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?

And certainly no need to apologise for sitting where they want.

I kind of get what the OP meant (I think). If you're in an aisle seat at rush hour with a window seat free I'd expect you to actively let someone in iyswim rather than ignoring anyone pining after a seat.

And this entire discussion would be completely unnecessary if people didn’t insist on putting bags on seats on crowded trains in the first place

Admittedly some trains start off crowded but a lot don't.

If someone's hogging one of those with their stuff, they can and should expect to be asked to move it regardless of how many free seats there are further down the carriage

If someone did that to me I'd just take one of the seats further down the carriage. Asking people to move things on principle is nonsensical, and is also invading people's personal space unnecessarily. A bloke once got on a half empty train I was sitting on, looked around, saw me (with bag on seat) and came straight up and asked to sit next to me, so I moved to one of the many empty two-seaters.

@Lweji

Yes, sorry - I didn't mean to imply that people shouldn't sit in an aisle seat. Of course they can sit anywhere they like.

It is only when they refuse to move, or make a big fuss about it that I think they are unreasonable. Lots of people have had a difficult day or have problems - the last thing you want to hear is someone's selfish moaning when you are exhausted.

If someone did that to me I'd just take one of the seats further down the carriage.

On my train, the seats further down the carriage have less leg room and are typically table seats (difficult to get in and out of for some). They are also further down the carriage, which is obviously an issue for a lot of people who are in need of the priority seats in the first place.

It isn't 'invading someone's personal space' to get them to shift their stuff out of the priority seat next to them. Even if they need a priority seat, their bag does not.

you sound as pig ignorant (or more?) than the people you're addressing

Why? If they’re so ignorant to sit with a bag on a seat when they can see peoplelooko g for seats they deserve the same back. In fact they’re lucky they get that, throwing the bag off the seat and just sitting down is more tempting.

We were on a busy train last week , loads of people had bags on seats whilst I stood and my three children crammed into two spaces with one on the floor! Never again! I thought I'd paid for booked seats but must have not managed that somehow!

"Someone else may well have had the same experience - you don’t know - but you’re going to force them to sit in the window seat or stand because of your needs."

But surely this just defaults to first come first served? She's not forcing them to do anything, in that situation it would just be down to how many aisle seats were available. If someone who wants/needs an aisle seat arrives when there are none, that's not the fault of those occupying them.

The problem with the whole ‘but I have ANGZIETY’ card is that someone else might have ANXIETY too

Well no one is going to listen to a word you say with that awful attitude. Nasty post.

Empty train, spread out all you like. Busy train, make sure your stuff is in your space only. Aisle wise, I just approach the seat and generally a glance or quiet excuse me is perfectly adequate for the person to move to let you in. I approach as though it's normal and reasonable for them to be sitting in the aisle and normal and reasonable for me to ask to sit by the window. Which it is. I wouldn't view it as any harder to ask than, say, asking the person behind the bar for a drink in a pub. I find asking for bags to be moved more awkward.

Yes @StrawberrySquash I agree. That is all I have ever had to do.

But I've had a run of awkward people who refuse to take the hint, and when you ask them to move themselves or their bags, get shirty.

They are being most unreasonable. If it was an empty train I'd be annoyed if you insisted on stiing by me because I'd like the space. But on any normally busy train, tough luck. They can only expect one seat, if that!

I love these threads.

I always put my bag on the seat next to me on the tube. Why shouldn't I? I don't scan the carriage like a nervous meerkat at every stop to monitor whether it is filling up. Why should I?

I usually read my book until my stop and am not doing it to pretend to be busy. I am reading my book.

People can ask me to move my stuff and I always will. They don't need to say 'please' and I don't need to say 'sorry.'

A couple of things: a woman insisted on sitting next to me even though there were plenty of empty seats. I gestured to those seats and continued reading until she went away.

A man plonked himself down on my bag without saying anything - I guess to prove a point. Luckily for me and for him there was nothing breakable or glass in it. I wouldn't want glass in my arse but that's up to him. However, it was a bit big so he wasn't very comfortable.

We looked at each other for about five seconds and then I looked away. Shortly afterwards he asked if I could move my bag and I said 'No problem. You only had to ask.'

Cunts who do this deserve to have their bags thrown on the floor or sat on

I had quite a big argument with someone on a train because I was using 2 seats. I paid for and reserved 2 seats side by side because I was taking stock to a gallery and had about £18,000 of stock in a suitcase, so I bought it a seat because I wasn't letting it our of my site or away from my arms reach (checked with customer service that this was acceptable). It was a 5 hour train ride. At the last hour, it was busy and someone had a right go at me. I explained that I had paid for and reserved that seat and they tried to grab my suitcase! I held on and had to wait for the conductor to come round. They stood up for me, but I'm not sure what official policy would be. However, I'm sure I looked very bad before people knew I'd paid for the seat.

I booked and paid for 2 seats on a train about a year ago and had my bags on the other seat. I was told In no uncertain terms by the conductor that I hadn't paid for both the seats but for the right to travel which didn't necessarily include seats. I ended up with a lovely woman next to me who I got on really well with but I was a bit annoyed that my ticket said I had reserved seats 11a and 11b yet I wasn't allowed to use 11b

@Violetroselily, such a beautiful name, such a vile mouth.

If someone sits next to me when there are empty pairs of seats I get up and move. And I like my bag next to me.

And I like my bag next to me.

Oh well in that case you obviously deserve two seats just for yourself, whatever were the rest of us thinking.

Selective quote, did you not bother to read the rest?

How’s that a ‘selective quote’? This is a thread about people who hog seats by putting their bags on them. You said, “I like my bag next to me.” And you’ve previously complained that people are being “nasty just because they can” for expecting people like you to move their bags off seats to allow fellow passengers to sit down.

What is wrong with having your bag next to you if there are other seats free?

I love these threads because they highlight weirdos who seek confrontation. Or say they do, I don't whether they follow through on their bravado.

I don't seek to deny people a seat but I'm not going to scan the carriage at every stop. But if I don't notice and someone asks, of course I will give up the space.

I've also offered to swap seats with people who I guess want to sit together even without them asking me. Many people do that. It's the decent thing to do and most of us want to be nice.

I don't recognise the OP's scenario. She must live in some kind of hell. Most people I travel with - on the London Underground, shock, horror, in that there London - are extremely courteous.

Where do you travel @woollyheart?. It sounds terrible and is not my experience

I like my bag next to me too, but I’ll wait until the train’s out of the station and I know nobody needs the seat next to me before parking it there.

A couple of things: a woman insisted on sitting next to me even though there were plenty of empty seats. I gestured to those seats and continued reading until she went away

Eh????