Was I wrong to push past or were they wrong to block me?

[IceMap]

Trying to get across a busy train station to make a connecting service. A few others rushing, most meandering very slowly.

In London there seems to be an unspoken rule that you stand/walk to one side so people in a hurry can get past- perfect! Everywhere else people seem oblivious to others in a rush. Almost as though it's not done to hurry. At this station I got stuck behind numerous people drifting slowly while chatting, daydreaming/playing with phones, lugging suitcases 3-abreast etc. I had 4 minutes to get to my platform so called out 'excuse me can I squeeze past' repeatedly as I nudged forward into gaps. Some made way but many just glared and one woman deliberately blocked me, moving in front of me with her wheely-suitcase every time I tried to dodge round She then took forever to find her ticket at the barrier while I was stuck behind her!

What's the etiquette here? Do people think you're queue jumping if you don't stick to the pace of the majority?

I visit London, as a tourist, (love the place). I am super careful to comply with where to stand on escalator etc. I am always conscious that most others travelling are under time pressure, and because I am on my holidays I am not. Always have my oyster card at the ready for entrance and exit too. It's a fast paced place, the Tube environment, YANBU.

Those who run for the bus are discounted as they have not had time to get it out I suppose .

nebulae

I am sure it can be overwhelming, I don't really understand because I find the London tube the easiest in the world to navigate in, but we are all different.

However, even in a countryside supermarket or on any escalators, I wouldn't stand in the middle and block everybody else, so you were a bit unreasonable. You don't need to know London to realise that it's best to get out of the way. Maybe the guy who pushed you was rude, maybe he was running late for work AGAIN despite going to his station 1h30 earlier than he usually does.

I hate people advising that you should organise yourself better! No one knows which trains are running, which trains are running late, not everybody has a job where you can stroll out at 5pm on the dot, nurseries don't open at 6am so you can't drop your kids earlier and you get fine for picking them up late (rightly so, but still). Do you really think commuters enjoy being stressed and rushing desperately to catch a tube or train?

I'm not pushy but I'm quick and weavy. I'm pretty good at predicting where a gap in the mass will appear. My non Londoner husband is useless at this so I am generally the leader.

I hate people who stop at the bottom of escalators. I hate people who don't have their oyster/ticket ready. I hate groups of people who walk three or four abreast across the width of the passageways.

I don't ask if I can get past. I just say sorry, sorry, sorry as I squeeze my way through. It's not queue jumping, I'm just in more of a hurry than those I overtake.

Those who run for the bus are discounted as they have not had time to get it out I suppose

but if you are using a bus on a regular basis, at least keep your ticket accessible, not hidden at the bottom of your purse, you do know you will need to take it out several times a day!

Yanbu op. I have been very slow this year was extreme morning more like fucking all day sickness and then pelvic pain but I always kep to the side and remained aware.

That woman was an unobservant prat who must have a had some kind of queue jumping rage.

True enough mambono5 , I was being generous

mambono5 I wasn't stood in the middle, I was stood on the right. He could have got past me on the left if he'd wanted to. He could have asked me to move. Either would have been ok. Pushing me out of the way wasn't. I accept he had his reasons for being in a rush but it still doesn't give him the right to push me out of the way. Unless that's generally deemed acceptable in London.

Sorry got that wrong, I was stood on the left. See it still flusters me now!

Victoria station is no better, the barriers are crowded with people.

London is every man or woman for themselves. Same with driving.

I once got the biggest cats bum face from a visitor. I had, correctly, taken my dc, 4 &6, though the very busy ticket gate and filtered onto the very busy escalator. She made it very clear that I had infact pushed in between her and her friend in front. Except her friend hadn't even noticed, the full length of the escalator! The woman behind huffed and puffed, and glowered at me, but her friend was paying attention to her surroundings. I tried to stifle my giggle, I'm sure I must have been at the center of a those rude Londoners story. Much as the OP's blocker probably is. Whilst London can be seen as everyman for himself, man is actually any man, we show active preventative consideration for others, we stand to the side not the middle, our actions should not have a negative impact on others, and if somebody points out our mistake, we don't blame them for being rude nebulae or teach them a lesson by blocking their way.

If he had space to go round, he should have done so. I agree that pushing you completely out of the way in a moving escalator is a dangerous thing to do, you could have fallen down and got hurt. That's not right.

