Train etiquette with suitcase

[Kai1977]

Today on a busy Southeastern train into Charing Cross, the only seat left was a two seater. A woman was sitting in the window seat and had put a medium suitcase in the aisle seat next to her. There were no other seats left and some people were already standing elsewhere.

I asked if the woman could place her suitcase in the space behind the seat (a kind of gap) and she said she tried that but it was rolling around. I asked if she could put it sideways off the wheels and she said it still happened. In the end I sat down and twisted my body, leaving my legs out so other people weren't able to stand in the space but could still get by.

If I was the woman I would rather stand and hold the suitcase instead of basically take up two seats on a rush hour train.

AIBU?

Unless the suitcase was a paying customer it should not be on a seat. I would (and have) moved it off the seat so I could sit down but that's what years of commuter trains into london does to you!

I would have picked it up and put it on the floor Cheeky mare, had she paid for an extra seat ?!

I'd have moved it onto the floor.

I would never stand for someone's bloody suitcase. Is there no luggage rack at the end of the carriage? Was the case too big to go on the overhead rack? I'd have moved it myself.

fairiedemon haha respect.

Pick it up, put it on the floor. Zero time for this kind of nonsense at rush hour.

I asked if she could put it sideways off the wheels and she said it still happened

So, she lied?

Or she'd made up the whole "it moves" thing because she didn't want to be separated from it, and then got flustered when you suggested a simple solution.

Some people re unreasonably paranoid about "London" and think that their suitcase is going to get stolen if they don't hold onto it at all times.

She should have moved it really.
I used to travel long distance on a Virgin train, and I always booked my seat in advance. I admit I like space on the train, and when the train isn't busy, if the seat next to me says available then I will put my suitcase in front of the seat, and put my coat and other bags on the seat next to me.
However if the train is busy I will always move my stuff if needs be, or not put it there in the first place.

I'd have asked her to put out at her own feet then, and if that meant she needed to swap seats then to do that too.

Thanks all. It is a commuter train so no proper luggage racks. It was too big for the overhead, like a metre or so in height I guess.

If it was a longer journey (it's 25 minutes), I might have moved it.

Of course she should have removed it to free up the seat. Seats are for people. Unfortunately some people are bad mannered and only consider their own needs. Another time act assertively which can be done politely.

Another man actually offered me his seat and I obviously said no, because why should he? Anyway, it was turning into a bigger thing than it needed to be for a short journey so I left it. If it was longer, I would have told her to move it again.

Thanks for the points of view though!

she could have sat in the aisle seat and held onto the suitcase in the aisle

The case would have been moved, forcibly if necessary, by me. Cannot abide people who don't consider others on public transport.

You can tell I take the Northern Line every day in rush hour! No prisoners taken

I would have insisted she move it, it's the principle.

Man next to me on a packed bus had a suitcase on the seat next to him. He moved it quickly when I said lots of people needed a seat.