Pregnant women at Glasto - My encounter with one

[Jecca]

Just out of curiosity i'd like to see what you all think about an encounter i had with a pregnant australian lady whilst watching Kasabian.

Watching Kasabian on Friday night in the inner fence bit, it was busy and muddy etc. Sat on a seat next to me was said lady and a group of other people, most smoking J's etc

Throughout the beginning of the set, said lady was sat down and deliberately wafting smoke (imagined or otherwise) away from her, whilst i was standing next to her with a menthol and a cider. Said lady seemed to be getting more and more irate, and i thought she obviously hates smoking but what can i do? Anyways, she then jumped up, poked me on the shoulder and said:

Pregnant Lady : "Can you smoke in the other f***ing direction, i'm pregnant don't you know??"

Me: " Oh I'm sorry, i didn't realise!"

The lady was stick thin (no obvious bump) and surounded by mates all smoking and about 2000 other people at the front of Kasabian, with presumably the unborn babies father three people along smoking a J.

Anyway, i felt terrible, moved along, swapped places with boyfriend and transferred fag into left hand and made conscious effort to blow smoke anywhere else but her!

Anyway back at the tent, boyfriend said, didn't i think it was a bit out of order? Watching Kasabian, at the front of the gig, with hundreds of drunken, smoking, drugged up people in the mud? Then expecting people to treat her like she had a terrible disease when in actual fact she was just pregnant?

If it had been someone on crutches, massive baby bump, with a disability etc etc then i would obviously be much more attentive, but a barely pregnant lady treating her present state like a disability is a bit disconcerting. I would never smoke around kids, pregnant people, ill people. Hell i don't even smoke around my cats! But it just seemed a bit bizarre. Why purposely put yourself into those kind of positions if you're worried about it harming you, and people not obviously being able to tell? Why not watch from a "safer" vantage point? A please and an explanation wouldn't have gone amiss.

What do you think?

[guitarbaz]

some people are just plain rude and unpleasant no matter what the situation.

and i'm talking about her, not you!

[microcutz]

My view, having had two kids my missus and me were very careful about 2nd hand smoking. She has never smoked and I have during both pregnancies. Now If we went out and someone came up to her and light a cigarette I would find that a bit much. Though if we walked somewhere that someone was laready smoking then that would be less the person who is smoking fault.

Now take your situation into account, you are at a music festival, so is she. Don't get me wrong she has every right to be at it as do you. Though your point at the the end has the most importance to this situation, she put her self in that position. I wouldn't feel one bit bad in that situation, If she never looked pregnant then you are not to know. We don't go to festivals thinking we have to ask every person we are in the vicinity of are you pregnant, is it ok if I smoke near you?

I think I have condenced what you have said but in a nut shell I don't think you have done anything wrong, you were polite enough to move away when you found out and made an effort to blow your smoke away. Some people just like to get in peoples faces I guess.

[Dezolat0r]

should've told the bint to f**k off.

[Cooter]

should've told the bint to f**k off.

[LRW]

In a sort of related episode:

We were trying to get out of Arcade Fire (turned up, watched a bit, turned round to go and 30,000 had sneaked up behind us - lol), and it was rammed. So we had to squeeze past a few people. We then come up to an area of chairs, so tried to go through (no-way round) and this woman snapped at us saying "do you f**king mind Im trying to let my kid sleep!!!" whilst pointing at a young child asleep in a chair.

this was only about 10meters from the sound desk FFS....!!

[Jecca]

My view, having had two kids my missus and me were very careful about 2nd hand smoking. She has never smoked and I have during both pregnancies. Now If we went out and someone came up to her and light a cigarette I would find that a bit much. Though if we walked somewhere that someone was laready smoking then that would be less the person who is smoking fault.

Now take your situation into account, you are at a music festival, so is she. Don't get me wrong she has every right to be at it as do you. Though your point at the the end has the most importance to this situation, she put her self in that position. I wouldn't feel one bit bad in that situation, If she never looked pregnant then you are not to know. We don't go to festivals thinking we have to ask every person we are in the vicinity of are you pregnant, is it ok if I smoke near you?

I think I have condenced what you have said but in a nut shell I don't think you have done anything wrong, you were polite enough to move away when you found out and made an effort to blow your smoke away. Some people just like to get in peoples faces I guess.

[tinygreendragon]

I was 6 months pregnant at glasto a couple of years ago and I think she was totally out of order, I would never have gone to the front of the stage just because the sheer weight of people behind you and the unpredictability of such a crowd. I think you were more than pleasant by moving away, she not only shouldn't have been rude to you but if your smoking was a problem for her then wtf was she doing with a large group of people smoking J's around her. Even at 6 months I wasn't showing very much but I had the sense to stay to areas that were less croweded and even when I did go to the main stage stood well back and if someones smoke or behaviour was bothering me, that was my problem not theirs and I moved. I didn't expect or receive any special treatment at glasto whilst pregnant (except from friends who carried the very heavy stuff ) expect one very sweet girl who let me back into the loo I had just come out of as baby moved and smished the last bit in my bladder I hope she didn't ruin your fun sweetie

[DeanoL]

"Can you smoke in the other f***ing direction, i'm pregnant don't you know??" = Out of order

"Excuse me, but would you mind smoking in the other direction as I'm pregnant" = Fair and reasonable request and you'd be an arse to ignore it.

It's all in people's attitudes to be honest - ask nicely and most reasonable people will be well... reasonable.

