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.

Op if your bag needs a seat, buy it one from the ticket desk.

Reading this, the main thing that surprises me about it is how many adults still suffer from travel sickness. I think I assumed it was a childhood thing that one grew out of, but then adults presumably don’t advertise it in the same way and have to manage their own sickness.

Which is also a bugger because I was really hoping poor DSS would grow out of his extreme, violent car sickness (which is improved vastly by him sitting in the front). And he might not

But what happens if you get on a train and all the forward seats are taken?

If its a long trip, I prebook seats. Otherwise, I choose to stand facing forwards.

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

Oh sod off already.

I'm perfectly fine going forwards and backwards on moving transport.
If I start to read whilst on public transport, I'm as sick as a pig. Darn those pesky neurological problems of mine.

I'm fine flying, but other than that, I get terribly motion sick if travelling backwards. I vomited spectacularly in the back of an ambulance one time because they made me travel backwards. I warned them, but what do I know? (The lovely paramedic was terribly apologetic). DM could feel very motion sick watching the opening credits of The Cruel Sea and made me watch (didn't matter if I felt sick!) and I almost lost my dinner when watching the opening scenes of the second LOTR film as the camera flew over the mountains. I also managed to completely topple over one time at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh in the room where you are flying over the scenery. On subsequent visits, I sat down before it started and just felt massively queasy.

I also often stand if I can't face forwards as a pp said. And I've also done the sitting facing the back of my seat thing. I have back problems that make it hard to stand on the spot. I sound a nightmare I know but I do whatever I can not to make I anyone else's problem.

Ex h used to try to push me into situations where it was a problem and I had to explajn it to someone if he possibly could to embarrass me (I.e. car sickness, travel sickness and claustrophobia). Things like refusing to pre book seats, not saying to those we were giving a lift to "No, my wife sits beside me etc.

I have a couple of friend a who are a gay couple and if one is driving the other will say to passengers "I prefer to have my partner beside me". No one ever suggested this was unreasonable but I've never seen a straight man stick up for his wife's need to be in the front.

If I sit on a train facing the wrong way, I WILL vomit. So that's probably why.

I'd never make someone move their bag though - probably just stand facing the way we were going if there were no seats.

Makes me feel sick too, on a bus or taxi as well (the black cabs where you pull the seats down).

Some people might have mild motion sickness moving backwards, but it’s mostly attention seeking. I am a GP

GP my arse. If you were you wouldn't come out with something so inane as motion sickness is attention seeking. It's a real thing, lucky you if you don't experience it.
I prefer to be facing forward if on a train, because going backwards does for some reason make me feel a bit queasy whereas going forward doesn't.
Not actual vomiting, but as I said it does make me feel a bit travel sick.
What someone said about the scenery going backwards could be a factor in confusing the brain sounds plausible, as I find if I close my eyes and can't see the scenery whizz past it gets better.
Why, seriously, does it bother some people where others sit? I swear, some are miserable twats who are out to look for something to moan about.
If it makes someone's life a bit more easier, or comfier, why would you begrudge them sitting next to you?

I won't kill you, as you say. And statistically you are more likely to survive in a train crash.

I wouldn't last long sitting with my back to the engine before feeling really sick but I would have no problem sitting opposite you OP, since I would conveniently have a receptacle into which to projectile vomit - your bag

Mine is just as bad as it was when I was a child LBCOS2 sorry.

It is easier to manage though, because as an adult I can choose my own seat or form of transport.

So I either drive myself or sit in the front passenger seat of cars. I hardly ever sit in the back like I had to as a child (because my parents decided I was just attention seeking, despite me vomiting all over the car on several occasions, and let my golden child brother sit in the front AND READ instead).

On buses I have to sit at the front and look forwards, on trains forward facing looking out the window, on planes looking out the window, on boats on deck even in a storm.

One day DH might learn to ask me to sort out the sat nav or playlist before he starts driving, as I have approximately 20 seconds of looking at a screen before my head spins and my stomach starts violently churning

I do sit in the back of the car and suffer for short journeys if we are giving a lift to one of DH's very tall friends because there just isn't the legroom in the back. But most of my friends are happy to give me the front seat because lets face it no one want a car that stinks of puke. I don't know anyone that would complain they need to sit next to their spouse all the time, that would be weird

I never had a problem when I was young , it came on very suddenly one evening whilst on a ride on a pier with my daughter ( not a waltzer) and has got progressively worse since . If I travel backwards or sideways at tube / train speed for more than a couple of minutes I will vomit , guaranteed .

This is very interesting..

Not the goady fuckers.

The number of people she motion sickness triggers a migraine. I’d not made the connection but, hell yes. Looking back at some recent journeys Travel sickness is quite a trigger it would seem. I thought it was because Ive usually travelled for work and been a bit stressed with organising stuff, but then I’ve done some massively stressful journeys and been fine. Looks like whether I. Got travel sick or not is the factor. Thanks for that.

I get travel sick in the back of cars, any boat, planes, busses and the wrong way on trains. If it was just a projectile vomit after 10mins I wouldn’t mind. Gradually feeling truly awful, nausea, headache. It’s a bastard if I’m traveling for work because I usually end up feeling fucking wretched by the time I get there. Travel sickness pills make me drowsy, so I usually can’t take them because I’ll have to drive at some point (I live in the arse end of nowhere and have to drive to the train station)

Nice to know there’s a significant body of people thinking I’m faking for shits and giggles.

Some people might have mild motion sickness moving backwards, but it’s mostly attention seeking. I am a GP

Okay. I'm an on call Neurosurgeon myself...

Seats are for bums not bags. Always.

Can’t stand getting on a packed bus or train and it being full of arseholes thinking that their bag is entitled to a seat.

I can understand having your bag beside you if the train is quiet but you should be happy to move it if you’re in a forward facing seat and someone asks.

statistically speaking you are much safer travelling backwards on a train than travelling forwards. If there were to be an accident you are a lot less likely to be thrown off the seat and injured or worse.

Until the person opposite you hits you at 120mph......

Piffle. I shouldn’t really be laughing at that.

I hate travelling backwards and find it bizarre that so many "airline style" seats on a train face backwards. No-one faces backwards on a plane. I would rather sit forwards next to a stranger than backwards on my own. I do get motion sick

Agree that if the OP thinks sitting backwards is so great then why don't they pick a rear facing seat and not have the hassle of having to move their non fee paying bag?

I really don't care about positional safety on trains. The probability of me feeling sick if I face backwards is much greater than the probability of me being seriously injured if I face forwards. Window forwards facing table seat every time I have a choice, just like nearly everyone else, including those who moan when everyone else wants to face forwards too..

I don’t care about direction. I book a table seat by the window - and if I get the forward facer and the backward facer opposite me asks me politely to change I will. It has only happened once.

'pantomime of ninnies'