MTA Hands Out Baby on Board Buttons to Pregnant Straphangers
Submitted by Rose Gordon Sala on
When a female subway rider offered her seat on the uptown 6 train to one of our Mommy Poppins editors who was well into her third trimester of pregnancy, the gentleman beside her suddenly came to life.
"Oh sorry, didn't know if you were pregnant or just fat." Dude. A new MTA pilot program launched on Mother’s Day 2017 aims to clear up that, ahem, confusion.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which includes NYC’s subways and buses, but also the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, will provide two types of wearable buttons for anyone who requests them due to a temporary or permanent disability: “Baby on Board!” or “Please offer me a seat.” Both buttons carry the slogan “Courtesy Counts,” and are designed to “encourage customers to move their feet and offer a seat for pregnant riders, seniors and those with a disability who are seeking seats,” according to a MTA statement.