Train etiquette

I’ve got trains from 2 big cities in Scotland for years with young children and people are very helpful and nice, never had the experience op is speaking of. Most people actually help you on with the buggy and give up a seat for you

People are becoming feral.

No one should be pushing a mother and baby out if the way.

Sadly as a society we are importing American individualism rather than understanding that a greater good exists.

An adult without earphones playing music or a film really is something to get annoyed about. A baby babbling away is totally different and just part of life.

As a regular train user, i find most people to be mostly polite - not sure about this 'bunch of animals' rhetoric, perhaps its just what you choose to focus on

Bunch of animals, everyone for itself... Long gone British manners... If they all jumped in front of you...
Word of advise.. Next time get your husband to block others and ensure you have a safe passage... Been there... Done it... Or else plan the train better...

I got told off for commenting this on a thread the other day, but this is another one of those threads where the husband seems almost not to have been present, at least according to the OP’s recollection.

I have commented more fully up thread so didn’t just come on to say this.

You literally wrote "it wasn't a working day". Saturdays, and Sundays, are working says for loads of people.

I travel on trains between the Kent coast and London all the time and you categorically cannot book seats.

That’s the issue, people with bikes can get on any carriage, but only some have places for them. So they end up blocking the area by the doors

That space is for wheelchairs then buggies then bikes not the other way round! I can't hold my 12 month old for an entire train journey precisely because she CAN walk and stand and she's the size of a 2 year old, I literally don't have the strength to confine her on my lap for an hour + especially with my shit back. She loves violently throwing herself backwards without any warning and it's been suggested that she has hypertonia because of her muscle tone/strength. Guess she might be useful as a pro wrestler and earn me a fortune 🤣

Unfortunately a seat is useless to people who can't safely hold their children. What an earth would the bike users have expected you to do with a newborn in a bassinet pram or twins??? Keep the buggy up if you struggle otherwise. Bikes on trains are supposed to be folded barring off peak times in/around London.

To the people saying don't travel during rush hour with kids that is very unrealistic when you are given a medical appointment etc at 9am at St Thomas or similar.

It was Margate Pride, Herne Bay carnival, Broadstairs Folk week and Whitstable Harbour Day yesterday so the trains would have all been busier than usual on a sunny Saturday!

OMFG. Come to the north and speak like that, lass.

"side note, I grew up in London..." yer don't say...🙄
"I do want children some day" - do the rest of the populous a massive favour and please don't. Jesus, more like you!? As if we don't have enough!

"You don’t deserve a seat just because you couldn’t keep your 🦵s shut" I laughed at that, I admit - but only because of the puerility of the remark and your evident immaturity. Additional reasons not to 'pro-create' FYI, would be because merely thinking you're smarter and more mature than what you actually are means you won't be able to adapt to parenting, or to execute it nearly as well as you think you can. I HTH 😁

Blimey. Why not tell us how you really feel!

Love the stealth boast!

The train companies are at fault, not putting enough carriages on at busy times. They're probably delighted the passengers are all blaming one another for a problem that wouldn't even exist if this country was capable of running a railway properly.

I'm commenting from the first page here. It's a train to London. Of course everyone is peeved, that's seemingly the state of affairs from anywhere in the UK to London and especially going around LDN. People travelling there seem to have an issue with kids, pets, bikes, other passengers, headphones, food and a plethora of other things. It's not personal. It's the destination and mindset. Nowt you can do about that loves, and it was only once. Get a takeaway and a bottle of wine and write it up to miserable bastards and move forward :)

Wow.

Just been to Spain for a week and we had intrusive phone noise behind us on the plane, then beside us in the coach transfer to the hotel, then from fellow guests poolside. It’s everywhere. What is up with people? Why are headphones no longer a thing?

Were things better in 'the good ol days'?!

Exactly! Also, people with children need to get the rush hour trains for lots of reasons. It isn’t just reserved for people without children! Some of the replies on here are very eye-opening about the level of people’s disdain for children. I find it quite depressing.

That's my experience with trains in the North too and my son is a wheelchair user.

Buses are a different story but trains are generally a pleasant experience.

This thread is a stellar exemplar of mumsnet’s stated aim of making parents’ lives easier. NOT 🙄🙄🙄🙄
Laying into a woman who is a bit pissed off that she had to ask for a seat so she didn’t have to stand all the way to London for an hour. Telling her that she should have booked a seat. Telling her that they should have gone to the other end of the train, that her husband was useless, that basically it was ALL HER FAULT.

I can remember how brutal it was taking little children out for a day on public transport with little experience. Very sad that so many other mums don’t seem to be able to remember it and/or are just enjoying giving a mum of a baby a good kicking.

So often the first reply is the best. This is very neatly and aptly summarised! 😀

I have been on a lot of very busy trains lately and helped many people with children and babies. Maybe it is different in the North but here everyone helps. However as you were with your husband possibly people thought he would help. Shocking that people pushed you, did your husband not tell them to stop?

Of course they can. They can take their children on a train during rush hour.If they choose. I wouldn't argue with that.

I would say they have no right to complain the train is overcrowded, though. If you travel in rush hour, expect it to be crowded.

Erm parents can bring their children on the train at whatever time they feel like, with it being a free country.