Bags on train seats!?

clairetelche1

Just wondering if anyone else gets as wound up as me about people taking up seats on public transport (mainly the Metro for me) with their shopping bags / rucksacks / cases...

I start my Metro journey about 1/4 of the way into its route and there are very rarely any seats free. Doesn't really bother me - I'm usually happy to lean against a seat edge watching the wourld go by etc...

However - when I got on the other day a young lad was taking up a seat with his suitcase. I noticed the 'free seat' when I boarded but waited until a few minutes into my journey to see if someone nearer to it would ask him to move it. Several people were standing and yet no-one asked him to shift the case!

After a few minutes I thought '!!!!!! it' - I don't want to stand for 35 minutes if I don't have to and moved through the 7 or 8 people standing by it and politely asked him to move it. His reply was that there was nowehere to put it and I politely told him that I had paid for a ticket and would like him to move it.

Eventually he did (and put the case on his knee) but proceeded to giggle with his girlfriend all the way to town about how he couldn't believe the cheek of me asking him to move it and making him uncomfortable!!

Grrr - what are your views, would you ask him to move it or was I just being arsey?? This happens quite often and I'm always amazed that people will pay for a ticket and stand for an entire journey because someone is using a seat for their bags!!

Rant over - was just wondering!! Lol xx

Jomo

I think you're right and he's obviously a twerp who needs telling!!

LandyAndy

clairetelche1 wrote: »

Eventually he did (and put the case on his knee) but proceeded to giggle with his girlfriend all the way to town about how he couldn't believe the cheek of me asking him to move it and making him uncomfortable!!

xx

I think I'd have got my phone out and had a loud conversation about the ignorant selfish tw*t on the train who thought his suitcase needed a seat.:cool:

mikey72

LandyAndy wrote: »

I think I'd have got my phone out and had a loud conversation about the ignorant selfish tw*t on the train who thought his suitcase needed a seat.:cool:

I like this idea, mine would have been to sling it out at the next stop.

fiscalfreckles

No, I hate this too. I get quite cross at the elderly ladies on my local bus who all sit down on a double seat and put their shopping bags on the other one. Then when the seats run out, they all gaze out of the window & pretend not to notice, determined not to be the one to give in first! Its very selfish & rude - I wouldn't hesitate to ask someone to move their stuff. On a train either. I know there isn't always a lot of luggage space on public transport, but nobody should really have much more than they can carry or hold & if it has to go on their lap, so be it.

Tigsteroonie

Did he purchase a second ticket just for his suitcase? No? Then it's not entitled to its own seat.

Sublime_2

If he was naive enough to say in front of me that I was rude, and had made him uncomfortable (bless!), I would have let rip with exactly what he could do with his suitcase, if his knees were an unsuitable place to [STRIKE]shove[/STRIKE] put it.

A train ticket buys one seat, (not one for your luggage, and one for you).

Good for you! :T

LandyAndy

It could well be 8 years since I used a train. I think I've used buses twice in the last 20 years.

mtc95

I commute to London and I see this quite often on the train. It's usually standing-room only a few stops after mine and to be fair, a lot of people will move their bags once they see the carraige filling up. A few don't, but there is usually a hardened commuter or two who will simply say "can I sit there please" and the bag-owner will then generally move it, looking a bit sheepish.

You did the right thing by getting the idiot to move his bag and I hope you don't let that experience put you off doing it again. :T

flyingscotno1

I used to commute by bus in Glasgow and there was a regular student on the 16.38 who always without fail put a bag on the seat, earphones in and ignored you to everybody's annoyance. One day the bus became quite full and a building site worker walked up to him, he ignored him naturally, so he pulled his earphone out, said "did the bag pay for a f***** seat" and threw it at him. Needless to say everyone on the bus had a good chuckle as he made the guy as uncomfortable as possible. Lesson was learned and when it was busy it sat on his lap most times on!

rev_henry

I don't use trains that often anymore, but when I do if the train looks like filling up I'll move my bags off the seat. If its quiet I usually take up the seats around me (on a table for example) so no one comes and sits next to me or on my table! But of course when it fills up I move them. When its busy the conductors on our trains will usually tell people over the tannoy to move bags off seats. I can't remember the last time I actually asked someone to move a bag for me, but I probably would...