New seat alert app for pregnant commuters

Alexa: "Hello citizen, please give up your seat. This woman is pregnant."

Isn't that what the article says?

One is whether the existing solution (asking) works well. I wouldn't know, and I'm fully prepared to believe that it doesn't. The old "breaching experiments" about asking for someone's subway seat come to mind - asking for a seat while pregnant is very different from asking for one with no reason, but there's still a strong impulse against asking strangers for concessions. Add in the possibility of a hostile response, and I certainly won't be making fun of anyone for "not just talking".

But the second question is whether the solution works any better. The requirements for that are "people download the app, keep location and bluetooth on, then notice the alert and respond". That, simply put, isn't going to happen. You don't have to tell me what the product is - just knowing it's a two-sided 'market', where one side is "do all of these tasks without a reward", I can tell you that adoption will never be high enough to count on the app (unless someone enforces its use).

I don't object to someone making this app, though I'm a bit uncomfortable with them charging for a product which will work approximately never (even for charity). But it feels more like an art/awareness project than an actual tool - it's motivation to consider the problem, but I can't see any road for it to be a solution.

  Why not ask people directly?

If all the polite people had the app installed, using it would let you address them and avoid the 10%.

If they're actually just fat, or if they don't consider themselves old, or if they don't speak English, or they're upset at my presumption they're weaker than me, or they're mentally ill or whatever, no problem.

Of course, if there are people between them and your seat, there's a chance someone different will take your seat. So it's not an infallible solution.

I'd only been in London about 2 days, I jumped up like a good boy scout, conscious of the fact I was in the "priority seat" (for those outside of London our tubes have the nearest seats to the door reserved for those less able or up the duff).

This lady burst into tears. I tried to apologise, then just got off and walked.

Since then I've firmly put the impetus on those in need to ask.

I can't see such things as anything else as trying to use technology to avoid the possibility of embarrassment that comes with dealing with other people.

If you are doing this, the likelihood is that there is someone more in need of a seat than you, and possibly for invisible reasons (e.g. carrying a minor leg injury, first trimester of pregnancy, or just tired).

Some people in a certain age range (mid-late 60s) may be grateful for a seat, but don't want to think of themselves as old enough to warrant being offered a seat.

The person you think you are getting up for may not want to sit. When my wife was pregnant, she was inundated with offers of seats. She often refused, because on shorter journeys, the effort involved in sitting down and standing up again was greater than that of just standing all the way.

Of course, you can't argue when they're pregnant. My wife's 8 months pregnant with twins at the moment; I think she's probably at the point of admitting defeat but she's so enormous now people dive off their seats from a mile away anyway.

Not a hope in hell of getting her to pay £4 for this, or of anyone in a seat having the app I'd imagine either.