Impatient train woman

Oh come on, a commuter train with loads of seats but a queue building up while she takes her coat off, takes her coffee cup out, presumably does her bag up again, puts coat and bag in the overhead rack? I don't believe it took a minute, she was clearly faffing about, probably hoping the other woman would move and she's miffed she didn't get her own way while she's oblivious to the inconvenience to other people.

Sorry that was meant to quote a previous poster but if you can't sit with your coat on take it off as the train comes in and put it back on when you get off the train. Doesn't inconvenience other peop.e

Why are people suggesting the op was faffing and taking ages - taking out a coffee cup, putting bag in overhead space and taking off a coat......... takes only a minute. A queue will build up in that time but thats how it is when the train is busy. Waiting an extra minute is standard.
The woman in the aisle seat sounds annoying. Maybe she would prefer to travel first class next time - then she can (pay considerably more) and have a lone seat (and not have to put up with us common folk). If she was truly that fussed she could have moved to the window seat. In my experience people who dont want to share........ do tend to sit in the aisle seat - hoping no one will ask to sit in the other seat.

Because you started this post complaining about an impatient woman rather than just figuring she had her own stuff going on and moving on from it.

'@TeenLifeMum · Today 19:11

I'd sort my coat one sat and have it on my lap but I can’t stand people faffing on public transport. She politely stood up for you and you faffed.'

The OP has stated several times that she has arthritis.

How nice of you to think people who have a health condition/disability that might make affect their mobility 'faff'...

You took the time you needed OP.

That lady was rude.

It sounds like you maybe could have been a bit quicker, but she does sound like she was being a bit of a grouch.

Let it go. Sometimes people are in bad moods and just don't handle life's little annoyances and inconveniences well. Think to yourself "wow she must be having a shite day" and get on with yours.

Actually some of us just cant sit with our coats on for a bit longer. It makes me feel like Im going to faint.

My husband is like that. Over 6ft with crippling pain, Consultant forecast he'd be in a wheelchair within 5 years and that was 35 years ago. He keeps going but the pain is terrible. He's not giving up his aisle seat for anyone.

Some people need/want to sit in an aisle seat for their own comfort reasons, for instance when my uncle had a knee replacement he needed to stick his leg out into the aisle (when everyone was sat down) to relieve pain.

Depends why she wants or needs the aisle seat. I was sitting in an aisle seat on a train, a woman came and wanted to sit down so i stoodup to let her through. No she said I had to move as she wanted the aisle seat. I said I'd booked the aisle seat and wasn't moving. She got angry and said she needed it. I explained my GC were sitting two rows in front on the opposite side of the aisle and as they were young I needed to keep an eye on them and as we couldn't get three seats together it was the best the booking lady could do. She still insisted she was having the aisle seat. She wasn't and she didn't.

My mother had claustrophobia and she couldn't sit in the window seat. Despite her very bad arthritis she would stand in pain rather than sit in a window seat.

Amazing how we all have our own needs.

It almost sounds like you were a tad miffed that she didn't just move to the window, so you made a bit of a performance of faffing with your stuff. But then she commented on it, and had the 'back up' that you did indeed hold up other people as well.

The kind of pettiness I love being witness to when I'm commuting 😂

If you mean the woman in the aisle seat, I thoroughly agree. It would have been the easiest thing to do.

👏

For what it's worth, I think that even if you were faffing about (and without seeing you in action I can't decide either way), it was exceptionally rude of the woman to say what she did.

I accept she may have a reason for not wanting to sit by the window, but on a busy train she must have known someone would want the seat at some point. meaning she'd have to shift either to let someone in, or to move to the window seat.

However, I do think you've been a fool to yourself by giving this any more thought than it required (practically none), and for posting it on mumsnet so that you could have your arse handed to you on a plate.

She should have just moved up.

Suffering more because of people who blocked the aisle so I couldn't sit down.

Agree with pp, coat on your lap and bag under your seat. Faff around taking your coffee cup out once you’ve sat down. Not sure why arthritis would mean you can’t do either of these things - surely reaching up into the rack above would be more of an issue?

Hear hear.

What about the people who can’t sit down because you’re faffing though? They might be in pain and needing to sit down ASAP. Yes people should show consideration towards you but you should also show it towards them.

ETA “that doesn’t seem to be the general approach” comes across as quite sanctimonious and like you think you’re kind and everyone else is an arsehole when you may well have inadvertently been just as inconsiderate to other people struggling!

Maybe they are in more pain than you? As an example I take the nearest seat as it is too painful to walk the length of the train like you did.

This. I’d have been so annoyed if I missed out on a seat after a long day at work.

Well speaking for myself, and I've just got home from a 3 hour train journey, I have arthritis in my hips and people faffing about in the aisle so I can't get to my seat do annoy me. You had a seat to sit in so sit in it and let other people get to their seats because you don't know how much pain they are in.

Honestly I'd get my coat off and ready + coffee sorted before getting on the train - I used to do that as the train approached so I could just get on and slide into a seat! Saves time 😃