Baby on board? Men more likely to offer seat

IT MIGHT be assumed that female commuters would be more alert to the needs of pregnant women on public transport. However, when it comes to giving up a seat for an expectant mother, the opposite is true.

Researchers found women were more likely to pretend not to notice an expectant mother to avoid giving up their seat on public transport than their male counterparts.

About 19 per cent of women admitted to keeping their head down in such a situation compared with just 14 per cent of men, according to a poll of more than 2,000 adults.

People aged 16-24 give up their seat an average of eight times a month, while those aged over 55 did so only twice, the survey found.

People from households with an annual income of £15,000 to £25,000 were more likely to act when they saw someone in need, with almost two-thirds (64 per cent) offering others a place to sit down.

Commuters with salaries above £55,000 a year, however, were the least likely group to move, with just 42 per cent saying they would give up their seat. The sur- vey was commissioned by Monarch. The travel company’s chief operations officer, Nils Christy, said: “We wanted to see just how nice the nation really is by looking at a commonplace situation faced by commuters every day.

“It’s encouraging to see men and the younger generation – often criticised for being unthoughtful – coming out tops in this simple demonstration of niceness.”