Ignorant train passengers

Gordon_Hose

Ah train travel, a necessary evil for many people. I have been a Kent to London commuter since June last year and haven't witnessed anyone on the commuter trains take up a seat with their bag.

A few things that get to me though...

Train Walkers - people who get on a practically empty train and proceed to walk the length of it barging past and squeezing through passengers who are trying to take their coats off and stow their bags overhead. Either sit where you get on, or walk down the platform until you're stood where the carriage you want to sit in stops.

Armrest warriors - I get on the train at the early part of it's journey into London, so it's practically empty and I can sit pretty much where I like. I always get a window seat and settle in with my iPod and Kindle, using the armrest under the window and the armrest between the seats. I can almost guarantee, at least 3 times a week, someone will get on who has the divine right to this centre armrest. They'll proceed to gradually apply force to my arm in some weird effort to make me move it. I never do.

Table seat loungers - The people who sit at table seats then proceed to stretch their legs out into the opposite space. Don't moan at me when I step into the seemingly empty space and your feet get trod on.

Perfume wafters - there's this one woman that gets on at the stop after mine. She always sit in the seat in front of me. She takes her coat off, drops the table and places her handbag on it. Sits down and pulls out a leaflet and begins to generate a breeze with said leaflet in, what I assume to be, an effort to stop her fat head from sweating. This then means I'm sat in the stench of her perfume, that she's clearly over-done, as she wafts it over the back of her seat into my face. I can actually taste it.

Bogof_Babe

skintsue wrote: »

It used to happen to me as well. Especially annoying are the ones who use the window seat for their bag and sit in the aisle seat so it looks like they are both taken.
I'd stand near them if there were no seats available elsewhere with my back to them, and sway from side to side more and more whenever as the train picked up speed or went over tracks.
After a couple of bumps in the face from a (then) 16 and half stone backside, they usually moved across and put the bag on their knee.
Better than me landing on them.;)

At leastI didn't do what an ex did - he enjoyed curry - a lot - and was not averse to sharing the aroma the next day when forced to stand when someone was taking up two seats.

It could be that they prefer an aisle seat - I do for one, as I can't bear being hemmed in, also the full glare of strong sunshine. Why don't you just ask if the window seat is free? I'm sure no-one would object to moving their bag and standing up for a moment to let you get through.

Sharon87

I have put a bag on seats before, but it was a festival train. As in hundreds of people with bags crammed on, no storage space in the racks, we put our smaller bags (chairs, tents) above, on the table, under the table, on knee and there was still no room!

Kind of understandable on trains like this, but for every day I sometimes put my bag next to me, but always move it without question when I see someone eyeing up the seat or asks me to sit there. It depends how much luggage I have with me. I dont like putting bags in the luggage racks unless it's a big suitcase.

Evilm

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

It could be that they prefer an aisle seat - I do for one, as I can't bear being hemmed in, also the full glare of strong sunshine. Why don't you just ask if the window seat is free? I'm sure no-one would object to moving their bag and standing up for a moment to let you get through.

To add to this: Do ASK! Don't just stare and assume. I had someone look at me with disgust when I didn't realise they wanted to sit together and therefore would have liked me to move from the window seat of the two. I hadn't been aware of them as I had a headache that day so I'd put my music on and turned to the window as loads of noisy people got on. Wasn't aware he was there until I turned round because he put his bag on the seat next to me! Only then did he speak as someone else offered to move! (and then they didn't sit down anyway and walked off to another carriage! :rotfl:)

Yeah, I was embarrassed but if he'd spoken to me it would have made it a bit easier!

Azari

I often put my jacket on the seat, sometimes with a bag but I move them if the train starts filling up and actively monitor the carriage at each station so that I can rapidly move them if someone wants to sit down.

Fuzzy_Duck

Balgair wrote: »

I don't mind dogs on trains though, so long as they're looked after, had one cheeky little fellow keep sticking his nose in my bag one time, had to encourage him elsewhere but it made me laugh. Another time saw the biggest dog I have ever seen, whose owner rather wisely had booked a double seat; the dog stayed on the floor but even when its nose was by the side wall of the carriage, the rear end was still sticking out into the aisle! Lovely looking dog though and got a lot of friendly attention from everyone passing by

:rotfl: Love the bit about the dog sticking his nose in where it wasn't wanted!

I was once sitting on a train near a man with a big dog- he wasn't paying attention and the dog wandered up to me and laid his head on my leg. That was a wonderful train journey for me as I got to stroke him most of the way until his owner finally noticed his dog had gone. He was quite well behaved really, he went straight back when he was called and I figured it was simply more comfortable for him to stand half way in the aisle and half way in the seat next to me, with his head being supported.

I've also been on a seriously crowded train where I was convinced I was going to have a panic attack and then I noticed a lady nearby was holding her little dog (obviously because he would have got smushed otherwise!) It calmed me right down staring at it's lovely little face

You can tell I like dogs. I'm sure there are people that would be less impressed with sharing their carriage with a dog though.

Bogof_Babe

I don't mind dogs, except for one occasion when I was at a table seat and the person opposite parked their huge canine under the table, taking up all the legroom and leaving absolutely nowhere to put my feet down except on the dog! I had to ask them to move it as it was uncomfortable, probably for the dog as well as me, and they did get it to sit in the aisle instead, where it promptly became a trip hazard. It was a massive thing, luckily good-natured, but really shouldn't have been on a train in the first place.

The train was pretty full otherwise I'd have moved elsewhere, but I was in my allocated seat so thought I'd better stay put.