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.

PS: Even more annoying than bags on seats is a bag on the inside seat. I will ALWAYS ask for you to move up if you do that.

I absolutely love going backwards. Much prefer it.
Can't cope at all with sideways though.

Be kind. We are all different. You clearly do not recognise this.

I don’t get sea sick under any sea conditions but I don’t doubt people who do in relatively calm waters.

Equally there is no way on God’s earth that I could do a trip in a Virgin Pendalino train facing backwards. They make me feel so, so nauseous. I can’t even work on them facing forwards.

A table is a prime seat. If it’s so important to you to sit by yourself, move to another seat.

A bit of empathy wouldn't go amiss.
You're right, I won't die, but I feel sick and giddy if I'm facing the wrong way on a train.

I get travel sick in the backs of cars but never on boats or trains, any direction! This sort of thing is so fascinatingly weird!

I think hogging a table for 4 when you are traveling alone is the worst crime here.....

Op, you really are quite unpleasant tbh.

I hate travelling backwards on trains. It makes me feel really sick.

I suffer from vertigo and migraine, and travelling backwards affects me terribly but I still do it rather than make a scene because certain folk don't believe me...I then have to spend hours feeling awful, and all because some folk have their heads right up their own backsides.

Sorry but I feel that you only paid for a ticket for yourself, not for your bag. I also get travel sick when travelling backwards so can understand why that person sat beside you. I would also feel rather cross if you did not remove your bag for anyone to sit down.

YABU unless you've paid for an extra ticket for your bag

Op, if sitting backwards doesn't bother you, and you wanted to have your bag on the seat next to you, why didn't you move to the backwards facing seats, so the couple could sit facing forward?
Or if you wanted to sit alone, move to airline style seats, if you are at a table, chances are other people will end up sitting at the table also.
This thread has opened my eyes a lot though. I used to travel on Virgin trains a lot. I don't suffer from travel sickness and can easily sit facing any way. I had no idea how many people suffer with facing backwards, and from now on, if I'm travelling on any train where you can reserve seats, I'll be selecting backwards facing, so the forward facing seats are saved for those who actually need to face forwards.

Late to the party. But is it possible to reserve a seat in the direction of travel?

Anyway there are always attentions seekers around.... I have this, I have that, move this, move that, move yourself, give me your seat because X and Y.

It is life on Public Transport. And before anyone lights on me there are specific seats for disabled and those of low mobility. I agree with dumping non disabled out of there.

Some people just kick everyone else to suit their own needs, when they could in fact book a seat that suits them!

Woops. What have I just said there, is it totally non PC isn't it.

Half an hour is all it takes for me to feel dreadful travelling backwards, and yes I also might vomit if it the back of a car for too long!

I get motion sickness on planes, boats and cars, but never on trains
We're all different. Imagine that.

I love travelling backwards on trains.

It means I never get hit in the face with high velocity projectile vomit.

Firstly - bags dont need seats, secondly if you really want to find out - i'll sit opposite you in the backwards seat and you can tell me what i had for lunch when you find out! It's extremely common. I also cant sit sideways or at the back of a bus without being sick. Definitely no reading - not even looking at my phone!

I thought you were much better off to sit with your back to the engine , the theory being that your eyes can cope so much better with seeing the landscape flowing away behind the train, whereas if you sit facing the engine your eyes have to constantly flicker if you are looking out of the window as the scenery is constantly moving out of sight. I always choose a back facing seat for that reason.

Some cruel fucker decided to give me motion sickness AND emetophobia. And for the icing on the cake they gave me three children with motion sickness. My life feels like one big vomitty panicky circle sometimes.

Yeah, backwards on trains: bad. Back seat of a car: really bad. buses and coaches: really really bad. Planes and boats: really really really bad. Pendolinos: almost as bad as boats. I cycle a lot

I get really travel sick, I wish I didn’t, it’s inconvenient and limiting but I do. Some people I knew thought like you, that it’s just making a fuss over nothing & I was rail roaded into sitting somewhere I couldn’t tolerate on a journey. I ended up in A&E after being violently sick so many times I collapsed. When I came round I started fitting (whilst still being sick) so instead of the night out I was supposed to be on I had a journey in an ambulance (lying down AND backwards which made everything so so much worse). I was in hospital for 3 hours before they managed to stop the vomiting, I had to have several anti nausea injections and an IV drip before I could leave. AND I want to stress, I’m not an extreme case. I am a normal person who has motion sickness but can manage it unless I come across an inconsiderate person. That’s how badly it can affect people. Be nice, give people the benefit of the doubt about motion sickness. AND DONT PUT YOUR BAG ON THE SEAT. Seats are for people. No ifs ands or buts.

Very pleasant to see an egotistical gobshite like the OP getting such a thorough shellacking. Restores my faith in human nature.

I deliberately sit facing backwards because I think that means the seat next to me will remain free for longer.

I would never sit at a table seat alone - people would want to sit there and then they would want to TALK to one another.

@Darnda
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I had similar. It's really awful. I hope it hasn't given you the same anxiety as I sometimes have. Lucky us for having nice doctors who took care and sympathised. Unlike the fake mumsnet doc I hope you're all good now.