This is a personal query about the “Baby on Board” badge issued to be used on the London Underground. Please spare a few minutes on the following when you are not busy.

Everyone knows that London Olympic is approaching soon. My wife, now 4-month pregnant, has been wearing the Baby on Board badge for both train trips and underground travel, with very mixed experience so far. Yesterday before reaching the City where she works, she first went to the ticket office at the Waterloo station for one more badge as she hopes to put it on another bag, only to be told that “We don’t do this now any more. They will be available in several months’ time, until the Olympics is over.”

Carrying a strange feeling about the notion of Olympic having anything to do with a Badge, she later encountered a member of staff at the Embankment station who told commuters to take off their Baby on Board badges: “You should take it off. It doesn't work any more.” “What? Why? I’m STILL pregnant.” “It will work after the Olympic is over.” Now, she felt not only puzzled but annoyed: In what position are the London Underground and/or their staff to tell pregnant customers to refrain from receiving the well-intentioned gesture from fellow travellers, by removing this badge themselves? By saying the badge “WILL NOT” or “DO NOT work”, do they assume passengers with some sense of respect WOULD NOT give up seats during the Olympic season, hence no need to wear the badge any more? Or, do they intend to tell people just that, pregnant women SHOULD NOT be granted a seat, full stop? In either case, what is the rationale behind this U-turn of policy on their own initiated "Baby on Board" badges, if I may ask?

On the way back home, she was told “off” again by another member of staff at the Mansion House: “The badges should be taken off. They will not work until Olympic is over.” Feeling angry yet funny at the same time, she decided to keep it on, along with several other pregnant passengers that she saw on the journey who also showed their defiance, dignity and pride for being mothers-to-be.

* well, I'd wear even these, for a good laugh!!

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This might be something trivial in the eyes of many, but we both find it outrageous and indigestible. If my wife bumped into such rhetoric three times in a single day (yesterday the 28^th Feb.), then I would tend not to assume these were just random expressions of individual opinions by London Underground’s staff, but manifestation of direct/indirect instructions from the management that the Olympic (and by extension athletes and sports representatives from all over the world, I assume?) should take precedence over everybody else, including pregnant women, when it comes to fighting for a seat on the ever-so-crowded Tube. I hope my assumption is wrong, but it couldn't be proven without you kindly shedding lights on the issue.

Regards,

Y. L.