Vent - Rude older woman on train

RosiPossum

dktreesea wrote: »

I have some sympathy for grumpy, rude people on public transport. Imagine their dilemma. They don't want to drive because it's expensive, too much hassle, etc. But they want their privacy. They can't afford a taxi, don't fancy the bus, so "splash out" and take the train. AND if this is their choice of travel for work, they have to do it for ten rush hours. Five days a week. Even when it's cold....and miserable.... And then these pesky fellow travellers want to invade their SPACE! And what if they are overweight (likely to add to any feelings of grumpiness because they possibly didn't have a good breakfast)? They need the extra space.

Unless this was sarcastic, the same thing applies to everyone who has to travel!

dktreesea

RosiPossum wrote: »

Unless this was sarcastic, the same thing applies to everyone who has to travel!

No, not sarcastic. I just realise that some people don't like feeling forced to share their personal space. The flip side of that is if I want a seat and someone has a bag on it, I don't back down. I insist they move it, and, if they refuse, I complain to the conductor.

I understand how they feel. I'm sympathetic, but if they involve me, e.g. my refusing to move the bags off the seat, I don't put up with it.

I realise public transport, especially on late night trains and rush hour, isn't a particularly pleasant way to travel. But that's no reason to make other passengers, like the OP, feel like cr*p just for wanting to utilise the space they had paid for. That's the whole point about buying A seat. You get to choose which one you occupy. Not which two or three.

I once moved someone's bag without asking which of the three people it belonged to. It turned out to be the guy opposite. He complained about me touching his belongings. Too bad! I paid for the seat; he didn't. As I said to him, if he didn't want his belongings disturbed he should be keeping them with him and not putting them on seats intended for human beings. He said he didn't want to put his stuff on the floor. Bad luck. It's public transport. If he wants his things to have a seat, he can learn to drive.

Valli

The very very worst thing about public transport, IMO, is the stink of some people (fortunately, in my experience, not many). But my Dad was a bus driver and he had to deal with quite a few of them...)

One time I was on a bus, final stop, we all got up - and the woman in front of me, to get off, had such foul BO I actually reeled back from her - she clearly had not washed herself or her clothes recently - because the stench made me feel sick! Every time she moved waves of odour wafted back.

Utterly, utterly foul.

RosiPossum

dktreesea wrote: »

No, not sarcastic. I just realise that some people don't like feeling forced to share their personal space. The flip side of that is if I want a seat and someone has a bag on it, I don't back down. I insist they move it, and, if they refuse, I complain to the conductor.

I understand how they feel. I'm sympathetic, but if they involve me, e.g. my refusing to move the bags off the seat, I don't put up with it.

I realise public transport, especially on late night trains and rush hour, isn't a particularly pleasant way to travel. But that's no reason to make other passengers, like the OP, feel like cr*p just for wanting to utilise the space they had paid for. That's the whole point about buying A seat. You get to choose which one you occupy. Not which two or three.

I once moved someone's bag without asking which of the three people it belonged to. It turned out to be the guy opposite. He complained about me touching his belongings. Too bad! I paid for the seat; he didn't. As I said to him, if he didn't want his belongings disturbed he should be keeping them with him and not putting them on seats intended for human beings. He said he didn't want to put his stuff on the floor. Bad luck. It's public transport. If he wants his things to have a seat, he can learn to drive.

You're a hero! Love it

MrsE_2

This is why I wont use public transport - except planes.
Much nicer to have your own space.

Hoof_Hearted

Always take some sun glasses with you. Feel your way along the carriage like a blind man and sit on the bag. Have fun.

lukerichardson40

Public transport! On no. Poor people use that.

Blackadder: "Sir, it appears the peasants are revolting"

Prince George: "Oh, absolutely Blackadder. Couldn't agree more. Disgusting creatures the whole lot of them"


*This post is in jest. By no means are all people who use public transport peasants and/or revolting.

Dovah_diva

iclayt wrote: »

This morning I caught the train from Manchester to Leeds. I bought the ticket online last night and happened to be given a seat reservation. When I got to the seat this morning, it was the only seat reserved at a table, ie there were three empty and totally available seats.

And there was a man in 'my' seat.

Was it marked as reserved?

EDIT: I see now that it was. In that case, I'd have asked him to move - regardless of there being other seats available.

This_Year

dktreesea wrote: »

Too bad! I paid for the seat; he didn't.

Sorry but no, you didn't pay for the seat unless you had ALSO reserved that seat. TOCs specify in their conditions of carriage that the ticket is for the journey from A-B and does not guarantee a seat.

http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/nationalcarriage.aspx
Para 40 applies.

Kathy535

I commute twice a week (down to London and back) at peak times. I always reserve a seat and invariably (not being the originating stop on a busy journey) have to turf someone out of it. It's only their reaction that differs. Most are fine, recognising that they have gambled on someone not travelling at that time, but some are downright rude, and, on a couple of occasions, aggressive. I've also seen people hide the ticket above the seat denoting the reservation, claim that their ticket entitles them to that seat and there must have been a double booking and pretend to be foreign or deaf. Surprising how being able to sit down brings out the worst in people!