to enjoy winding up people who think their bag needs a seat

[motheroftwoboys]

I usually wimp out of asking people to move so I can sit down but yesterday and today have, with a smile, asked to sit down. You would think I was asking the earth. Young woman yesterday, sitting on the aisle seat on a busy bus with very small handbag on seat. She sighed dramatically and made a big play of making me sit at the window instead of moving across herself. I got off before her and she actually tutted when I politedly said excuse me. I said thank you in over loud and friendly way and I was still chuckling when I got off the bus. This morning there was a bloke who thought his paper needed a seat when he was reading it. Same tactic. Same response. Wonder what my journey home will bring. [wing]

Years ago, when I was first working, I asked a great big man to move his paper, so I could sit down.

So, I went and got the conductor (I said it was a long time ago ) to get him to move it.

The man still refused, so the conductor found me another seat (those were the days).

A couple of stops later, two burly policemen got on the train and escorted the man off! Ha!

(Sequel - a couple of days later, two people were chatting about it. I piped up "that was me". I subsequently made friends with them, and got to join one of those commuter friendship groups of people that always sit together and chat in the train. So, I usually had someone to save me a seat, after that.)

For got to say in my post - I asked the man first, but he refused. I didn't just go in all guns blazing with the conductor!

Saving a seat for you is not on either. It's first come first served on public transport. If somebody gets on before you , those friends are doing what that man did to you - not allowing somebody to sit on that vacant seat. Double standards there.

Sanity I love that story and the thought of a conductor

This fat chick got on and started squeezing me against the wall. I said, 'Do you mind?' She said, 'Can you move any?' 'Does it look like I can? If you're too fat to fit in the seat then stand up!' She got up and left.

I can't believe you said that, that's vile.

when pregnant with ds I had a two hour each way commute to reading from east london. i finally snapped after having missed 3 buses in the surge forward and simply howled what the fuck is wrong with you all when finally staggered onto 4th routemaster and dngling by straps...not my finest moment but did the trick! and am still eternally grateful to virgin trains firstclass who always gave me a seat when it was standing room only. blimey I was enormous and seriously bewildered when petitish 6 lb 11 oz ds popped out....

How weirdly anti-social you are galaxy. You must live here in London?

' I can't believe you said that, that's vile.'

Yeah, I did. It's just as vile to shove a heavily pregnant person against a bus wall with your body, more and more, so you can take over the entire bench, and no, there weren't any spare seats.

YouTheCat

Some of the people in the priority seats mightn't look like they need to be there but really do. Like me. However, I always make a point of apologising for not being able to give up my seat, which generally gets someone to shift themselves. Agree tis rare, though!

Once had a v uncomfortable bus journey to the GP surgery with a middle-aged woman making pass-agg comments about "selfish teenagers" (as it happens I was in my twenties, but in fairness I do look far younger than my age) who "just sit anywhere without thinking of others". She & her teenage daughter were both seated, incidentally, & neither made any move to get up for anyone.

As it turned out, they were both going to the GP surgery too. Her attempted to barge in front of me was utterly & devastatingly squashed by the receptionist. The look on Mme PassAgg-Hugelyentitled's face when the receptionist directed me to sit in the Priority Seating Area (for people with mobility issues) was Highly Amusing

I'm an aisle sitter, because I have real panic attacks if squished against the window seat with a stranger next to me. I don't put a bag on the seat and will get up and let someone in or out, but I'm not moving over in to that window seat for anything. I only travel by public transport a couple of times per year though because of it, and never during peak times, so I don't think I'm causing the collapse of civilised society by doing so. Never on a bus either, as I get bus sick.

Even as a teacher, I always volunteer to drive to excursions and camps rather than travel by bus. We have to have one car in case of emergency, and since I'm the only one on staff with a 4WD, I always make a good case for taking it (what if there's flash flooding at the venue?? ) Aside from the loss of credibility by vomiting in front of students, at least I can sit in airconditioned comfort with my choice on the radio and not deal with screaming over excited children for the duration of the trip ;)

It's just as vile to shove a heavily pregnant person against a bus wall with your body, more and more, so you can take over the entire bench

Couldn't you just have asked her to give you a bit more room instead of making an aggressive, bitchy comment about her weight?

