Tuesday, July 28: Sweltering train platform at 72 St., packed train. Middle-aged black woman gives me her seat. I feel a little guilty when the train gets stopped before Times Square and she has to stand there for 5-10 minutes before her stop. But not guilty enough to give the seat back.

Wednesday, July 29: Again with the heat, again with the crowded train at 72. Woman in her 20s-30s of indeterminate race -- olive skin, could be black/white/Hispanic/Indian/Italian/etc. gives up her seat.

Thursday, July 30: Still so hot. One train is so packed I can't even get on. Second train has room, but no seats. I stand in front of a row of three seemingly able-bodied men, all of whom stay seated. Black woman in her 20s gives up her seat for me. I practically have to crawl over the lap of one of the seated men to get to it. I try to invade his personal space a bit when I sit. Of course, maybe that's what he wanted!

Sorry, I didn't hear you standing there

July 2: 72nd St., crowded 2 train. I'm wearing my maternity dress, the one that makes me look REALLY pregnant. Stand in front of two people -- black guy in his 20s, woman of indeterminate ethnic background in her 30s, both of able body. Both listening to iPods, both surreptitiously eye my belly, neither one gets up. Hey -- just because you can't HEAR me doesn't mean you can't SEE me. Last time I checked, iPods don't cause blindness, folks.

I should say, at this point in the experiment, it's pretty much academic curiosity. Who will get up? Who will stay seated? I'm perfectly capable of standing, but it's just nice to be offered a seat when you're obviously pregnant. If at some point in the future I am in actual pregnancy-related discomfort, I will be more proactive and ask people for their seats. Which sounds kind of embarrassing. But I guess being a parent sometimes means embarrassing yourself in public, so maybe it'll be good practice.

Subway Adventures

Someone offered me their subway seat for the first time this week! I'm 23 weeks pregnant (that's about 5 months, for those of you not immersed in the strange algebra of pregnancy), and I've been waiting eagerly for this day. I credit the improving weather as much as my expanding stomach -- with my coat off, it's quite clear now that I'm pregnant. Of course, what my fellow subway riders choose to do with this information is entirely up to them.

As a newcomer to New York, I'm fascinated by the unwritten etiquette rules of subway behavior. Giving up your seat to a pregnant woman is pretty basic courtesy on any public transportation. Of course, basic courtesy isn't always so basic for a lot of people.

So I've decided to keep a log of who gives up their seat for me, in the hopes of drawing wildly speculative, subjective conclusions from a small sample of data. What's the use of scientific observation if it can't be exploited for cheap dinner party conversation? With that lofty goal in mind, I bring you my subway chronicles.

June 29: 3 train, 72nd St. Black dude in his 20s, dressed in light green maintenance-worker jumpsuit, immediately stands and gestures for me to take his seat. I thank him profusely.
June 30: Very crowded 3 train, 72nd St. White guy in "Assistant To The Regional Manager" outfit keeps reading his US Weekly as I stand in front of him. My pregnant belly pokes into his "Stars: They're Just Like Us!" reading as the train sways. He doesn't look up. Hey, white guy sitting down: Douchebags! They're Just Like You!
July 1: 2 train, 72nd St. Crowded. A black man, probably in his 40s or 50s, wearing a conservative suit, leans over and taps me on the arm to give me his seat. Why thank you sir.