Train etiquette

I sit in an aisle seat because as a short person by the window, when a taller person sits next to me I get squished into the corner. If you want that seat, just ask for it, what’s the problem?

People can and do work on weekends. But the bigger thing to consider is that trains heading into London on a weekend are going to be busy because London is the capital city. It’s a tourist destination, people spend weekends there, there’s a lot of desirable things to do etc so the non-Londoner crowd are more likely to be off work and wanting to travel to London.

In my experience it’s always packed trying to get into London at a reasonable hour on a weekend. Maybe other cities or towns have quieter trains on the weekend, but with London there’s a significant amount of people still wanting to go out and about in London regardless of it not being a weekday

Is your head in the clouds? Plenty of people work Saturdays! 🙄

I sympathise, I got on a train at my local station on a Saturday with my children and my disabled adult DC recently. It was extremely busy and we are not able to book seats.
My adult DC has a condition which means they can’t stand for long as they are likely to lose consciousness. There were no seats available so being unable to stand they had to sit on the floor amongst the crowds and were feeling nauseous and unwell (also symptoms of their condition).
I managed to get to the priority seating and explained the situation and asked people there if they would be willing to give up a seat. Nearly all said no, one man eventually said yes. I felt really bad having to ask and was met with a lot of blank looks but I wasn’t sure what else to do.

I can’t believe some of the responses on this thread! That’s a terrible way to treat someone carrying a baby or toddler. I would have been annoyed and upset too OP.

Ok, thanks for that info.

Swedish buses and trains are very busy, at least they are in Malmo, particularly at rush hour. 25% or journeys are made by public transport, 24% bike and 14% walking. Only 34% are made by car. Comparative figures for the UK are 8% for public transport, 33% by active travel and 59% by car.

It's a reply to the strand of comments.

I've been travelling by train with kids for years, no form of travel is perfect, give me a busy train over traffic jams any day

Not really. She has many inconsistencies in her posts along the way, just a few of them mentioned here.
And she wasn’t alone, struggling with buggy and baby, her bloody husband was with her! What did he do? Let everyone push her? Not protect her? Not take the ‘heavy’ baby? Not find her a seat?

I smile at people in general.
A smile doesn't mean 'do you want my seat', 'do you want my seat' means 'do you want my seat'. I'm not a huge fan of random kids but also know how scary it is seeing only glaring or blank faces around me. 😁
When I commuted to and from Glasgow I was very, very aware of the door position for the 3 car and the 6 car trains. 🤣

A discussion? More like you picking at every word of the OP's posts and everyone who dares agree.

Me three. But then I’d not be smiling at children so hopefully wouldn’t be mis identified as anyone who would fight for someone else to sit down, when my aim on a train is to get me to a seat as it’s every man (and woman) for themselves. I speak as someone who has extensive experience of the 17:03 from Padding to the south west and know exactly where to stand on the platform to get on without too much pushing.

No, I am. It's a discussion.
✌️

I'm fully in acceptance of that. It seems that you haven't though.

That and, disabled people relying on the good will of the person to move and not swear at them is a daily occurrence.

I wasn't replying to you. HTH.

Are bikes permitted on the the train you were on? They are not permitted on lots of trains, especially at peak times, so if that’s the case, the train staff should have dealt with those. Bikes are a PITA on trains as they are unwieldy and take up the space of at least 2 people.

In terms of general manners, those have long gone out the window. It’s every man for himself boarding trains and buses,I’m afraid. You’d have been better off leaving your toddler in the buggy, which is what most people do.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Some carriages on the HS1 trains have larger areas for bikes and buggy. It's worth asking the station people (guards??) where the carriage will be and where exactly the doors will open. I know that if I stand opposite a specific poster (at the moment it's one advertising a musical) on my station on that line that I will get the doors opening right in front of me.

I'd also plan if I'm with dc to get the 12 carriage train rather than the 6 and/or get the slower trains up from ashford but it depends which station you want to come into in London.

Surely the movement would shove one on to the train?

Couldn’t your husband have held the baby and you the buggy. The folded buggy that could have balanced on the floor would have been much lighter than a child.

Sorry OP but you seem determined to see yourself as a victim here. So what’s the point of posting?

Personally I think any parent with their life together, prioritises having a car. Even in London. Sometimes you simply need a car, whether it’s because you’re carrying large/bulky things or travelling or just want to get away from public transport. As someone who lives in London and has been on many trains, surely you are aware of how overcrowded London can get during peak travel times? So at the very least when you’re taking public transport, opt for off peak travel where it isn’t as busy.

Why you chose to travel when it’s standing room only, is beyond me given you needed extra room for your belongings, seats etc. your need to travel isn’t any more of a priority than the cyclists so what you came across, could have been foreseen in advance and avoided.