Baby on board

In recent times Transport for London (TfL) have been encouraging a social norm around pregnant women.  For no charge TfL will issue a Baby on Board badge:

Image from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/9946394/Lifes-misery-on-the-Tube-ifyouve-got-a-Baby-on-Board.html

The idea is that sight of this badge should induce other passengers to offer their seats to the women bearing this statement.

Sources close to me reveal that this badge has a limited effect on altruistic seat donation, but instead predicts most of the variance in looking-away or looking-intently into space behaviours.  Moreover, those few people who do offer a place are more likely to be female.  This anecdotal report, from a number of individuals, makes intuitive sense: a past history of pregnancy, or an anticipation of that state, may trigger some affiliative thinking.  As yet I have no information about behaviour in the presence of more than one baby on board badge wearer.

A recent article bemoans this lack of generosity and refers to the inner thoughts of those passengers contemplating whether or not to give up a seat. Of course, all that this badge does is signal a possible need to a group of seated individuals (c. 12 on average), most of whom are unknown to each other.  Each one of them then has to weigh up the costs of giving up their seat, and the likelihood of someone else doing so, against the benefits of retention. Variables such as length of journey, crowding, fatigue and so on will undoubtedly play a role.  This is the volunteer's dilemma, and is at the root of bystander apathy, and a constant thorn in the side of managers who attempt to encourage staff investment in a public good for no direct reward.

There is another factor to consider.  Whilst most people have no business wearing a baby on board badge (and for now we shall assume that those who do, do so honestly) many people have other ailments.  There are no badges for sore knees, feverishness, lumbago, ennui, headaches and so on. People suffering in other ways have to rely upon standard social negotiations - Excuse me, but I feel dizzy, could I please sit down for a while?

Negotiations of this sort are difficult for they can be met with many responses, and not all pleasant.  Everybody knows this, and assessing the risk, or better, the likelihood of a noxious interaction, is a part of the daily task load for commuters on the underground network.  This fact makes pregnant badge wearers very visible as individuals are effectively declaring that they are special and should not be required to even contemplate negotiation. Moreover, the badge also implies that pregnancy trumps sore knees.  In effect, TfL have rank ordered all of the complaints of life that a seat might ameliorate, and awarded pregnancy first place and all others joint last.

The preceding thoughts have led me to the conclusion that TfL is a pro-natal organization, valuing the regeneration of London above all else.  They are happy to declare that the lot of pregnant women is more important than that of all others - although they do equivocate slightly around the signage for the priority seats at the end of each row:

Image from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7281504.stm

This sign amounts to no more than warning to those seated in it that a negotiation might be coming their way.  I have seen those negotiations go well, especially when there is a visible signal such as a walking stick (although that was not my experience when on crutches).  But I have also seen them degenerate into wild pointing at the sign, asserting an endowed right from the authority of TfL, only to be met with complete indifference: TfL is not my god.

Whilst idly speculating on how to 'solve' these issues two ideas occurred to me:

1) Make the majority of underground trains standing only, particularly at peak commuter times.

The experience of this would be hellish, appropriately enough for a subterranean service.

2) Give those who need seats the ability to top up the Oyster cards of those who sacrifice their seat.  The last time I looked there were £52 million in unused Oyster credits sat on the system.  Oyster credits could be made time-limited and then the surplus put into a reciprocation scheme... having said that, the infrastructure more generally would benefit from a £52 million investment...