Was I in the wrong?

[WinehouseAmy]

So I was travelling yesterday, one city to another which its usually a 40 minute journey. The train I had booked on was a long distance train, so many people had seat reservations, as I had booked online 20 minutes before getting on I did not have a reservation.
I get on to the train 10 minutes before it was due to depart and found a aisle seat which was a table seat, the reservation stated Leeds to Newcastle, so I would have been well off the train by the time the reservation was needed.
5 minutes later and the train is extremely busy, an elderly couple come on and sit opposite me basically saying that no one has claimed that reservation, therefore their okay to sit and if anyone wants it well tough.
Minding my own business and then the lady says
'I can't believe that girl hasn't moved up to the window, its so rude when she can see people standing', 2 minutes before the train is about to depart, she starts again, under her breath.
At that point I said
'Excuse me, I will move up as soon as the train starts moving and no one comes to claim the reservation, but if I move now, I will be asked to move and will be without a seat as someone will take the one I am sat in now'.
She looked at me, rolled her eyes and said 'oh okay'
Sure enough, no one claimed the seat, I of course moved over and had the pleasure of being death stared for the journey.
What would you have done in that situation? And was I rude?

I'd have done the same as you, and you weren't rude. The eye roll was probably chagrin at not having the wit to work that out for herself.

You were not rude, i would have done the same. Moving over before you were sure someone wasn't going to claim the reserved seat is silly. You'd have then possibly lost the non reserved seat you were in.

Of course you weren't rude if someone wanted the seat they could have asked and you would have let them through to the window seat.

I only ever sit on the window seat if I an staying until the last stop - if I can getting off before I always sit in the aisle as otherwise you get some twat sat in the aisle seat, that gets all their possessions out over the table and on their lap, takes their shoes off, and doesn't move anything when you need them to move out the way or huffs and puffs at you having the audacity to want them to move.

You were completely right.

I would have done the same as you. I’d want to be very sure that no-one was going to claim the reservation before I moved.

You were lucky that no-one came to claim the seats that the couple were sitting in - imagine the death stares then!

The only rude one was the other woman. She should mind her own business.

You were completely right, including finally confronting the muttering. No way would I sit in a reserved seat when I might not get a non-reserved one back.

If that had happened to me I would have responded the same as you but with additional comment about calling anyone over 18 a 'girl'.

I'd have said 'I am here and I can hear you; please address your comments to me if you have them.'

I can't abide PA muttering and talking behind hands.

I wouldn’t have explained myself to her.

I inherited a fabulous eyebrow raise from my Dad...😊 followed by ‘Who do you think you are?’ Usually shuts most twats up.

Of course you weren’t being unreasonable to sit there.

You were completely in the right. Maybe the old woman didn't notice that the seat next to you was reserved. but that's no excuse for her to be so rude about you.

A similar thing happened to me a few years ago and I still get cross thinking about it now, although it was an old man hitting me with a newspaper because he thought I was taking up too much of his seat (no idea where he got that from). What made it worse was that his wife then agreed and started berating me too (in front of the whole carriage as well).

Sorry you had to experience this too.

You were not unreasonable. They were talking about you and responded in an assertive way. It would have been rude if you had sworn, but you didn't! Maybe next time she'll think before she opens her gob!

There's no point in explaining anything to people like that!

I'd have just shifted my knees out and said your welcome to sit in the window seat if you want.

Then if the person turned up for their reservation they will have to move won't they, all because they couldn't wait two minutes to check if the seat actually was free or not, silly arse.

She clearly didn't understand how seat reservations work, and therefore had no business being rude to you! I think you did really well.

Is it just me, or is behaviour getting worse and worse on trains? I am dismayed by the number of women in particular who do rude or inconsiderate things. (Not you, OP, the other lady).

Is saying ‘sat’ instead of ‘sitting’ correct English? Serious question. I’ve been gone from English shores for over 45 yrs and we would have said '..someone will take the one I am sitting (not sat) in now'.

No need to question yourself OP you were being polite, considerate etc. Her response clearly shows that she must have then realised how stupid she was and was too embarrassed to admit it and appreciate apologise, so tried to turn it on you as if you were in the wrong. Just showed herself up even more!

Nope. She was rude, not you. Like another pp in this situation I would have told them they're welcome to the window seat.

Having taken plenty of busy trains I'm very used to people asking if the seat next to me is taken and no one ever told me to move over (I usually prefer the aisle seat). And you have every right to chose the seat you want to sit in, even if it is the aisle seat and even if there is no reservation.

You absolutely did the right thing, you weren't rude although obviously they thought "how very dare she point out the logical problem with moving for our convenience!"

Some people can't think past the ends of their own noses.

Thank you so much for all your responses!
I was extremely hungover, and very much trying to keep a low profile . I am glad now I spoke up and hopefully now this may stop her from trying to belittle someone else in a similar situation.
I am under 25 and I do get extremely annoyed by the term 'girl', however I don't think calling her a 'lady' in my OP is appropriate given her rudeness at the time.

No you weren't rude. Well done for sticking up for yourself.

YANBU. I wish more people were considerate like you.

assertive and polite. Good on ya Gal!

Is saying ‘sat’ instead of ‘sitting’ correct English? Serious question.

It's not typical here (US), but I have noticed some people using it on here. When someone says "I was sat," or "I was stood," etc., I always imagine someone picking them up and sitting them somewhere or standing them somewhere.

But was the seat next to you reserved at the time you were waiting? Or was it reserved for later on after you’d have got off?

I doubt they 'get' this whle seat reservation thing. I took a train across country earlier this year having only done the standing room only rush hour shoehorn into Central London & back on an ad hoc basis for years ie don't even see a seat let alone sit in it. I honestly didn't realise you could book specific seats, how very civilised!