It seems like we just can’t get enough of the MTA. On this episode, we discuss the newest pilot program by the MTA to encourage riders to get up for people with disabilities or pregnant women. How is the MTA trying to achieve this? With buttons that you pin onto your shirt. We thought this was so odd that we brought our good friend Jessy Yates on to discuss this with us. Enjoy! By the way, we get a little bit risque and racy in this episode, so consider this a small content note.

Who is Jessy Yates?

Jessy Yates is an actor, performer, burlesque dancer, and *~professional disabled person~*. What’s more, she is a very good friend of ours. We have been trying to get her on our show for a long time. As a result, we are very excited!

Tell us more about these buttons.

The idea behind these buttons is that it will encourage people riding the train to get up for the people wearing them. However, there’s several things about this that is odd.

* Wheelchair users don’t exactly need a button to tell passengers they need a seat. Wheelchair users need improved access and more space.

* People who have invisible disabilities could and should just ask someone to get up.

* If someone who isn’t willing to get up for you when you ask, they aren’t going to get up for you when you wear a button that asks.

* It’s just a button. What can it actually achieve?

However, we are both skeptical (and of course we ordered buttons, I mean, come on), and we have an opportunity to test our hesitations “in the wild” once we receive them.

During our discussion with Jessy though, our opinions changed. She brought up some really good points that made us go from being generally against them to skeptical. We’re very excited to see if they actually work.

Where can I find Jessy Yates?

You can find her:

* On Instagram here

* On Twitter here

* And on Facebook here