Miserable sods on train

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Coming home today. Woman opposite proposed 'adults only' carriages because some kids were making a bit of noise. She 'didn't expect that in First Class'.

She also complained about the choice of butties, the coffee - not hot enough and not replenished often enough - and the seats. Seriously love...bog off!

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

Well did she have a point?

[PinkSquash]

Even at weekends people pay a lot of money for a first class ticket and noisy kids can be a pain in the arse when you're travelling

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

Wasn't my kids - we had abandoned them. Woman travelling alone with two toddlers - they were fine, chatting a little, watching iPad: you could hear them, but my own kids are now in the next room to me and are making a lot more noise than they were.

She also got pissed off because someone had stowed their case on the space behind her seat. Tons of space in racks at end of carriage but she insisted on having her case next to her.

[andintothefire]

It's a bit silly to make a fuss about children in first class at weekends - many people do weekend upgrades and it is far less likely that she needed to be in first class to work. We were next to some noisy children (in standard class) yesterday and while it was slightly annoying I think that people do need to be a bit more laid back when travelling on public transport.

Having said that, I think that parents do sometimes let children run a bit wild on trains, and are not sufficiently considerate of fellow travellers. I would also have much more sympathy for the woman complaining if it were midweek - I pay for first class when I need to work on a train because the extra couple of hours that I can bill working makes the ticket cost worthwhile. I would be very annoyed if that money were wasted because of noisy children - although usually first class is quiet enough that you can move and find a different seat.

[YouTheCat]

On the very odd occasions I go first class on a train the sandwiches are always really nice. The gin and tonic is nicer though.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

First class generally has its own quiet carriage, doesn't it? I can be that miserable sod, to be honest, but I restrict myself to whiny messages to DP. I wouldn't complain out loud unless it was a genuine problem.

I agree with her about the sandwiches though!

[lastqueenofscotland]

I do think adult only carriages aren't a bad idea... I have to do a London to Manchester run a lot for work, and will have to work on the way and and once had a child come over and start wittering away to me and I politely turned to him and said "I'm sorry I'm busy, shall I take you back to your mummy?" She as it turned out was sitting behind me and made loads of "miserable lady" gibes for the rest of the journey. That's the worst, but similar has happened before even in quiet coaches, I'd happily pay extra for

[Kittencatkins123]

The kids sound like decent kids - some people are just utter pains/love to complain.

I was on a train recently where a hideous drunk couple insisted on face timing their family/child relatives - 20 minutes of screeching inanities, cutting out, phoning them back to screech at them again. We were all too nice/polite/scared to say anything! (We prob should have)

[DandelionAndBedrock]

Queen I have tweeted complaints before when a quiet carriage isn't enforced - you aren't identifiable as the grump who went to snitch to the train manager, and they are normally pretty hot at sorting it.

[John4703]

She sounds like a pain. I would possibly object to noisy kids in a quiet coach, but I've never been in a quiet coach as they do not seem like places I want to be as I leave my phone on during my train trips.
I sometimes go first class and the coffee etc is fine. I love it when First Class is cheaper than second class especially coming home after a meeting, free wine is a real bonus.
does it matter where her cases were, my luggage is perfectly happy anywhere on the train.
I think she WBU

[andintothefire]

Is there really a need for an adult only carriage when there is a quiet carriage though? Some children are very well behaved and it seems unfair to suggest that they could not be in a quiet carriage.

[andintothefire]

Also, drunk people are so much more annoying than even noisy children!

[sizeofalentil]

I would love child-free carriages. Hearing parents narrate every moment of a journey (oh look moo cows, can you say moo cow?) loudly for hours can grate when you're tired/have a long journey. Sitting in quiet carriages doesn't seem to help because some parents don't seem to understand that this means them too.

I'm not a grouch (ok, well I am) but boisterous children in a confined space isn't always brilliant.

[Tigsteroonie]

Presumably those children were in possession of First Class tickets also, and had therefore paid (or their parents had!) for the privilege of being where they were ...

Whether you are trying to work, trying to sleep, or whatever - if First Class tickets have been paid for then those people have the right to be there. There are specific quiet carriages - if you want quiet, sit in one of those.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

What a miserable woman. It must be exhausting being her and so utterly fucking joyless.

Pity her.

[lastqueenofscotland]

Dandelion that's good to know!

I always try and book a quiet as I will have to work (often only get given the crib sheets when I go to the office on the way to the station), and it does my head in when it's not enforced.

My train stories are infamous, my worst wasn't child related, I sat down and a man was sitting next to me watching really niche fat people porn! I in shock just slammed his laptop down as soon as I saw as a jerk reaction, he looked very sheepish to have been caught.

[bikerlou]

Menopausal? I remember hating everyone during those years :-)

[emsyj]

I would hate to have to listen to the tinny sound of an iPad - was it being played out loud?? With headphones it's fine. Chatting is also perfectly fine unless in the quiet coach. I am surprised there was any service on a Sunday though, Virgin first class don't have one at weekends and you have to traipse to the shop to collect your 'free' water and biscuits.

[SmilingButClueless]

I'm on the fence a bit with this one. I think sometimes parents can get accustomed to a level of young child noise that is distracting or annoying to non-parents / parents of older children. And listening to / watching something on the iPad without headphones is irritating no matter what the age of the person doing it or whether it's a quiet carriage (not sure whether this was the case here or not).

Having said that, it's public transport and you can't control who else is around you, first class or not. If she really can't tolerate this type of noise - as I can't - she should have made her own arrangements. (I find noise-cancelling headphones and relaxing music invaluable.)

I do think it's slightly unfair to call someone a miserable sod for not liking child noise, though. (And she may have a point about the other things; I've been in some pretty dodgy first-class accommodation in my time.)

[Stellabystarlight]

Hmm I see both sides. I would never book first class with my kids. But she does sound like someone who would moan just for the sake of it and sounds like the kids in question were fine.

[SecretNutellaFix]

No matter how well behaved a small child is on a train, they do become screechy at some point, even if it's a short journey.

Occasionally it's not the littlies that are the worst behaved though- my most recent train journey had 2 boys aged betwenn 10 and 12 riding their scooter up and down the carriage.

So yes, I would love adult only carriages.

[Lorelei76]

Were they watching an iPad with or without headphones? Child or adult, if it's sans headphones it's so annoying. I'd be tempted to put music on mine and just play it out loud in that situation.

[expatinscotland]

'my most recent train journey had 2 boys aged betwenn 10 and 12 riding their scooter up and down the carriage.'

Yeah, I was on a train this past Spring where a girl of about 8 was rollerskating up and down a carriage.

[expatinscotland]

I'd welcome adults only carriages.

[Ragwort]

I would agree with her, the worse thing about public transport is the other travellers - I hate being on a train with noisy children (or adults bleating on their mobile phones).