To think that if you haven't booked a seat on a busy train

[MrsSchadenfreude]

You don't stand huffing loudly about young people having no manners and children should be sitting on their parents' laps, and leaning heavily on people who have reserved seats? Train to Cornwall, Bank Holiday weekend, was never going to be empty.

Anyone travelling on a train bank holiday weekend should expect a bit hassle if they haven't reserved seat. As for the leaning, sometimes stand g passengers do unmeaningly encroach on seated passengers just due to the train movement but there is a limit as to how far and often a person does it. YANBU, just state you notice train very very busy, glad you reserved seats! And, that you always would especially on Bank Holiday if you wanted a seat!

'You must have to plan for things changing.'

No, you can't sometimes with autistic children. You have to scrap the trip if things change. When my son was 6 he couldn't have sat on my lap, he is tall and sturdy, for one, and he has autism. But plenty on here would be tutting away for my not removing him from his reserved seat so they could sit.

This would annoy me too OP, but I'm socially inept and so I'd just stand in the gangway and suffer while quietly seething inside. So glad I don't have to catch trains for work anymore!!

I completely agree if they are one off travellers. However, I used to have to commute from Exeter to Bristol paid a fortune and at that time you could not reserve seats with a monthly ticket. Used to drive me mad that I couldn't reserve a seat when I spent a fortune each month on the train.

If someone was sat in my seat and wouldn't move I genuinely think I would just sit on their laps!! There's some bloody cunts out there!

The only mainline trains I've used are Virgin from London to Chester and you don't pay anything to reserve a seat so no excuse for moaning at people who have bothered!

Maybe the compulsory seat reservation for some trains that existed when I went to Exeter on a summer Saturday in the 1980s should be brought back.

The only people whom I think possibly should be made to give up seats that are reserved are glory seeking Manchester United supporter/tourists travelling from London to Manchester, in favour of people who actually have some connection with the area.

Don't book trainline but direct with train operator - always cheapest option.

To be fair the children haven't paid full fare so I can see an argument that adults, particularly if they have paid the full fare as a walk on fare, being able to sit
By charging less for kids there is an implication that they would need to be moved for adult passengers

I'm afraid I don't agree. You could say the same regarding lots of things, as children fare/tickets/entry are often cheaper than an adult. For example, cinema tickets are cheaper for children but they still take a seat. Should children be turfed out if an adult wants to watch a fully booked showing? If not, why not?

Train companies do things like friends and family and student railcards to try and encourage people in these groups to travel on the trains by making it more affordable, same for 60+ concessions and disabled travellers. On the basis of the argument that not paying the full fare means you are less entitled to a seat, all the above groups should relinquish their seat in favour of a "full fare" paying passenger. Which doesn't seem fair, to me.

If I have paid for a ticket for myself and my children, and then booked seats in advance, then I have done as the train company have required in order for me to ensure we can all get a seat together. Why is my child's comfort of less importance than an adults? Or mine- having a child on your lap on a long journey is not exactly my idea of comfort? The tickets don't say "children's seat reservation only valid if seat not required by a full adult fare paying passenger", so I see no reason for my DC to stand so an adult can sit down.

If having a seat is really important to you, or entirely necessary to enable you to manage the journey, then buy the ticket and reserve a seat in advance- or take your chances that you might not get a seat.

I know sometimes plans can go awry- such as if the train you booked & reserved a seat on is cancelled and you're put onto another train- but that needs to be addressed via the train company, not by demanding children are moved from their seats to make way for you.

The only people whom I think possibly should be made to give up seats that are reserved are glory seeking Manchester United supporter/tourists travelling from London to Manchester, in favour of people who actually have some connection with the area.

Incywincy the season ticket is flexible but my work and childcare is not so I do need to travel on certain trains. The evening train conflicts with rush hour; both work and holiday/day out related. It's chaos.

Supersop60 that has happened to me a few times now. It normally means theyve cut a train out somewhere so can't accomodate everybodies reservations! An email to the train company normally results in an apology & voucher (very low denomination) 🙄

Jacks11 I've never seen or been offered disabled concessions on the trains 😔
During the holidays scotrail were allowing free kids travel but for some reason hadn't told their ticket machines that!

