Why is a lady on my train setting her hair on fire?

[Sprogonthetyne]

She's sat with a lighter setting the ends of her long hair on fire, then putting it out. No idea why, is this a thing? The whole train stinks if burnt hair and I have exchanged puzzled looks with several other passengers.

Years ago this was a way of zapping split ends- people did it with a ciggie lighter.

Not a good idea.

Have you ever seen a 'train manager' on a train?

I've not.

There may be a guard but finding him on an intercity train will be tricky.

I was once in a work vehicle with a bloke who spent a decent amount of time singing off his ear hair. There was four of us. We bc opened the windows and because we were all British said nothing at the time, then bitched behind his back to the rest of the team.

I used to do this as an anti social teen. Also my trousers.

I was just bored really and liked burning things. It passed the time and I was thoughtless towards others; no more to it. I did set fire to myself properly a few times though , so I'd have a word or text the transport police and ask them to. I went up quite rapidly, the couple of times I properly caught fire, it'd be a bit dangerous on a train.

I airways thought it was "see it, say it, sorted"!?

Split ends and mental health..one of the reasons public transport can be so grim. Antisocial public.

We were on a small ''regional'' train a few months ago with a woman with a child in a buggy and the child's nappy needed changing - the passengers all went to the end of the carriage to get away from the reeking smell-

The guard said ''why doesn't she use the lavatory to change the child?''

She {Guard} was nauseated by the smell as well.

I had a similar experience. The crackle by my ear, I turned to see what it was and saw a yellow flicker on my shoulder like a cellophane toffee wrapper. The flame had caught the sleeve of my towelling robe, travelled up the back of my arm, across my back/shoulder to the other ear.

Easily put out, but the scorch mark was rather shocking.

MH or drugs issue, possibly. Definitely inconsiderate and antisocial. I wouldn't force-stop the train though unless there was a fire. Have water ready and prepare to bail out at the next station! Try to grab a staff member meantime who sometimes pass through, or report it when you get off. The CCTV footage should be clear enough to make your point. Mark the timing of the incident for easier corroboration, and maybe lodge a mass complaint so it's taken more seriously.

I was visiting a friend who lived off grid, who suddenly hit my son across his back repeatedly in a brisk slapping motion I said ''What are you doing?!'' - son had backed up to a table where there was a candle and son's faux fur hood had caught fire.

I actually thought friend had gone mad for a minute.

Do NOT do this, it's not an emergency.

“Excuse me, I’m not sure whether you realise but your burning hair is causing really unpleasant fumes for other passengers. Could you stop setting fire to your hair, please?”

How much will the average Brit endure before using their words?

I had a towelling robe catch fire on the back of the bathroom door - it caught a candle that was on the edge of the bath, and went up like an orange firefighter- I threw it in the bath-

Towelling and that light ''Indian'' gauzy cotton goes up like tinder.

Have you seen both the state and the size of a train toilet? Depending on how long it was to my stop, I might decide to live with a dirty nappy for a bit rather than change it there. If she had been on a bus there would have been no option to change it and everyone would have accepted that.

@Sprogonthetyne it's how some people make dreads

Have you reported her OP??

I have had my hair set on fire deliberately so this is a right trigger. We once went out for a Christmas meal from work and when I came back to the table the menu was on fire and it freaked me.

Sorting split ends or sealing braids.

Though very anti social due to the smell and also a safety hazard!

Have also done this in a pub, always tie it up now😀. The hair crunchily snaps off in my experience so I'm not sure of the benefit for split ends over scissors, it's not sealing anything.

I would try to find a staff member and tell them.

The child could stand - it wasn't like a baby who had to lie on their back.

The loo looked quite big for disabled access - The smell was really terrible - not like a ''normal'' dirty nappy that one might be able to smell from a metre away- this was stinking out a two carriage train. 🤢

My hairdresser used to tightly twist small sections of my hair and run a lighted taper up and down them. It was called singeing and was a way of dealing with split ends in very long hair. The twisting made the split ends stick out so that they could be singed. She did tell me never to try it at home! or on trains

I've just found this:
https://www.sewhistorically.com/victorian-and-edwardian-hair-care-about-cutting-and-singeing-the-hair

My experience of it was in the mid 1980s to early 1990s I hasten to add, not in Victorian or Edwardian times!

It doesn’t sound like a normal behaviour in a public place.
Hope everything is ok with your train journey @Sprogonthetyne

Crumbs OP, this sounds quite alarming and I can see that you might not want to disturb the lady... 61016 will sort it. In my experience, BTP are pretty swift at responding appropriately.
Did you know... you used to have to pay for the experience - last time I texted BTP about two years ago it was 95p per text sent to BTP! But the internet tells me that it is now free (since November last year, so pretty recent).
https://www.btp.police.uk/news/btp/news/england/btps-61016-text-service-now-free-across-all-major-uk-mobile-networks/

What if she has mental health issues or becomes aggressive to OP ? Report it to staff immediately , it’s a fire risk

Just tell her to stop, the smell is making you nauseous. She probably has no idea how rank smell of burnt hair can appear to others.