to think that nobody died from travelling backwards on a train?

[EvelynWardrobe]

Why do people make a fuss about this? The trains I travel on aren’t full, so I get to watch this pantomime of ninnies quite frequently.

Today I’m facing in the direction of travel at a table seat, empty seat beside me and two empty seats on the opposite side of the table. A couple get on, she sits opposite me and he insists I move my bag (the train is less than 50% occupied) so he can sit beside me.

I’m considering doing some man-spreading, even though I’m not one.

Yeah, and I was hospitalised with HG.

No, its just that it doesn't make sense. Someone gets travel sick in the back of the car but is just fine in the front, where they coincidentally get more space, more leg room, don't have to sit next to anyone....aye, pull the other leg, its got bells on. There's no reason why you'd puke in the back but not a foot further forward in the front.

Yeah, my step dad was from this school of thought. I was only sick because I wanted to be in the front and he wasn't having it!! I should know my place and learn to deal with it! Trust me I'd have done anything to avoid scrubbing my own vomit off the seats and carpet, holding on to a bag of sick for hours on end and the bollockings that I got for it. Hardly the kind of attention you'd 'seek'.
He realised that after a while, I still get travel sick, now if I'm travelling backwards, or I can't see where I'm going and looking at something static so back of a car, inside on a ship/boat, sideways on the tube make me nauseous. If it goes on for any length of time I'll vomit. Can't do rollacoasters or walzters or anything like that either. I had ear problems as a child with gromits and lots of infections and it sometimes affected my balance - I wonder if that might have anything to do with it?

And OP you're being U. Your bag doesn't need a seat.

My bag does need a seat because I'm working and I need to be able to access it for various things

I work on trains too. If a person dares to sit next to me, then, if I can't just, for whatever reason, have everything I need on the table from the start, I keep my bag on my lap or between my feet and perform a sort of Houdini wriggle to get to things as and when I need them.

It is difficult, obviously, for an important person who is doing important work, but one soldiers on.

Ha ha - specific things aside - could common sense and civility prevail ?

I do feel feel for those in a wheelchair who are put in a backwards facing seat. I think I am a bit unusual , in that as I said , I can cope with backwards trains but v queasy in back of car seat seats. Not all will be the same as me.

Storm - well there's a revolutionary idea - you should patent it

Beerwench Yes, motion sickness has a lot to do with the inner ear. Am sorry your DF reacted like that. I think parents are funny about illness in their kids. My DF was always giving us "bollockings" if we mentioned we were sick in any way. or depressed or anything like that. I think it is a generational thing. I fell ill with a serious chronic illness when I was in Year 8 of school- extreme fatigues, sore throats and joint pain. Lasted for years. Still ja dit when I left school and his reaction was "You are just lazy. Suck it up and go to work." Needless to say I got sacked from more than one job because I was always tired. Dr said it was something like ME or maybe actual ME. I am fine now but it lasted a long time. I felt very hurt over this but I am beginning now to wonder whether it was a generational thing, My depressed DSis was told by him that her depression was a shame on the family and he would dump her with SS if she kept whining about it. She was in her early teens.

Sorry BeerWench, went off on a bit of self pity tangent there, apologies for the derail

Seriously, though, OP, if you did not want him to have the seat next to you why did you not ask him to find somewhere else? if you feel so strongly about it.

My bag does need a seat because I'm working and I need to be able to access it for various things

@jonsnowswife

I'm a VERY important WORKING person I want you all to see me WORKING because I am so important. Look at me WORK.

Ba ha ha ha ha

I bet all the 'motion sickness is just attention seeking' posters are the same ones that bleat 'Oh, I had morning sickness as well but I just got on with it' whenever they hear about someone hospitalised with HG...

Agree. And same with anything else. Someone says 'I suffered crippling PTSD after being mugged and assaulted' and these jokers say 'well i was beaten up three times last year, and i got over it ok.'

I despise people who put all their crap over seats on public transport and then give you a filthy look if you ask them to move it. And i can't believe the amount of people who are refusing to believe people get motion sickness. wtf? Are they deliberately being obtuse just to cause anger and upset on here? Serious question.

If you want to sit alone, choose the backwards facing two seaters as you're apparently lucky enough to not get sick facing backwards.

Why would they do that?! That would be a nice thoughtful decent thing to do. Do you think these inconsiderate divas who don't believe anyone suffers anything, because they (supposedly) don't, would do anything nice for anyone?

