To not give up my seat?

[bottomfellout]

Currently in the middle of a 5 hour train journey with my 7yo. We got on at the first station and will be getting off 3 stops before final station. We are sat in our reserved seats, confirmation on the little display above our heads saying reserved from our starting and finishing stations.

At the last station 20 minutes ago a man got on and said ‘you’re in my seat’ and started to move my bags. I told him I wasn’t, grabbed my bag, showed him my ticket and the seat display. He showed me his ticket and he’s also reserved for the same seat. I told him he should go and find the guard, that there are plenty of free seats (although don’t know if they’re reserved).

He won’t go and find the guard, he wants his seat. He’s now standing right next to me (probably watching me type), having just had a loud phone call (which I’m pretty sure was imaginary as we went through a tunnel) about how he can’t prepare for the presentation as a stuck up bitch won’t move out of his seat. He’s huffing and sighing and I’m wondering whether he’ll stay standing over me for the next 2.5 hours.

I don’t want ds to hear this bloke being a prick but I really don’t see why I should move. Ds is currently plugged into his iPad so hasn’t noticed.

What an idiot. I've had it happen before and someone has always been wrong, wrong seat, wrong carriage, etc....but people have been polite, double checked, moved, said sorry.

He will be on the wrong train - if hes caught an earlier or later one then obviously his reserved seat is invalid.

What a horrible man.

If the sign says booked from your starting station can you not point that out to him?

Is he really sitting on the floor when there are empty seats?

Shamelessly marks place

Even if you ARE in the wrong seats, you were polite and offered to discuss and resolve. So now he's been aggressive he can fuck off till the guard comes. Even if it turns out you are in the wrong seat OP (seems unlikely) remember he has engineered this situation with his appalling attitude.

What an arse.

If he continues to harrass you, swear or try to intimidate you, contact British Transport Police. Film or record him too, if you feel safe to do so.

Remember, 'behaviour like to cause harrassment, alarm or distress' is a crime under the public order act, that people can actually be prosecuted for. (It's very subjective and contextual but trying to intimidate a parent and child in a public place is the sort of thing that might be taken seriously).

There's never a guard when you need one. You can tweet train companies.

More generally, I really hate it when people take out their frustration with the train company, on a fellow passenger. If your reservation has been messed up, that's between you and the train company - not you and the person innocently sitting in the seat that the train company had promised - but failed - to book for you.

Ursula its in the OP she's already done that!

What a twat. I hope you get a guard soon!

Omg what an arse. Is he sat on the floor near you or in the gangway?
Good on you for not moving!

If he continues I'd loudly ask why he is so insistent on trying to move you so he can sit next to your young son? It may dawn on him it doesn't look great.

This is my fear, I have to check and recheck I'm in the right seat when I've pre-booked. I'd be mortified if this happened to me

What a twat.

Ignore him. Or talk loudly about what silly billies some people are.

Even if you ARE in the wrong seats, you were polite and offered to discuss and resolve. So now he's been aggressive he can fuck off till the guard comes. Even if it turns out you are in the wrong seat OP (seems unlikely) remember he has engineered this situation with his appalling attitude.

Yes exactly, people often misread tickets etc and end up in the wrong seat on trains, cinemas, theatre ......it's not that big of deal, you just figure out who's seat it is and move on

Are you sure it's not Jeremy Corbyn trying to prove ab point by sitting on the floor

OP - text a friend get them to call the train company?

What a nobber.

What a twat.
If there are other seats free but he is purposefully sitting on the floor then he is the only one who is losing here.

It’s cross country train, not virgin. I’ve triple checked and I’m definitely on the right train, right coach, right seat. He definitely had a seat reservation for this coach and seat but I didn’t actually see whether it was for this specific train and I’m not going to speak to him again unless I have to.

At the last station he stood up to move out of people’s way at the last possible minute saying ‘sorry, someone’s refusing to move from my seat.’ Everyone around him was sniggering and several others had offered him a seat which he declined. A dog walked over him a few minutes ago.

Ds looked up from Minecraft and asked me if the man had hurt himself because he was on the floor. I thought man was going to say something to ds but he didn’t. He then said he would end up ill if he carried on sitting on the floor and said he was going to sit in first class instead. If there’s an upgrade fee he’s going to send the guard my way. What a tit.

Must be something in the water today OP, I spoke to a very stubborn horrid man at work today, never normally have that issue! Yanbu, let the twat stew on the floor until he has to move when the train stops / ticket man moves him on.

Ds just asked me what’s so special about first class. I’m almost tempted to pay the upgrade and sit in there just to annoy him more (I won’t, just amusing myself).

If there’s an upgrade fee he’s going to send the guard my way HAHAHAHA what an absolute arse, I hope he does send the ticket man your way!

Oh that's fun. Guards are usually quicker to act in first! He won't get away with that while there are empty seats in standard.

he was going to sit in first class instead.

Probably what he's been after all along - that, or compensation.

If there’s an upgrade fee he’s going to send the guard my way. Oh, I hope he does