Hogging seats on trains

[woollyheart]

Because of a family emergency, I've been on the train a lot this past week.

A lot of people hog extra seats by putting their bags on them, or by sitting on the aisle seat so people can't get to the window seat. I think this is fair enough if there are plenty of other seats available.

But when they try to continue hogging extra seats when there are loads of people standing, I think they are extremely rude.

Surely, if there are people standing, you move your bags so they can sit. If you are in an aisle seat, you either stand up and let them through to the window seat, or slide across and let them have the aisle seat.

If they have to ASK you to move, you should apologise and make space for them.

I've seen people having to be asked to move, and not even acknowledging the person asking, never mind apologising. Or making a huge huff and puff about the whole thing. As if the rest of us are unreasonable to want a seat for a 2 hour journey.

Am I missing something?

YANBU. I always ask. I've had people get really huffy when they've had to move their bags. When DD was little and just sat on a lap we'd only need three seats. So many people on busy trains sat alone on a section of four seats and got really arsey when we sat around them.

I’ve had to ask people to get their bags/coats/coffee out of a priority seat so I can sit down 3 times this week.

Someone had a argument with a ticket conducter who asked them to move their bag. Busy train. Quite a lot standing.
They kept saying that if someone wanted to sit down then they should ask.

He kept telling her no you should've just moved the bag when it got busy. She argued back.. Went on a bit. Finally she moved it. Face of thunder.

Few minutes later. On the tanoy he made a announcement about bags shouldn't be on seats. Followed then by the train driver.
Her face!

The argument was so stupid. People shouldn't have to ask its just common curtsey!

YANBU. I don’t even ask tbh I just say “move that”. Pig ignorant people don’t deserve to be spoken to politely

Yanbu. Of course there will be posters on soon to say ‘you could just ASK if you need a seat!’ which is true but a really sad situation when so many people refuse to consider others.

I always take an aisle seat, as I’m extremely tall but I will always get up to let people into the window seat.

I always tend to sit on the aisle seat because there isn’t enough legroom in the window seat and because I am getting on or off at the next stop. I have been trapped a few times by people who start setting out their lunch etc and get huffy when I say I am getting off at the next stop. I am always happy to move to let people in and I ask if I see someone standing. I never do the bag thing, which I agree is rude and I see it a lot on trains and buses.

I was on a busy train last week. There was a seat available in a group of four with a table. On one side was man sitting by the window. He was both very tall and very wide. He was using a laptop on the table and had food on the table too. His bags were on the seat next to him. He was in reality taking up 3/4 of the available space. I sat in the aisle seat as there is no way I was squashing myself opposite him. Is anyone had wanted a seat I would have got up and given them the window seat but I wouldn't have moved in myself. Thankfully no one approached our table looking for a seat.

.

Bags on seats should be moved when the train is busy. Or not be there in the first place. Sitting in the aisle is fine if you don't want to be next to the window, and anyone wanting to sit will have to ask you to let them in (you can't read their mind), but you should let them in with courtesy.

I just say can I have a seat please. Most people move without a fuss. I still haven't had to ask if they've paid for a seat for their bag which would be my comeback if they got arsey.

Having said all that on ScotRail at present seats are like gold dust. Appalling service but that's a whole new thread on its own

I agree that people shouldn't have to ask.

I asked several times and was surprised by the way they tried to ignore me or huffed.

And I am of an age that kind people on the tube sometimes offer me their seat, so it's not that they think I'm too young to need a seat!

It is inconsiderate. I stuff mine under the seat where possible when things get busy, or I just hold onto it myself.

If it is a suitcase and I am on a longer journey then I look for the luggage rack, which is usually at one end of the carriage. I am too short to use the overhead racks safely. Sometimes I could shove something up there, but then simply can't reach to get it down and have to ask someone else. So I don't use those.

No excuse for blocking up seats on a busy train. I only do that if it is quiet.

I always sit in the aisle seat. If you don’t know the terror of being sexually assaulted whilst being pinned into a corner with no where to go then I’m happy for you.

If you can’t ask someone for a seat then you deserve to stand sorry 🤷‍♀️

What drives me mad is apparently able bodied people saying "I can't put my bag up". When I offer to put it up and take it down for them they usually make a miraculous recovery at the end of the journey and find they can get their bag down after all. People are so strange.

Do you hog the window seat with your bags though Hwory?

@Hwory

Did I say that I am afraid to ask?
No.

I had to ask repeatedly. I did get seats but not without rudeness from the people concerned.

Most of the aisle sitters I have encountered are male. I am a tiny old lady. I doubt very much that they are frightened that I might sexually assault them.

@Teaonthebedsheets

Sorry, I sometimes do that.

It is harder to put bags up. You have the weight and are not sure whether you can reach. If you can't reach properly, you often have an awkward point where you realise that you can't quite reach and you are possibly going to drop the bag uncontrollably.

It is easier when you are taking a bag down, because you are working with gravity and it is more controlled. Although, I still have to ask for help if I genuinely can't reach.

Sometimes people sit in aisle seats as they are getting up soon and don’t want to climb over people.

I commute every day on a train and bag huggers annoy me but aisle seat occupiers never do as there are many legitimate reasons for that.

Tea, I am able bodied. I am short though. Sometimes I can get something up into the overhead racks if I shove it hard from underneath, but then I simply cannot reach to get it down. Believe me, I have tried. I have to ask for help.

I don't block seats with my baggage though. There are other racks, usually at the end of the carriage. There can also be a (fairly limited) amount of space under the seat.

i'm one of those people that i ask politely to sit down to start with and then if i'm ignored, i politely request again for the bag to be moved and if that doesn't work i will sit on the edge of the table.
oddly the offender doesn't want that and it's surprising how quick a bag is moved.
i also champion the cause for pregnant and disabled who are unable to sit down because of some twat can't be bothered to move.

Another thing I hate is where there's an armrest between seats and the person in the seat next to you has (usually) his arm draped across it trespassing onto your seat. I just keep jabbing my elbow and pushing until it's moved

It’s so rude, people do this on the bus too and I secretly love it when they get called out on it.

If you can’t ask someone for a seat then you deserve to stand sorry
You have a good reason to use the aisle seat that’s fine but when doing so you need to keep an eye out for when the train is getting busy and offer the window seat.
You are blocking seat the onus is on you to make sure people can sit there. It’s the polite thing to do rather than forcing people to ask when you can see the train is busy.