YouTheCat
*I bet you sit in the seats allocated for the elderly and disabled as well.

That is another bugbear of mine. People who plonk themselves down in those seats (usually students and young men) who could easily have moved further down the bus and won't budge when an old person gets on.*

Clue is in the words elderly and disabled. It isn't the elderly alone who are disabled you know. I'm not old, but I have a disabilty that isn't obvious, so could easily get judged for not moving for an old person, but I'd be well within rights to sit in those seats.

YANBU, a surprising number of people think it's ok to keep their bag on a chair when someone else needs a seat.

Once, when I was on a train a girl had her bag on a seat (v busy train) and a lady got on and said please could you move your bag. Her reply? 'If I put it down there I won't be able to get my stuff out'. The mind boggles...

Loversthatwentwrong lol at being tired of British-bashing. Try being an American on mumsnet. It takes a thick skin

Actually, I was glad to be able to drive after doing a commute years ago. One time a woman was sat on one seat on a train, bag on seat next to her, and two people (including me) opposite across one of those tables.

Train was crowded, if one more person had come on board she'd have had to move the bag.

So, we're travelling through countryside, and on a warm day we have obvious country smells . She took a large bottle of perfume out of her bag and decided to spray it around, including over me and the chap I was sat next to. So I said "do you mind not spraying that?" She replied it was to cover smells, so I replied I didn't want to be covered in her stinking perfume all day and how was she so sure I wasn't allergic to it?. She didn't reply to that, not even to apologise, but she did goggle a bit and looked taken aback that someone had actually complained to her about it.

I did catch a faint snigger from the chap next to me.

I shall look out for GalaxyDefender the next time I'm on a bus or train.

that'll be easy scholes, she'll look something like this >>

Yes, I am well aware that not everyone who is disabled will have a big flashing sign and a stick. But yes, I'd assume most of the students who hog the seats at the front and then don't move up the bus for old and actually disabled people, are just being twats.

I would never say anything to them, on the off chance that they actually do have a disability but I'd bet that most of the time they haven't.

I am very quiet and accommodating on the bus. I just let out my inner rage here.

On trains and undergrounds where they have 2 seaters facing each other, common consideration of others < does that exist anymore?> means the first in sits at the window to leave room for the next passenger. That is what I always did.
Simples!

Oh YouTheCat I didn't mean to sound like I was jumping on you for what you said, sorry: I actually agree that most people who sit in the priority seats (& will not budge) don't actually need to sit in them. I'm just a bit sensitive because I get so many Looks And Whispers from people who think I shouldn't be sitting there

S'like I feel it is not unreasonable of me to get The Rage when no-one will let me sit down when I ask because I find it impossible to believe I've found myself in the middle of such a statistical improbability i.e. everyone around ALSO Really Needs To Sit Down. I do understand people feeling horribly tired & wanting a comfy seat & easy journey home. I shouldn't have to point out how much less fun their journey will be rendered by the tube having to be stopped until paramedics are able to come & get me because my fall has caused multiple severe joint dislocations &/or (a) broken bone[s] &/or a head injury to get someone to shift. Bleh.

I get the train one stop from my local station to the one just down the road from where my Brownies meet. Is always packed when I get on, but there are still people whose response to the seat next to them being vacated is to pop their bag down on it despite the carriage being full of people who're standing & more people getting on! I'd only half-registered it before but this thread was on my mind tonight!

Oh, fun. Number 16 = RAGE but I love the crying rabbit man

Zebra, it is all so annoying that all people have to do is be just a tiny bit thoughtful and less selfish.

MrsBert, I think no.18 might be Bjórk.

No. 20 seems like a good idea.