I had to stand up holding a toddler, because nobody would give up their seat. This isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s an expression of the sexism women face
If proof of the contempt with which women are routinely treated in this country is needed, Wide Awoke advises you to ask any mother about her experiences of travelling with small children.
My randomly plucked horror story goes like this: boarding a train from Edinburgh to London with my toddler, I found that both of the wheelchair spaces – the only place where you have the option of keeping your baby in their buggy – were taken. By three able-bodied adults. There was another woman with a baby in a buggy and I politely asked them to move for us. They refused. We then politely asked the train guard to assist us. He said there was nothing he could do. Everyone else in the carriage put in their headphones and shut their eyes. We folded our buggies and stood holding our babies until seats became available. The atmosphere was at Bodyguard levels of intensity. The other mother started sobbing and I ended up comforting her in the vestibule as we lurched against the walls of the tilting train, our babies thumping on our hips and hopelessness in our hearts.
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2x3L0IG
via
0 Comments