What's your thoughts on reserving seats on train ?

[Lastdaysofsummer26]

Seen two rows about this, this year already

First time an older man, told a lady with a small child she was in his seat there was plenty of other seats at the time so she grumpily told him can't you just sit there....

Then today two families were on a train, a load of woman came on in hen party and wanted getbthe families to leave,As they had reserved the seats, they refused to move, then a staff member came along asked them to move but the staff member also told the she couldn't force the to move.
One of the hens started shouting we've paid for these seats
And one of the family people said we've paid for our seats too
There where no other seats for them to move to so the families didn't move due to small children

But of an awkward train journey as they just kept saying things
An hours journey

Doesn't seem to really work that well
What do you think

I had a similar one. Woman with kids came up and told me we were in their seats and had to move. I said I'd reserved the seats. She got quite irate and insisted they were hers stating D12, 13and 14. I pointed out we were in carriage C not D ( I've made up the numbers). She turned and matched off with kids looking confused.

Not the train but happens in the cinema.

I go quite regularly as I get free Vue/Odeon with my medical cover.

I often watch an argument unfold. People not sitting in their seats, so sit somewhere else, then they are sat in other reserved seats, and so it goes on.

I think if you’ve reserved a train seat you should be able to sit in it!

People should use some awareness & check whether a seat is reserved & from where/which station- now easier with digital displays used whereas previously just a flappy ticket on top of the seat

A few months ago I had a long train journey and my reserved seat was available for me, nobody already sat in it- I was expecting someone already to be seated

When DC1 was a toddler I got on a very busy train, which had reserved seats- two grumpy men were sat in our seats and outright refused to budge, turning the issue back on me saying I had no right to demand they move

Packed train and no conductor in sight, I sucked it up & stood for hour plus journey…I let those CFs get away with it, sigh

Of course people should move if they're sitting in a reserved seat and the rightful occupant comes along.

I do usually ask people to move if they're sitting in my reserved seat, though occasionally I've resigned myself to standing if it's busy and the person sitting in my seat obviously needs it more than I do - I'm not going to make someone stand if they are clearly going to struggle with it.

But I have increasingly noticed that people are just refusing to move when they're in the wrong seat - I guess they know that I can't actually make them move and they don't really care what anyone else thinks. I'm not really sure how this can be dealt with. The train staff can't actually make them move either, and on a really busy train, the staff quite often can't move up and down the carriages in any case. It does make the whole system feel a bit pointless!

I hope they make you pay the difference then.

What annoys me is when you get on a train that should have reservations but fof whatever reason they haven't been able to do them. The conductor tells everyone that unfortunately there re no reservations so please feel free to sit in any available seat.
Then somebody comes along shouting and bawling that this is THEIR seat.

If somebody is sitting in my clearly reserved seat I will point this out politely but if they refuse to move there's nothing I can do.

I would have just sat on their lap if they wouldn’t move out of the seat I’d reserved.

It works well if people sit in their own seats and don’t act like knobs.

If you want a seat, reserve one.

It’s not difficult. some people are just awkward, though.

I always reserve seats. I am not able to travel backwards on a train.
I would not move from my reserved seat if asked.

Years ago we were appearing in a documentary with our youngest ( due to access to a specialist she needed to see)
TV company had reserved us seats on the train. When we arrived there was a young couple in our seats who refused to move.
I said fine if you’re wanting to be filmed as we are in a documentary and they want footage on the train. Never seen anyone move so fast. I’m assuming they either should’ve been in work or not been together?

Yep, I recently paid for 1st return but no reserved seats, it was full, mostly with luggage as there's no luggage racks, the guard didn't care, it was bloody awful.

How would me paying for a seat reservation stop someone else sitting in the seat? They don’t give a shit and refuse to move even when staff try to get them shifted. Me paying money won’t change peoples disrespectful behaviour.

First is just as bad isn’t it. People seem to think the designated and clearly signed wheelchair spaces are actually for their luggage.

It's usually OK for me. I don't travel super often though just sometimes to London or the airport.

The prices of the tickets are ridiculous and so should really cover some staff to police the seating situation! Other than the free sandwich, that's the only reason I pay for first class... because there's always a seat and there's an attendant.

I haven't got a sandwich in first class for years just biscuits if I'm lucky.

You should if it's a long journey. Tbf, I only get them on the trains to and from London.. otherwise it's just biscuits.

The person who has reserved the seat should be allowed to sit in it. I'd not travel if i didn't have a seat reservation, i know I can't stand for an entire journey.

They are reserved for a reason. You do not sit in a reserved seat unless you can be pretty sure the person who reserved it has not turned up as someone upthread explained.
They clearly say they are reserved. For those who do not regularly travel on trains I can understand how some people might get it wrong though.

For most of my recent longer journey train trips on the Aventi trains there is an illuminated light saying where the train is reserved from and to.

When I was going to Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago I couldn't get a reserved ticket for some reason. It was only when we sat down and dirted our bags and coats there was an announcement that carriages G to I were unreserved, Typical! we were in M!. We decided to sit in the reserved seat until the station they were reserved from. As soon as people got on at Penrith we moved with out complaint.
There's no point in creating a drama, those people hasd reserved their seats so fair enough.

Same at football matches. Lots of people just sit where they want, oblivious to the seat number printed on their tickets, and refuse to move.

A big part of the problem is that often no-one comes for the reserved seats. I often book an anytime ticket out of London but it still allows you to reserve a seat on the train you are intending to catch if my meeting finishes an hour early I might catch the earlier train and never use that reservation. I think people before complacent when so many reservations go unclaimed

The problem isn’t the system.

The problem is the people in society who think they are entitled to something - because that’s what they want.

They don’t give a shit that someone has paid to reserve that seat because that’s where they want to sit. They paid for a ticket so they get to decide where they sit etc etc.

But it's all voluntary because the train manager/guard won't do anything other than ask them to move, and if they refuse, they just walk away. Unless the person in the seat starts getting violent or abusive, British Transport Police won't intervene so can't be called by the guard.

Yup, pure selfishness, and they know they can get away with it.

When I buy train tickets I always get the option to reserve a seat. So I do, and I carefully choose my seat. I therefore expect to sit in it and will, politely, ask someone to move if they are in my seat. When the reservation signs are working, this is easy. If they're not working, I just show my ticket. It's not difficult.