Realistically, asking someone to move out of the way takes to much time frankly: by the time they hear you, realise you are speaking to them, "who me?", understand what you are asking them and faff, you are at the bottom and blocking the entire queue behind you

Pushing people is not acceptable, but it's survival of the fittest. I normally see people being very polite and respecting queue, but in public transport it's war. It's sad, but I think things will get a lot worst

However, even in a countryside supermarket or on any escalators, I wouldn't stand in the middle and block everybody else
But the locals would. And don't you dare make any suggestion they should move, how rude of you, have some patience! It's a hobby here to stand in shop door ways and have a chat, stare aimlessly at the ceiling, in this part of the countryside. And when they are ready they might move or decide to chat to you about how you can now get past, isn't it funny, them stood there blocking you! Noooooooo

mambono5

Just to clarify, in my post I said that if the OP or anyone else has a legitimate reason e.g. they are about to miss a train, then I think it's completely acceptable to ask slower people politely to move out of the way and to explain why you are doing it. But in most cases, I think there are far too many people running stressed around London when some of them could make their lives easier by just giving themselves a bit more time. Of course there will be times when they've done all that and they're still in danger of being late (as seems to be the case with the OP) but it should be the exception rather than the rule.

I just think London would be a much nicer place for it.

I think another thing too is that when you're a seasoned London commuter you grow a bit of a thick skin in regard to minor episodes of rudeness on the part of other people. If you can't shrug it off fairly quickly you'll get mentally dragged down.
There are days when I will weigh up whether I'm feeling resilient enough to take a time saving short cut (walking along the opposite tube platform which has just emptied out rather than battling along the packed one I should be on and then crossing back at the end) because it's all about the fine timing and the dodging round people pulling their suitcases and getting round people who can't cope with someone coming at them from the opposite direction on a tube platform etc etc.
So while an occasional visitor may experience some unpleasant incidents and that understandably has an effect on their well being that day...I hope they can spare a thought for the thousands and thousands who live the experience every day, twice a day, relentlessly.

I would barge past someone who was deliberately blocking me and I might nip in front of someone who has got to the barrier and is then fumbling around for their ticket (although I'd say excuse me and wouldn't push them). If someone was just being gormless I'd probably shout excuse me but not barge past.

Kai1977

The problem is that a lot of people in London have to commute. Even if you only go from one side of London to the other by tube, it can take 1 hour or 2 of your 2. It means that most people have a lot less time than the ones who can drive leisurely 30mn or less to go to work, so there's not much that can be done to improve on stress levels.

I know many people travel to work in any part of the country, but most of my friends leaving North don't waste so many hours the way we do.

It's odd - given how much it is talked about - but I have not met any rudeness at all in London.

I stopped working in London just over a year ago. I can't walk as quickly now, I had perfected the commuter walking speed.

Cara It's about perception of rudeness as far as I can gather. In London it is rude to not be aware of your surroundings, it is rude to stand in the middle not the edge, you offer help where you see people in need. In the country side you should know your place, it's to get out of my way, and stay out of my way and not expect me to be aware of my surroundings. This is based on the hierarchy of age, not actual requirement. So when they swap it's a nasty shock, and both think the other is BU.

LOL at 'you should leave enough time'. Thanks! Great advice! Maybe you could ask the train companies to always run on time to keep the 15 min transfer window rather ban reducing it down to 3 mins??

Sorry got that wrong, I was stood on the left. See it still flusters me now

You were stood on the left? Didn't you notice that EVERYONE else was stood on the right?

I have tapped people and said 'excuse me, stand on the right' and when that doesn't have the desired effect just push past.

I don't understand why the 'stand in one side' thing is then ignored in shooing centres? It's ok in Canary Wharf but in Westfield Stratford it's a nightmare. To many on working people wasting their lives in a shopping centre would be my guess.

You get good at weaving and nipping through the dawdlers. The worst are people dragging wheels bags miles behind them.

I just zip by with a loud 'scuse me!'. Sometimes they may get a grumpy 'like a bloody fart in a trance!!!' If they are being particularly dawdly and tiresome.

I think the fact that you called out excuse me and alerted people to the fact you were rushing instead of just barrelling through as so many do in London is a plus in your favour, OP. Damn, I'd have put a siren in my head and escorted you through for that alone. The woman was rude and had no excuse to hold you up except to be arsey.
She's the type who appoints herself as the speed limit police in the outside line on the motorway, annoying self-righteous twats.

Oh I forgot the sea of phone zombies shuffling towards you as you try to get into the station. It's a nightmare if you are rushing to catch a train.