Redditors Criticized a Pregnant Woman for Refusing to Give Up a Seat for Paying Customers

Redditors Criticized a Pregnant Woman for Refusing to Give Up a Seat for Paying Customers

Pregnancy is not a light matter.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund, there were 223 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2000 - 2020.

Pregnant women often experience discomfort and certain health problems as they carry another human being in their wombs. These include constipation, incontinence, cramps, feeling hot due to hormonal changes, feeling faint from lack of oxygen, hair and skin changes, and varicose veins.

Others suffer from back pain, pelvic pain, nosebleeds, heartburn, tiredness, sleeping troubles, and other symptoms.

This is why pregnant women should always be given understanding and consideration. The saying, "When you're pregnant, you have one foot in the grave and one foot out" feels true for many in that condition.

Unfortunately, many Redditors who slammed this pregnant woman in this particular post lack this vital knowledge about motherhood. They were more concerned with business than the welfare of a mother and her unborn child.

The post has already been deleted in Reddit's r/AmItheA--hole forum by the Original Poster herself, the mother-to-be. But the story was also published in Newsweek, which offered an expert's perspective on this sensitive case.

OP narrated that she often feels tired due to her being eight months pregnant. One time, she was at an ice cream shop in a local mall when exhaustion caught up with her. But the shop had no available seats.

She wrote, "All of the tables surrounding the shop, as well as some nearby sofas were taken. Because of that, after getting my ice cream, I decided to sit on one of the two massage chairs that were close, and eat it there."

However, as she began eating, a teenage couple approached her and told her to get off the chair. She had not paid for a massage, while the two of them were paying customers.

But OP refused, since she had just started resting. She continued to say in her post, "In return, I offered to leave once I finished eating, or if they found me a different place to sit, since I could not stand for more than a few minutes at a time and had a relatively large dessert that I wanted to finish."

 width= Photo: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

The female teenager reacted harshly, as OP continued to relate: "She told me to stop acting as if I was ill, that just because I was pregnant the world did not revolve around me, and because I was not paying for a massage, I had no right to sit on the chair."

A security guard approached and told the teenagers that they should allow OP to rest. He recommended that the teens take turns with the available massage chair.

Nonetheless, the teenagers continued to spit fire, accusing OP of selfishness and how she was depriving the business owner of profit.

Many Redditors sided with these disrespectful teens, accusing OP of the same things: selfishness, using her pregnancy as an excuse, causing a business to lose profit, etc.

Finally, the moderators had to issue a warning to those who were giving uncivil comments, and the thread was locked.

Who was the person who said that it's wise to think first before we speak (or write)?

Doris de Luna

For more than 20 years now, I’ve been devoting my heart, energy, and time to fulfilling my dream, which – many people may agree – is not among the easiest aspirations in life. Part of my happiness is having been able to lend a hand to many individuals, companies, and even governments as an investigative journalist, creative writer, TV director, and radio broadcaster.


At home, I spend my free time learning how to cook various cuisines. Tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and banoffee pie are my favorite desserts. Playing with our dogs, Mushu and Jerusalem, is also a special part of my day. And, of course, I read a lot – almost anything under the sun. But what really makes me feel alive is meeting people from various walks of life and writing about their stories, which echo with the tears and triumph of an unyielding spirit, humanity, and wisdom.

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