Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–78 of 78 posts

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#71

Post by jvvw »

onion2k wrote: post #28
mulrian wrote: post #12

I don't get it. The whole concept only works if there are people who have deliberately installed the free version so that they actually get the notifications. Seems like a whole lot of work and £3.99 for a very small chance of anyone actually noticing. If you're pregnant and want my seat then just ask me - I'll always happily give it up.

I don't think it's reasonable to assume that the company behind this app did no research into the problem. It's possible that they didn't, but it's also possible that they asked pregnant women what problems they faced and discovered that actually getting a seat by asking people doesn't work as often as we'd like to think. That would be a really interesting discovery - on the face of it the problem shouldn't exist, bu…

You have to remember that this is a British app and we're probably not the best at things like asking for seats. As somebody who has been pregnant twice (and in the UK),I still can't really see what improvement this is over the baby on board badges. I don't think it is something I would have paid for - sometimes people just don't notice you certainly, but the chance of somebody having it installed in the same carriage seems pretty remote.

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#72

Post by [deleted] »

mulrian wrote: post #12

I don't get it. The whole concept only works if there are people who have deliberately installed the free version so that they actually get the notifications. Seems like a whole lot of work and £3.99 for a very small chance of anyone actually noticing. If you're pregnant and want my seat then just ask me - I'll always happily give it up.

[deleted]

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#73

Post by rebuilder »

chrisseaton wrote: post #33
rebuilder wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Talking to people can lead to awkward situations. It's not the end of the world.

Are apps only useful if they prevent the end of the world? What's wrong with making things just a little easier?

I wasn't really under the impression we were strictly discussing the app anymore. But on that subject, I do think the cure may be worse than the disease in this case - this app helps alleviate a minor inconvenience in the short term by making it easier to avoid human contact, the lack of which is arguably the reason people aren't behaving well in the first place.

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#74

Post by mosselman »

Waterluvian wrote: post #54
test1235 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What industry is she trying disrupt? Who are the early adopters? How many months to series A or angel investment, or will this be a crowdfunded innovation? Are we aiming for a possible unicorn/narwhal/decacorn here?

How will she ever fit into silicon valley culture without all these things ?!

After July she should start fitting into things a lot easier. I am sure Silicon Valley is wide enough as it is though.

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#77

Post by colanderman »

supergreg wrote: post #27
jgrahamc wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have literally once offered my seat to a pregnant woman on the Tube in London and it turned out that she was just overweight round the middle and not pregnant. It was extremely embarrassing for both of us. I greatly appreciate the women who wear these badges: https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/23479.aspx because it makes it unambiguous. It can honestly be hard on a packed London underground train to tell the difference betwe…

That happens to me and elderly people. I never know when they are elderly enough to offer my seat.

My rule is, if they use a cane or walker, are visibly hunched, are steadying themselves with both hands, or seem to be actively looking for a seat, I get up. Otherwise no. (The older population in Boston is pretty fit; if I offered my seat to everyone with grey hair I think I'd insult quite a few perfectly hale people.)

Also, pregnant women tend to hold their bellies. Overweight people don't. And if you accidentally offer your seat to someone who's chubby and has indigestion, well just tell them they looked like they had indigestion.

Re: New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

#78

Post by colanderman »

michaelt wrote: post #34
waldfee wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also simply asking people to give over their seat. That's exactly what the app does. Why not ask people directly? Just to avoid having to talk to them? Seems very strange to me.

Why not ask people directly? Imagine public transport was full of 90% polite people who would happily give up their seat, and 10% assholes who'd get in your face for no good reason. And you couldn't tell those people apart. If all the polite people had the app installed, using it would let you address them and avoid the 10%.

Or just ask loud enough so that the potential-asshole and his two neighbors hear, giving you a 99.9% chance of getting a seat, and a 0% chance of getting chewed out because no-one acts like a dick to a pregnant woman on a crowded subway for obvious reasons.
Post reply on HN