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.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Plus a lot of people who have more violent reactions on this thread have said that they just avoid trian travel...so that's where they are...at home or in the car!

[LoniceraJaponica]

hotbutteredcrumpetsandtea it is to do with looking in the direction that you are travelling in. In the front seat you can see out of the front windscreen. If you have to sit in the back I suggest you sit in the middle so you can see out of the front. It is a genuine “thing”

foodtime I’m glad you’re not my GP . Are you always lacking in empathy? And for the record I don’t get travel sickness, but I have complete empathy for those who do.

“Doctors believe that motion sickness is caused by a conflict between what your eyes are seeing and how your body is interpreting the motion of a vehicle, which uses signals originating in your inner ear to sense balance.”

Except for foodtime

[EdmundCleverClogs]

as a main source to confit.

That should be cope

[MyWhatICallNameChange]

I can't sit in the back seat of a car for too long without feeling sick. I can't read in the car either, even checking a map for a couple of seconds makes me nauseous.

I can't sit backwards or sideways on buses/coaches either. And can't read on them either.

Trains are fine though, I can face any direction of travel. I've been on a plane a few times and that was fine (although very painful for my ears) and I've been on a cruise and been fine, but was sick on a ferry when I was younger.

I've found having a light snack helps, it's much worse if I'm hungry.

But just because I'm not ill going backwards on the train doesn't mean I don't believe people can't be, because I know everyone is different.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Yeah, you just did it on the internet instead OP

[Xeneth88]

Xeneth, I like your posting style

Haha I'm passionate about travel sickness. It's the one thing that can really set my fucking annoying panic attacks off. One whiff of feeling sick and bam the day is destroyed and I'm a sweaty, shakey mess. It's shit and I hate it when other people think just because it doesn't happen to them that it doesn't happen to anyone else.

I didn't have morning sickness, doesnt mean it doesn't exsist and that others don't have a horrible time. We're all different, surely a real GP would know that

[clarabellski]

Slightly off-topic, but if I'm waiting on train or bus and someone skips in front of me to get on so they can grab a two-seater, I sit down next to them even if there are other two-seaters free.

Muhahahahahahahahah

[ALemonyPea]

I get awful travel sickness on any form of transport, have done since a small child. Didn’t stop my parents insisting I still sat at the back of the car and hung my head out the window if I was going to vomit 😏 car safety in the 80s was crap.

I can’t sit rear facing, even on a 5 minute bus journey, let alone a long train journey.

[SheSaidNoFuckThat]

Get extremely travel sick, going backwards on trains and in a car unless I'm driving so I'd happily puke over you and your bag for being a dick!

[Moo678]

If you want a seat for your bag you should pay for an extra ticket.

[ExConstance]

There is a rack for bigger bags and if there is a table your handbag can go on that. I'm another one who would be highly likely to throw up all over you if I was not facing the direction of travel.

[catgirl1976]

I'm with you OP

I travel a lot by train for work

My holy grail is a table seat to myself. I get irrational rage if someone sits at it when there are other table seats free. And if someone sits next to me and I have to move my bag when there are loads of other free seats I get very stabby.

My bag does need a seat because I'm working and I need to be able to access it for various things. Busy train different story but when it's empty and someone sits next to me I burn inside

And yes - the "ooh I can't travel backwards" brigade irritate me too. I appreciate people get sick but I just find it so precious.

I am not a good traveller. I should probably find a new job

[1Mother20152015]

Depends how busy the train is. We took a train last week - 3 adults and a baby, had reserved seats but it was not a very full train so it was easy and no trouble to anyone to make sure we had an extra seat or two. Obviously if it were packed I would have immediately taken all the stuff off the spare seat. There were probably about 10 - 15 seats free per carriage actually there and back as it was not peak hours (and I had paid £240 !!! second class as had to book just the week before). I felt like I deserved gold plated seats for that or the lovely carriages we used to get as children with only 6 person per carriage, standard class where you could shut the door and be utterly private. Gone are those glorious days.

[liz70]

"I'd often have to stand if there are empty seats but in wrong direction"

You should ask somebody if they'd swap, explaining you get sick travelling backwards. I would happily move. DD2 gets this so I'm used to it.

[worridmum]

I get violently ill if i eat dairy products so you would not see me in a pizza place or ice cream parlour doesnt mean we dont exist just that were avoid what makes us ill....

[EdmundCleverClogs]

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

If your bag needs a seat, then pay for it to have one. Or pay the train line a monthly rental fee for using their trains as an office.

I appreciate people get sick but I just find it so precious.

Oh good lord, the irony...

[GabsAlot]

gt over yourself and pull the other one is not helpful

im fine driving but get sick in the back i have vertigo

have to face forward on the train aswell

[StormTreader]

So you KNOW the front-facing seats are at a premium, it doesnt bother you either way, and yet you are annoyed that your BAG didnt get to stay in the seat? Thats kind of the equivalent of scoffing all the veggie pizza at a buffet before the vegetarians got there because you "just fancied it today".

I have found that in terms of travel sickness, the Virgin Pendelino "fast tilting trains" are absolute vomit comets, especially if you book a window seat to get the one power socket and they have the under-table heaters on full blast. I have never felt as ill as I did on that trip, and that was facing forwards as well.

[Xeneth88]

My bag does need a seat because I'm working and I need to be able to access it for various things. Busy train different story but when it's empty and someone sits next to me I burn inside

So explain to them that you've paid for that seat as your bag needs it... Oh wait, you do pay for the extra space don't you?

[chocz]

Op why don’t you just sit the other way and then there will be room for your bag?

[Cannotwillnot]

Not sure why you sit on forward facing seat if you know they're preferred and you're not bothered by a rear facing seat.

Also, if you want to reduce chance of someone next to you, don't sit at a table or forward facing.

[ravenmum]

she sits opposite me and he insists I move my bag so he can sit beside me.
Solution: you let him sit opposite her and they can stare lovingly into one another's eyes. Good deed of the day. All happy.

Can't imagine why anyone would make such a fuss about having to move their bag. Is there an explanation for that?

[sinceyouask]

I'd vomit on your bag if you refused to move it so I could sit in a seat that made travel sickness far less likely

[WomblingThree]

Those of you who get travel sick facing backwards, be thankful you aren’t a wheelchair user, as you are forced into it, and don’t have a choice. I have to back my wheelchair onto a bus or train for some random safety reasons, and then desperately pray that I don’t vomit everywhere. It’s absolute hell.

However, I do have the sense to take travel sickness tablets, which most of you could also do. And yes, to the oh-so-empathetic GP, I do get them on prescription, as thankfully my doctor isn’t an arsehole.

[HollyandBrambles]

I get really sick on trains, even worse when travelling backwards! Also awful in the back of the car, reasonable in the front but not at all when driving, on boats or on planes.