is this...
Is Chivalry dead? In my 25 minute journey it seemed as if it had never existed. A figment of my imagination or something that I had read about in fantasy books. Not only men though, even though I highlighted them in this, women also looked at the elderly lady standing and went back to their magazines. I'm also pretty sure the lady sitting in front of the standing pregnant lady noticed her bump and badge.
Is it, as an article in my Big Issue that I eventually got to read suggested, that everyone is waiting for 'someone else'.
Steve 023 bath suggested that rather then buying The Big Issue, a lot of people tend to offer him half hearted excuses that basically amount to "Don't worry I am sure someone else will be along to buy one".
Is this the same in regard to offering seats and helping others out? Everyone thinks that 'someone else' will do it, so they just ignore the situation until 'someone else' comes along? Or do I just have a sign on my head saying "I am 'someone else' and I will help, don't you worry love you relax"?
Not that I mind, but what about when i'm not there...? o_O
PR x
my mom would literally kick me in the head if i didnt get up for any lady who was "considerably" older than me, let alone pregnant. and seeing as she stands at a mere 5ft5 and just scrapes my armpit, that is a pure indication of how much my disrespect/non-courtesy would have her practically taking off! very well written...bawse
ReplyDeleteThey definitely saw you coming, in your bright and colourful ensemble, looking like you work for 'Friends of the Earth'. I jest.
ReplyDeleteChivalry is not dead, though I don't know what the female equivalent is and if that ever truly existed, apart from in your case.
To answer your question, I think people look at you and think your handling the situation, at least with the pram carrying. Do you know the types of bad looks you can get for attempting to help two women - what like your superman and I need your scrawny assed help.
General rule, if they they look like their struggling, then make the offer. If not, then keep it moving.
Where giving seats away are concerned, lets just say 9 out of 10 times, my mum wouldn't have to beat me for not having the courtesy she taught me.
With the Big issue guys, if I got I'll give. If I don't I wont, but I don't ignore them or walk by like they leprosy. Just simply say, 'sorry mate, not today.