AIBU to think if safety was such a big deal she should've reserved own seats?

[Ohthegrandolddukeofyorkjellies]

This happened years ago before I became a mum.

I was travelling back from London one Sunday lunchtime - a 3 hour journey to where I was living at the time. I had work to do and so I reserved a seat in the quiet area with a table.

That Sunday I got on the train to find it absolutely jam-packed. No free seats anywhere. I went and found my reserved seat only to find it filled by a child and also at the table the boy's mother and 2 other children. There was a ticket above the seat showing the reservation.

I didn't want to be rude so I said Excuse me, has there been some confusion etc but the woman got very cross and said that the train was very busy and she wasn't prepared to be separated from her children.

I didn't really know what to say so I didn't say anything but just stood there like a lemon for three hours figuring I would, of course, have felt awful if anything had happened to her children and maybe I was missing something.

I was thinking about that recently - when I've travelled by train with my own child I've reserved a seat to make sure we didn't have to stand or be separated.

So - what do you think?

Thanks

You reserved the seat, it was your seat. Having children does not override that, and yes, she could have reserved seats if she had planned ahead. I would have put one of the children on my lap if I couldn't move.

Why are you still worrying if it happened years ago? Might be time to let it go!

The woman was rude, and selfish, and plainly wrong, she could have remained standing by her children and allowed them to sit. If it was ok for you to stand it would have been ok for her. Some people seem to think the world revolves around them when they have children.

She could have stood up while they stayed sitting and given you the seat

Love that this happened years ago and it is still annoying you! I would be like that too :-)

She could have stood up while they stayed sitting and given you the seat

Love that this happened years ago and it is still annoying you! I would be like that too :-)

Oh yes, or stood myself if the youngest child was old enough not to climb over/fall out at lightning speed if I stood.

Ha ha! Not worried. Train etiquette came in conversation with friends today and I was just casting the net for opinions, that's all :)

If I was on a long train ride I would just reserve seat, would not sit in a reserve spot

I always reserve seats as I visit a friend who lives 5 hours away by train. The last train journey two middleaged women were sat in my seats when I asked them to move they replied that they wanted a table. I gave them the 'death glare' and they soon moved. Today I was sat at a reserved table with my 3 DCs and was asked if the seats were free! It's free to reserve a seat so why not do it?

I still remember getting kicked out of my reserved seat as a student by an old couple who were on the wrong train - mine was running late, so it arrived in their station almost when their train was supposed to, and we had the same seats reserved. Except mine was reserved from Paddington to Bristol and they got on at Swindon - and they would not have it that it was my seat and got well shirty and I felt I had to move. And that's 20 years ago and I still feel riled!

Don't I still get mad about stupid woman on train when I was pregnant with ds. First pregnancy so was a bit cautious / protective of bump (which was not that noticeable despite being 28 weeks). She got on train with three children. Train was crowded and someone had sat in one of her seats to let someone else past. She started shouting and screaming. Her seats weren't all together so started off about that took someone else's seats etc she pushed me into the side and bashed my bump twice in her rearranging of the train. Quite badly. No appology received. When pointing out who had done it to my friend, her husband said to me 'what do you want a medal for being pregnant' and she turns round and shouts 'i appologised what do you want'. Vile, vile people. Still mad now as I said.

Was thinking of going by train to visit sister next month. After reading this have decided to drive..

I was woken up on an empty train because I was supposedly in someone else's seat. Couldn't be bothered to argue so moved to the empty table opposite. Was then woken up again by the guard moving them out for being in the wrong carriage .

And it was 15 years ago but I still giggle about it

She should have stood up and let you sit. It would have made me cross too, even years later I'd have gone and complained to the guard.

It is unfair-if it was so important it was up to her to reserve seats.

DD2 reserved a seat on a train going out of somehwere in England last week.
There was a lady in it who refused to move
DD2 had to stand in the packed train corridor

I think that I would have called her bluff and said that I was sitting down-the DC could sit on my knee. (unless the DC was heavy looking)

I got on a train with my two boys - I had reserved my seats. There were people sat in them. They refused to move and said they had booked them. I called the inspector. Turns out they had booked seats but in another carriage. They did not even apologise to got up and left all their bloody mess behind - they had been sat at the seats for about an hour before it got to my station.

Another train I got on, someone was sat in my seat - it was a singular one. She declared her son had booked it for her, he always books the same seat and therefore it must be hers... I showed her my ticket, she moved, said she wasn't sure where she was supposed to sit. She then came back a bit later and said he had booked another seat and he hadn't told her.

sheesh so many angry people

you all wanna chill about stuff that happened years ago

If a seat is reserved then it is reserved but this happened many years ago so I am slightly confused as to why it still bothers you?

My reserved seat one time was next to Giles Brandreth and his friends and boy were they loud and annoying.

A lot of tickets are sold with compulsory seat reservation, and if you don't sit in your reserved seat, your ticket is invalid.

I wouldn't get into an argument with somebody about it. I would ask somebody to move, and if they attempted to argue with me about it, I would just walk away and get the ticket inspector.

The sensible thing SeaHouses-ask them politely and if they don't move get the train staff to move them.

DH and I reserved first class seats on a long journey when I was 39+1 weeks pregnant, accepting that having space and a seat were priceless at that point.

The most hideous, loud mouthed, aggressive and sweary woman, and her child took our seats and refused to give them up. No conductor came for the three hour journey. The train was packed and I stood for most of the journey until a teenage boy gave me his seat. Went into labour that night!

"Was thinking of going by train to visit sister next month. After reading this have decided to drive.."

As SeaHouses has pointed out all intercity tickets sold these days automatically come with a seat reservation, so you will be fine. I travel fairly frequently between Sheffield and London and have never had a problem.