to make a scene on the train

[photographerlady]

I didn't but AIBU to just throw my hands up and really just make a scene next time. I commute over an hour to London on the train. In my third trimester of pregnancy I applied for upgrade for Mums to Be on southwest trains. Have the pass now to sit in first class if the train is full.

The past month I've sat in first class. I am slower now and especially after work when huffing my way to catch the train after quitting time I get on with only 5 minutes to spare. About five coaches down its first class (ten coach train) and its rammed so I get on and sit in FC as those first five coaches have no seats.

Today the ticket checker came to our carriage when we was moving she checked my pass and said that there were seats on this train I have to leave first class. I was more shocked but then she preceded to tell me that she could revoke my pass and I have to move now. So at 33 weeks I walked down two carriages on the moving train til I found a seat.

Now I am working til 35/36 weeks but after thinking about today AIBU to just say "No" next time that I am not moving and take it from there. I mean they can remove me from the train or say I am causing a scene but tbh I feel as though its not worth the strain and cramps in my stomach to hustle down the platform or weave through carriages to make sure all seats are taken before I go back to the pretty empty first class section.

No-I meant she has no reason to ask anyone to move-as if there are no seats in SC, she may sit in FC.

But the OP is inferring that walking down the two carriages to find a free seat was a struggle for her (which I understand). Why not just get on the first bloody carriage and ask someone to stand up instead of walking down five of them to first?

I'd write to the train company and ask how the pass works. Is it...

1. if the train is full when you get on, then you sit in first class and stay there. If the guard doesn't come round until much later then they're too late to ask you to move.

2. you have to keep checking throughout your journey to see if there are free seats to move to

My bet is on (1).

Exactly. The whole point is that OP was asked to move because there were free seats in standard class. If there were no free seats, she would not have been asked to move. I don't really understand the big deal about this.

To paraphrase another poster: pregnant woman asked to sit in standard seat rather than first class. Oh my god.

"But the OP is inferring that walking down the two carriages to find a free seat was a struggle for her (which I understand). Why not just get on the first bloody carriage and ask someone to stand up instead of walking down five of them to first?"

Because she wants to sit in FC??

It's very unfortunate that she arrives with so little time.

I agree she could just ask someone as soon as she gets on.

But now knowing that she can sit in FC, it seems unfair to ask someone to give up their seat.

Some people are acting like the OP was asked to run behind the train. She was asked to move out of first class because the T&C of her pass state it's only acceptable when there are no other seats. I think people are getting their knickers in a twist because they can't afford first class. What's with the bashing of "special, rich people"? Lovely!

Well they weren't much less full, were they?

No but they were less full, and there were free seats, enabling the OP to sit down. Look, as I said I personally would not have asked her to move, but it's not as if she was being denied a seat. I think the inference that creating a scene might have been reasonsable is what has elicited a number of responses here.

Sorry should have put quotes on first sentence of my post.

Binky I agree, I would also have not asked the OP to move but I think she would be OTT to kick off and also, to trek through several carriages to make her point.

The guard asked a heavily pregnant woman to move from a seat which would otherwise be empty to go and sit in another empty seat two carriages away. Thus making sure that the first class seat remained empty.

Nobody else wanted it.

If that's not an exercise in pettiness, I'm not sure what is.

I'd be interested to hear the train company's response, actually... Can we tweet them this thread?

By we I mean someone else.

I agree it was petty but OP knew the T&C of her special pass and she probably knew she was trying it on.

'Trying it on'?

Anyone would think she was Ronnie Biggs

Christ on a shiny bike, OP says she knew the pass was for when the train was full. It wasn't. She was asked to move which she did. Next time, she wants to make a scene like an entitled toddler.

The fact that a heavily pregnant woman needs a pass at all to sit on an empty first class seat when the train is full is ridiculous.

To enforce a ridiculous policy in such an inflexible way is downright disgraceful.

What has been said about the T&C so far is ambiguous. If the train's full when you get on, but a seat becomes available later in your journey, do you have to move, or not? What do the T&C say about that OP?

The time you find a seat is when you board the train, not later on, so yes go to first class and it's reasonable once you're in your seat to stay there. I think the guard was probably being a jobsworth.

But in your view tethers, everyone should be allowed to sit in unoccupied, better seats, whether on a train or in a cinema or elsewhere, on the basis that it makes no difference to the company whether someone parks their bum there or not. So the whole idea of a pass is irrelevant anyway- it should be open to all, first come first served. Oh hang on, the pregnant woman might not want to get caught up in the scramble for better seats. On the other hand, with your system, the quick ones will nab first class so she'll have more second class seats to choose from... Bingo!

"The fact that a heavily pregnant woman needs a pass at all to sit on an empty first class seat when the train is full is ridiculous."

Yup-she should take her chances in SC with everyone else who has a SC ticket.

If she's lucky, there'll be a seat, or someone will stand for her.

There are seats in every carriage that state passengers should give up their seat. OP could, you know, ask for a seat. There's just no need to make such a fuss.

OP I think you encountred a jobsworth, and you should continue to "try", but if you get moved, so be it. Just get a thick skin or a pragmatic attitude about it. Most decent people would not make you move. Let the jobsworth cow have her little power trip.

The train was virtually full. Her use of the pass was fair and reasonable. The pass means she doesn't have to ask people to give up seats, when she can go and sit in an empty first class one instead.

The ticket inspector was being a jobsworth, and I have no doubt that the train company's PR people would be very apologetic if she got in touch.

Why people are being so petty is beyond me.

Of course the PR dept will be very apologetic. They will have a standard letter of response. Really, none of this is rocket science. I wonder why the OP bothered applying for a pass if she's determined to do her own thing anyway. It's a system. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable system to me, to allocate a pass for situations where the train is full, but some people just like to moan.

Causing a scene is just embarrassing and behaving like a toddler though. If you want to complain that the company is using the system you signed up for, then go ahead and feel pleased with yourself when you get your standard reply from them, if it makes you feel better

But honest to god, of all the things you could quite rightly moan about with train companies, being asked to sit in the part of the train you've paid for is not up there with the best of them.

Good post janey68

Why exactly would the PR Dept. go out of their way to apologise? . The system is completely unambiguous, and all the guard did was enforce company policy. It'd be a bit crap if they didn't support their employee, actually, for doing their job...
Op took a chance and was busted. She should accept it with good grace.