[daveinafield]

i went with my six month pregnant g/friend and she got not further than just infront of the viewing platform at pyramid. smaller tents a bit nearer...the acoustic is brill for those purposes. I went up the front for my faves with our flag (with our baby scan on it), we were in a group so she was not on our own...we made her up a t-shirt with a pic of the scan onfront too. We had no probs, but you know the smoking issue at festivals will become more pertinant after July 1st, but i think that will only be enclosed tents im not sure. mean fiddler have already said it will be enforced.

on a more general point of pregnant women and kids at glasto...tis why i love the fest so much...they are part of it as much as the 18 yr olds....you would not get many kids trying to get to sleep at download...i think that is Glasto's strength but ultimate sticking point...everyone that goes has there own individual Glasto...the ravers will camp in pennards and flock to the dance tent(still never been) the oldies will drink real ale round the acoustic stage (or me) the Lefties will hang around at the leftfield getting shouty and the artisans will be somewhere between Avalon and cabaret. Obviously these all mix intogether to make glasto...but for some its about getting trashed and going mental, for others its a place for a family holiday

[jojitsui]

I would have told the stupid bitch to c*nt right off!!

i am prob in for a slagging off but i do not think glasto is the place to be when you r preg or when you have babies, (children imo are fine to take btw)

[feral chile]

I don't know who I think's in the right really. There's an argument for both sides. I don't think she was in an ideal place for a pregnant woman. But on the other hand, smoking in a very crowded place is a bit off as well. The times I've had my arm burned by someone smoking in the middle of a crowd....not to mention feeling sick and having stinging eyes...

[cthulu]

I was 6 months pregnant this Glasto. I got knocked into but fair dues the chap appologised and all was good. It was inevitable really. You expect people to be smoking. I can't see the problem frankly as long as you weren't blowing it in her face!

[chuckley]

god what an idiot. y did she push herself up so close if she was pregnant?? dumb idiot! kasabian aswell... up the front pregnant?! WOW dumb on so many levels.

[VCK]

I was going to be a pedantic arse and point out that Kasabian played Saturday, not Friday. Then I realised this topic was made in 2007 when they did play the Friday at Glasto.

[benissright]

I hate anti-smoking people at festivals. I had one women, after i finished smoking, ask her husband loudly to check if there was any ash in her hair. Unsurprisingly, because im not an idiot, there wasnt any. Though im sure she would get worse things in her hair that weekend than a bit of ash.

[Funkfarley]

I have been 7 months preggers at glasto and would never tell someone they cant smoke.

I would have told her to f*ck off.....she might be pregnant but her f*cking legs still work. Go stand somewhere else if its soooo bad!

[oafc0000]

Is passive smoking actually going to have that much of an impact on a fetus anyway ??? Maybe prolong day after day, but for an hour during a set ?

I think some people need to get a grip....

What the f**k is a pregnant women doing so close the front anyway! I would be more worried abou that...

[marktea]

Hasn't there been enough moaning on here already this week? Clearly not if we all have to start getting irate about an incident involving a pregnant woman in 2007!!!

[micawber]

I can understand peoples' concerns. After all smoking can make you impotent and result in smaller underweight babies. Well after having 3 kids, all now over 6 foot tall even though one isn't even a teenager, I can tell you that the effects aren't bloody universal!

Joking aside, I adhere to all the laws, and smoking in a field is one of the last few pleasures left to me. I even try being considerate then too, but you know that most of the whingers are hypocritical and will be drinking later, and/or shooting off in their cars to undertake their own bit of polluting.

Lastly, I always said that the smoking ban was the thin end of the wedge, and now you can see the government turning their eyes more and more to drink and fast food. It's coming guys. What a bloody sterile and miserable world we'll live in, but it'll be worth it, yes?

[crimsonking]

You were too polite, being an official G.O.M. I would have told her to f**k off and do one, quite adept at that these days, find the only way to deal with rudeness these days is to tackle it head on

[Runner]

Hasn't there been enough moaning on here already this week? Clearly not if we all have to start getting irate about an incident involving a pregnant woman in 2007!!!

[mimis]

Ok wasn't there but from the other perspective..

I was 7 1/2 months pregnant at this year's Glasto, and smoke really does affect me badly!! Always tried to put myself in situations where there would not be smoke, and the one time I did venture down to the pyramid, could not get away from it, left half way thru the set feeling really ill.

It was VERY frustrating, when I'd clearly position myself near children and non-smokers, then someone would sit right next to us, and start rolling up. Seems that if you were not already in 1 position, it'd be a much better idea to go near other smokers as opposed to pregnant women/kids.

I didn't stand for - or go the the front of any acts, but that was as so far along, too heavy to stand for that long!! But had I been in early pregnancy may have done - I don't think it's at all fair to say pregnant people shouldn't be at front of gigs - then to claim that what they are going through is not disabling in the next breath!! For some people it is, and some it isn't.

It's fair to expect people to be considerate, and that EVERYONE should be able to have a good time - not that anything goes all the time. That's what's great and differentiates Glasto from the Readings and the Vs. If she had asked politely, I could 100% understand where she was coming from, smoke has a huuuuge effect both on baby and mum when pregnant, and standing a few meters further away would have made all the difference (if it were me anyway!)

Hope that helps explain to an extent. x

[bazakin12]

she was an Australian, say no more really, apart from Rolf what have they done for the human race

[sammysundae]

her husband