I do think if someoen needs a seat due to disability or medical condition that is hidden they should ask for it and be able to ask for it. Or have a card that says they need one. We all have to be responsible for our own health on public transsport, if we are adults. If someone asked I woud l have no issue moving my bag. They would need to ask though, as I am oblivious on trains usually- absorbed in a good thriller or something like that

Pearls - I was HUGELY car sick ( by which I mean sometimes nauseous, sometimes actually sick ) so when I was younger - it is not a made up thing & yes it is to do with ( inter alia) inner ear and horizon - not exclusively but I believe those two make a difference

I once was driven to Durham over the Pennines & round Scotch Corner and I had to concentrate before I got out of the car ( back seat ) because I was feeling so sick it wasn't true

I get very sick traveling backwards on trains and in the backs of cars. It would make my life a lot easier if I didn't! I can't see why people should be suspected of putting it on - it is what it is.

If you get sick in the backs of cars though - or don't feel able to get in the back for whatever reason - I guess it's important not to accept lifts where the driver and their partner or similar are already present. I don't think it's right to expect to go in the front of someone else's car because you get sick, are tall (massive bugbear - the seat goes forward and back!) Or whatever else and for the driver's partner and anyone else present to accommodate you. So I make my own arrangements to guarantee a seat where I won't feel or be sick.

Same with booking train seats where poss. When I book flights I'm always really clear - this is the seat I'm booking for me (must be aisle as claustrophobic), what would you like me to book for you?

bingbongnoise and JonSnowsWife Yeah, I hate the top trumps thing. All disabilities and illnesses should have equal priority on public transport as well as in other situations. Everyone is affected differently by their own limitations (and everyone has some limitations of some sort, however small)

Thing is OP, I work on trains too. I need to access my bag too. And if my motion sickness is set off it will ruin most of my day as once my balance goes, I feel very dizzy, lightheaded and unwell all day.
If you can sit backwards, please do. Because I have spent too many journeys looking like an idiot, facing the back of my chair so I don't pass out.

Apologies,, that funny quote was not 'jonsnowswife' it was @jacqueshammer

Sorry folks.

But - yes - ask - and those who are asked , be kind

I get sick travelling backwards and once had to stand in the bit between carriages almost all the way between Kuala Lumpur and somewhere (Singapore possibly) because our booked seats were backward facing and there were no other available seats on the train. It was particularly annoying because we'd paid extra for an air conditioned carriage but the bit where I ended up standing wasn't air-con so it was hot and sticky and my ankles swelled up.

BasiliskStare sounds horrendous. The view there is so beautiful, what a pity you were too unwell to enjoy it. I did have car sickness when I was a small child, I am thankful I outgrew it and really feel for those who don't.

blackteasplease I am obese and hate diets so I would do the decent thing and pay for 2 seats if I needed to travel anywhere. Much more courteous to the other passengers

I can’t watch 3D films as get travel sickness. Was fun at Disney during the Star Wars 4D ride, I was very green when I got off, and had I been on a few minutes longer would certainly have thrown up.

I can last about 25 minutes facing forward on a train before I start to feel sick but only 10 minutes facing backwards so I would ask you to shift your bag too. I've been to the gp (well, had a phone call with her)about it and she gave me some great travel sickness tablets but I'd rather not take them every single time i'm making the 25 minute train ride to my nearest city, I just try to sit forwards.

My personal best from getting on the train to feeling sick was a about 5 minutes, sitting backwards on a sodding pendilino. I swear they pump the air directly from the toilets into my face. I had to get off to throw up which was nice.

I hate that I get so travel sick. Hate that people just don't believe me until I'm actually physically sick in their presence. I hate that whilst I was pregnant and bf I had to think about every single journey I took and weigh up if it was worth feeling shit for because I couldn't take my usual pills.

So no op, noone's going to die from travelling backwards on a train but they're sure as shit not going to die from having their bag on the floor either.

I'm a VERY important WORKING person I want you all to see me WORKING because I am so important. Look at me WORK

and breach every rule of confidentiality going.

Sorry - going off topic. As you were.

Travelling in any manner other than walking or running on our own two feet is unnatural. We shouldn't be too surprised that so many of us find it messes us up so much.

Hello Buttered, what can I do for you today?
Well Dr-nothing-better-to-do, it’s about my travel sickness.
Ok and what brings it on?
Well Dr facing backwards or sitting towards the back of a car or coach seems worse
I see, and have you found anything that improves the situation?
Yes actually, facing forward and sitting at the front helps.
Why don’t you do that then?

The classic GP response there from corythatwas

Wasn't mine, it was Buttered. Only the quotation fail was mine.

I can't sit backwards on trains or buses. I suffer really bad from motion sickness and I'm the same in cars and on planes, it's horrific. I'd rather stand than go backwards.

As others have said, sit backwards by the window, you've freed up three seats then and won't need to move for anyone.