Train seats - was I wrong?

[Libertybells1]

Genuine AIBU here. Just got on a train to find a couple sitting in the seat I had booked and the one next to it. Didn't realise they were together at first so said to the lady in my seat "I'm sorry, I have that seat booked'. (Just for info, in ROI. Your name is on an electronic display over the seat. You can book a flexible ticket which lets you get on the train before or after the one you purchase the ticket for, but if you have reserved a seat, it's obviously only valid for the train you originally booked).

Anyway, the guy spoke up and said they had also booked the seats, and showed me their tickets as proof. After a moment's confusion, I spotted that their tickets were for the later train. They said they thought they could have those seats on whichever train they booked, but when I explained the situation they accepted it with good grace and moved.

Two more pieces of relevant info:

1. There were other empty seats on the train so I could have sat elsewhere but it probably would have taken a while to find one that wasn't reserved.

1. The man's seat was also reserved, from the next stop, so this may have arisen even if I wasn't the one to tell them.

Was I a cow? Why am I embarrassed?

No you weren't a cow, they were on the wrong train and chancing their luck. Good for you for making them move and not being a pushover.

They were misinformed. They accepted it with good grace, and let you have your seats. Not worth giving the matter a second thought.

Complete non issue all resolved amicably

You were right, they were wrong. Even the most basic travel details seem to baffle some people.

I have done the opposite before - left someone sitting in my reserved seat because there appeared to be other seats free. Then at the next stop someone came and turfed me out because I was sitting in their seat. So in future I would ask for my own seat.

I think you’re making a deal out of nothing tbh. You asked a couple to move from your reserved seat, they were on the completely wrong train so that was their issue to contend with and they moved after you pointed it out. They could have been fined for getting on the wrong train.

If you were polite (which I presume you were as they moved with good grace) then you shouldn't feel embarrassed.
Maybe you're just reacting to the 'confrontation' element and thinking you could have just let it slide. Which you could have done. But I don't think you were wrong or that they thought you were wrong.

If youve booked seats you have to seat inthe seat or else your ticket is invalid so you were correct to move them. Especially as thereare other seats. I know this as once someone was in my seatso sat in one next to it, person who booked on that seat etc sat in another etc. Then guard arrived and moved everyone to their correct seats. Not sure if he was having a bad day but the whole carriage moved seats it was likea comedy!

Weird to imagine that when you book seats 30 and 31 Carriage A that ALL seats 30 and 31 in every carriage A is booked for your for the entire day!!! No one can surely think that?

I always ask - politely - for people to move if they’re in my seat, spare seats around or not.

Perfectly reasonable.
I do like the idea of a semi flexible ticket allowing you to catch an earlier or later train. Common sense makes it clear that seat reservations can't be flexible

They knew well they couldn't have those seats on any train, they were changers. You did nothing wrong. It's grand.

No offence- but this is really boring.

Sounds like you were very nice about it.

'Maybe you're just reacting to the 'confrontation' element and thinking you could have just let it slide.'

Yeah, I think this is the issue really. I'm not great with confrontation (can you tell? ) and I've been making an effort to try and be more assertive but not rude. I'm not always confident on where the line is!

YANBU

Saucy Jack, thanks for making me laugh . I'm well aware it's boring, that's ok. Just looking for a few opinions, which people were nice enough to give. Would've made a juicer story if there had been a big row or something, but there will be plenty more interesting threads along today to satisfy you I'm sure.

No offence- but this is really boring

I think it's quite nice to have an AIBU where the person clearly isn't BU and they can quickly be reassured. I mean if you want drama there's a thread going on just now where a white kid called his black friend the N word and now there's a couple of posh while ladies have told a black man how offended he ought to be

There was no confrontation or problem, not sure why you're giving it a second thought tbh.

Ah, an amicably-resolved tale.

You were quite right. You wouldn't get on an earlier/later plane and take a seat, would you?

They said they thought they could have those seats on whichever train they booked

I suspect they were not being truthful here and were allowing themselves a way to leave with good grace.

If it had your name over the seat, they can't conceivably have thought their booking was valid for that train.

I don’t know why anyone would bother commenting to say that this is a boring thread. Do you add that comment to every boring thread on mumsnet?? How boring!

Anyhow, I can see why you felt embarrassed. I’ve done the same, and although you know you’re in the right, it still feels like making a fuss and a bit awkward that you’ve made other people move for you.
I also hate the anxiety of having to sit in a reserved seat and wondering how long it will be before someone claims it!

I agree that it's a non issue. But clearly this is on your mind, so I'm wondering why. Do you have problems with confrontation? Anxiety? Have you had experience with people being nasty after issuing a reasonable request? Don't be frightened of claiming things that are yours, as long as you're polite people should act reasonably.

They must be a bit dim if they thought they could have the seats on any train throughout the day, probably just said that out of embarrassment though.

I got a train recently where I had booked my seats as I always try to do, made a joke to someone that no doubt someone would be in my seat and I’d have to decide if I say something or not. Anyway, I got on and the train was pretty much empty (apart from one lone woman randomly sitting in my seat despite it being clearly reserved in a sea of unreserved or reserved for later destinations). I chose to point it out and then said, actually, never mind, I’ll just sit here but if someone comes on later with a reservation then we’ll have to swap. She decided to get up and move in case that happened. Why don’t people just check the reservations??

And to the poster who felt the need to comment that the Op wrote a boring post... why?

I've had to physically poke a man before who was (I suspect pretending to be) asleep in my reserved seat on a packed train. He ignored me for ages but I didn't give up. When he finally opened his eyes I said 'sorry that's my reserved seat' and showed him my ticket. He glared at me and stomped off. It didn't even occur to me that I was being rude or unreasonable, he was in my seat!!