If they wanted a guaranteed seat they should have taken the National Express or maybe even rent a car.

Can see I am in a minority on here but this post actually makes me really sad- " why is my child's comfort less important ?"! Because kids are flexible, adaptable and usually healthy. Because in teaching them that they shouldn't give a stuff about pensioners' discomfort you have missed a chance to let them do a small kindness. I have ( with booked seats) put up with my 11 year old perched on my lap ( yes, it was uncomfy - but not as bad as standing for a whole journey which is what the other, elderly person would have had to do). Have also travelled with two young teens who happily offered ( and did) vacate their ( booked) seats and sat in the corridor on the floor happily playing on their phones. I was proud of them. Kids pay a lesser fare ( in fact no fare as parents pay it for them) and I would like to think that anybody young, fit and able would offer their seat to someone who maybe doesn't travel often and just didn't realise the train would be busy, or who doesn't use internet/ pre book so couldn't book a seat. They were rude to huff, but at the risk of going against the tide and sounding old fashioned seems to me the kids learning to be entitled, pampered selfish little brats!!!

Purplealienpuke disabled people can apply for a railcard to allow a carer to travel with them for free.

My mistake. 1/3 off rail fares for disabled person and carer. Must be the local bus pass where it's free carer .

www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/using-your-railcard/the-benefits/

So busymomtoone, the kids expecting to sit in their seats are somehow the lazy entitled ones, not the adults expecting to be given a seat purely on account of having lived a bit longer? Can you see how ridiculous that sounds when you read it back?

A disabled railcard doesn't let someone travel with you for free but it does give you a discount on their fare. Unless it's a disabled rail card Iv never heard from.

Of not from

Purple

from experience of a close relative you can get disabled persons railcard- it's about £20 for a year and you get 1/3 of cost of rail fare for the card holder and another person travelling with them. Eligibility criteria is; PIP/DLA; having vision or hearing impairment; epilepsy; or receiving Attendance Allowance/Severe Disablement Allowance/War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement/War or Service Disablement Pension,; or if you buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme.

Our area also have local authority concessions for those with disability which makes travel more difficult but may not meet the criteria for a disabled persons railcard. There are other criteria for getting the concession too. So if travelling within the local authority boundary travel is heavily discounted (on certain routes 1/2 usual price). I know of one council where travel on train journeys within the LA area is discounted to 50p single/£1 return if you have the LA concession card.

Also, disabled people who do not hold a Disabled Persons Railcard but are registered blind or visually-impaired and are travelling with a companion, or who need to remain in your own wheelchair throughout your rail journey can obtain discounts off of Anytime tickets.

Busy

You may have a point with if the other passenger involved was elderly or disabled, or heavily pregnant or similar. But if the other passenger is an otherwise healthy adult, I fail to see why they are more entitled to a seat than a child. My mother is in her mid 60's- similar age to the passengers in the OPs situation. She is fit and healthy and not infirm, so whilst some people of her age may have mobility problems, it's far from inevitable.

The cost of the ticket is not the point, those are decided by the train company. The terms and condition don't state that the reservation is only valid on concession tickets if the seat is not required by a full fare paying adult. Therefore, if I have paid for a ticket and reserved seats, then i'll use them unless there is a very good reason why not- such as a very elderly person in need of a seat.

Not unreasonable at all. Whilst yes, I believe that those who can stand for others should, whether that's because of age or physical condition, if I have booked seats, and paid for those seats then sorry- there are very few circumstances under which I'd make my kids move. And it would be my choice if they did move, nooneelses. They should have booked instead of huffing.

I was on a long train journey on Friday. Carriage all reserved seats with reservation tickets except the four table seats nearest the door. Oddly. They were occupied by four guys travelling together. Then someone new came along, looked at the seat no. and the guy in it ignored him. Only when he came back and challenged the guy about the seat did he move. Ten minutes later two more people entered the carriage with reservations for two of these four seats. It was obvious these four arseholes had got on the train quickly, found four seats they liked, removed the reservation tickets and expected to get the seats. Twats.

In my experience there are a lot of chancers on busy trains. They'll sit in a reserved seat in the hope a) the passenger won't turn up or b) will get on the train but be too afraid to say anything.