Waiting for a train - who gets priority

[PhoebeGeebee]

Travelling back from a meeting yesterday and waiting for the train (which, for some reason, you can never get reserved seating for)

I stood on the platform for a good 15 minutes, didn't sit down as I knew the train would be busy and wanted to get a seat. Train came and I made a move toward the door, the same time as another woman. She gave me a look and said "excuse me, but I've been waiting for half an hour for this train".

I'm not a fan of confrontation so I let her on. However, whilst she had been waiting longer, she'd been sitting in the waiting room on a nice comfy seat. I had been standing in the heat on the platform.

So who should get first dibs on the seat? The one who's been waiting longest, or the one who's put themselves out more?

Closest to door unless there's wheels or someone clearly in need of a little compassion (elderly or with walking little ones). Time waited is irrelevant on a train platform.

Aww bless, sounds like she's not been on a train before .

Whoever's managed to correctly predict where the doors will be when the train stops gets on first in my very extensive experience!

My reply would have been "And?" while I carried on my way!

Trains are a different kettle of fish to buses, its every woman for herself.

Are we playing commuter rules, London commuter rules or wild (aka non-commuter)?

Because there is a different answer for each you know

Yeah, I wouldn't have let her go first. i would have said 'Half an hour? That's nothing. I have been here FOUR hours- I was in the loo/cafe/other platform'. See what she said then. Or I would have sprinted to the next available door and tried to get a seat in a different carriage. Did you at least get a seat?

I would LOVE to see what happened if she tried this on the London Underground by the way.

In London, you can get on any of the 3 doors, so I'm used to it. Fortunately, buses are so frequent it tends not to be an issue. I will get my elbows out of someone is obviously pushing in, though it's a bit petty because there is rarely a proper queue

^^ sorry, talking about buses.

On the Tube, you have to subtly move yourself forward and along as the train approaches. Then get your elbows out

When the train arrives, you walk to the nearest door, and the queue forms around the door. Then you stand back to let people off, make way for anyone who has small children, or is elderly, disabled or pregnant, before getting on.

Waiting half an hour in the waiting room isn't relevant.

Pushing and elbows are obviously hazardous near trains/tracks, so I don't think priority goes to "whoever races selfishly to the door with the sharpest elbows"!

Unless your pregnant, elderly and unable to stand, with a small child, disabled or really in need of a seat (although I once had crutches and my leg in a massive great boot and still was pushed for someone to get a seat ahead of me) took me to pretty much fall over for someone to give me a seat then all is fair in love and seat war...

marble

I don't literally elbow people out of the way. Just draw myself up to my full 5ft 3 inches and try and maximise my surface area to resist encroachment from the side

I never push

It's the luck of where the carriage stops and who is in tactical prime positioning to get on first

Cheeky mare.

Sorry Yoda, it was a general comment, not to you personally. I'm sure you are very polite and considerate, with elbows or not!

at "maximise my surface area"

If you get the same train every day you generally know exactly where in the door is going to stop.

This cannot have been in London surely; people would have simply laughed in her face, (or completely ignored her).

I had a woman every day on my journey like this. She'd sit on a seat in the station shelter while I waited on the platform where the train doors would open, and every day without fail she'd saunter along and squeeze in front of me to get on first.

Some people are queen of their own headspace.

marble

It's OK. I was worried I was coming over as overly aggressive

My knees are knackered - that doesn't stop me waiting on the platform because I know it gives me a much higher chance of getting a seat. There was no excuse for that rude mare's behaviour.

There are no rules about getting on - first, last, closest whatever - but once on it is the right thing to ensure that people that need to sit can sit (elderly, infirm, unwell, unsteady etc). I'd have raised my eyebrows and got on in my turn anyway.

Whoever gets to the doors first

Compassion obviously should be given to those who need it, but hopefully that would extend to giving up a seat if required or helping them onto the train

No rules on trains, it is an absolute free for all.
I found there was a loose "queuing system" on trains that were not overly full.
On the peak rush hour, busy times, it can resemble a medieval melee.
Ive seen a woman walking with two sticks virtually thrown out of the way, people seem to lose their heads on rush hour trains.

I think that saying words that persuade others to let you go in front comes under the category of "sharp elbows" and so she wins.

I'm a Londoner. Bus and train rules are whoever gets to the door first is first on. Queues, what queues??

I'd have laughed at her. If you commute regularly then you know roughly where the doors will be when the train stops, so you position yourself accordingly. First one at the door is first one on.

What's a queue for a train?