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Being pregnant in Jakarta

It's tough.

Especially if you're a working-pregnant woman who commutes everyday using commuter line train and TransJakarta bus. Yes, there are special seats for pregnant women in the train and the TransJakarta, but you just can't help it when it's rush hour and you're departing from the 3rd-4th-5th-and more stations or bus shelters where the mentioned public transportation are already filled and crowded from other commuting people (hah, what an ineffective sentence). I witnessed, several freaking times, where I saw pregnant woman stands in the middle of crowded passengers, both on the train and the bus. Trying to hold and protect their tummy from the pressure.

Oh, I'd give my seat, if I myself were sitting. And of course I helped them to find a seat and sit down. But that one time I couldn't help her to sit down as the priority seats in front of us were already full of pregnant woman. It really bothers me the whole ride because we can't move either, as the train was already cramped.

I remember years ago when mom conceived my sister and my brother (both at different times), and she had to commute almost everyday to Pariaman because she was teaching there. We had no private car, so mom had to take a bus an hour long ride to Pariaman. Most of the times, mom stood the whole ride because the bus was full and people are ***hole. Pardon my language. I remember she complained every time she came home because no one gave her seat when she was heading to Pariaman and on her ride back home.

And you can't just forget that time in 2014, where a young lady posted a rage update about not wanting to give her seat to pregnant woman just because she herself woke in the morning just to get a seat on the train. It went viral because she pointed to every pregnant women that they shouldn't get on the train as the train's situation are not freakin suitable for them.

Well lady, you are not wrong. You're just an a***ole.

If these pregnant women had other choices, they will frickin choose any transportation but train. But have you seen Jakarta roads in the morning? Have you seen the total cost of using car/bus/motorcycle compared to train? Their choices are limited. Compared to other transportation, train is definitely cheaper, faster, and more convenient. If people were kinder and more caring with any standing-pregnant-women in front of them, it could relieve their pain and ease their feelings.

I can't imagine where I was one of these working-pregnant ladies and still hadto commute to work by using train or bus.

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