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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Train passengers refusing to move

346 replies

HolyGuac · 30/11/2019 11:00

Well, I'm really disappointed in the general public. AIBU to be shocked at the hard faced people in our sets refusing to move?

I booked train tickets and reserved seats about three months ago as we are having a special pre Christmas Day out with my two kids and husband.

Get on the train and the seat reservation numbers above the seats (the digital display ones are on the blink), it says from Euston...we are going to Euston, there are people in our seats who are refusing to move.

One said there's plenty of other seats, there are other seats but not in a table which is what i had booked.

We moved on found separate seats (two two's behind each other) I've been back to ask them nicely if they could move as there are no other table seats, this is a special trip etc etc they've flat out refused.
One said someone took Her seat which is why she moved to our seats, I asked why she couldn't have asked for them to move and got some blather about just taking any seat as the displays are not working!

I'm really disappointed by people today, what a bunch of arses. They are sat there knowing it's not their booked seats.
I would never take someone's seat like that.

OP posts:

woodchuck99 · 02/12/2019 09:29

Hence the train companies never know how many people will be on each train and reservations get suspended if anything untoward happens.

That sounds like a bit of a convenient excuse for overcrowding the trains. Has anyone asked passengers if they would prefer to be guaranteed a seat on the train even if it meant catching it at a specific time? When there are consistently no seats on a train then it has nothing to do with not being able to predict how many people are likely to use it and has more to do with making as much money as possible.

If I can predict quite accurately when trains will be overcrowded so that I can avoid using them because I cannot risk having to stand then I'm pretty sure that train companies could manage it if they wanted to.

CareOfPunts · 02/12/2019 09:30

I’d threaten to sit on them, I’m over 20 stone. That would have the desired effect I guess!

spababe · 02/12/2019 09:46

@woodchuck99 rail passenger numbers are at an all-time high. There is not the capacity in the network nor the rolling stock to take all the passengers that wish to travel and give them all a seat. The railways need massive investment to increase capacity and I don't mean HS2. You can't magic up extra trains at the drop of a hat. We need second lines put back so that fast trains can pass slow trains for example. If you want a seat, travel at off peak times and days when journeys are likely to be cheaper as well.

woodchuck99 · 02/12/2019 09:55

If you want a seat, travel at off peak times and days when journeys are likely to be cheaper as well.

I do but even then a seat is not guaranteed which is a real problem if you are unable to stand. I appreciate that there needs to be investment to increase capacity but in the meantime I think that train companies should give passengers the option of having a guaranteed seat even if it means paying slightly more. The current system is not working.

spababe · 02/12/2019 10:22

@woodchuck99 I can see your point of view and I don't disagree that this would be ideal. How would they be able to 'guarantee' it though? What if your train was cancelled due to a trespassers on the track for example. Would you just give up and not make the journey or would you expect them to somehow move all the guaranteed seats to another train? What about commuter trains? Would you buy a season ticket knowing all the seats are guaranteed to other people? It's an impossible task with the current infrastructure.

woodchuck99 · 02/12/2019 10:53

@woodchuck99 I can see your point of view and I don't disagree that this would be ideal. How would they be able to 'guarantee' it though? What if your train was cancelled due to a trespassers on the track for example. Would you just give up and not make the journey or would you expect them to somehow move all the guaranteed seats to another train?

They could give people with a guaranteed seat the choice of a guarantee on another train or refund the cost of the guarantee. It would be better than the current system where those who can't stand either have to give up or face an extremely stressful journey.

What about commuter trains? Would you buy a season ticket knowing all the seats are guaranteed to other people? It's an impossible task with the current infrastructure.

People with a season ticket could still have the option of paying extra for a guaranteed seat on a particular train. My guess is that most won't bother as commuters usually are only on the train for a short amount of time and most would be up to stand for that amount of time. It would give the option to those that are on commuter trains that can't stand though.

Kazzyhoward · 02/12/2019 12:16

Hopefully we shall see similar with HS2. God know the extra capacity will be welcome.

Only extra capacity in the area around HS2. It doesn't do anything for the rest of the country.

The money would be far better spent on lengthening stations to take longer trains, more trains, longer trains, re-opening closed stations, re-doubling single lines, re-quadrupling double lines, electrifying more lines, etc. So much needs doing to create a "fit for purpose" infrastructure all over the UK, but the money is being spent on yet another vanity project that benefits only a minority of the population. Brilliant!

Justaboy · 02/12/2019 13:02

Goodness me. Rather large as well as illiterate. Poor woman. Well I assume you mean illiterate? The irony

Yes sorry about that very small screen here and failing eyesight!

Did i not mention she was very LOUD, abusive, and agressive to boot!

Course if the damm railways could get theri act together!

2.7 % fares now! for more of the same.

Kazzyhoward · 02/12/2019 13:07

Course if the damm railways could get theri act together!

It's what happens with state control and pseudo privatisation. So called "privatised" train firms are hog-tied by the govt quangos controlling them. They have to operate the type of train specified by Govt, along routes specified by Govt, stopping at stations specified by Govt, charging fares specified by Govt, subject to rules/regulations specified by Govt. They have virtually no freedom at all to do their own thing, be innovative, etc. It's like privatised utilities - the worst kind of state controlled privatisation.

We either need it to be fully state controlled (heaven forbid) or there needs to be proper freedom for the train operating companies to innovate and profit from their innovation. At the moment, they're just basically being paid by the Govt to run the trains that the Govt want them to run. It's NOT privatisation by any means.

chamenanged · 02/12/2019 13:11

Your journey was less than two hours, the people had done nothing wrong and there were free seats available and you got onto the guard about it?

CareOfPunts · 02/12/2019 13:43

the people had done nothing wrong

Yes they had. They sat in seats they hadn’t reserved. They could have sat in one of the other available seats.

woodchuck99 · 02/12/2019 13:57

Yes they had. They sat in seats they hadn’t reserved. They could have sat in one of the other available seats.

As far as they were concerned the seats they sat in were not reserved and were therefore available though.

Lizzie0869 · 02/12/2019 14:08

If reservations are meaningless like some of you are saying, then what exactly is the point of having them? I lived in France during the third year of my French degree, and there you have to have a reserved seat for a journey, otherwise you're not allowed on it. That means that this sort of situation can't arise.

Devereux1 · 02/12/2019 14:12

Lizzie0869

If reservations are meaningless like some of you are saying, then what exactly is the point of having them?

The current state of play is that it increases the likelihood of having a seat (and for me, doing some work), but does not guarantee it. It also creates multiple opportunities for frustration, and can completely mess up a journey as I could travel through 3 carriages with empty seats looking for my reserved table, when reservations are active, only to find an obnoxious family seated there taking my seat, who refuse to move, the empty seats I have just passed are now taken so I've nowhere else to go, and the cowardly train guard won't do anything about it even though apparently he is equipped with a byelaw to do so.

So what's the point? I agree. Just a "slightly better chance" of being able to sit down, that's all.

Lizzie0869 · 02/12/2019 14:20

@Devereux1 that's spot on. The only good thing about not insisting on passengers reserve a seat is that you can be flexible about which train you catch. In France, you're only allowed to travel on that particular train, your ticket isn't valid for any other journey.

In the days when I travelled regularly by train, reservations were respected. There was a £50 penalty warning on the cards as well.

chamenanged · 02/12/2019 16:43

Yes they had. They sat in seats they hadn’t reserved. They could have sat in one of the other available seats.

You could try reading it again before incorrectly correcting people.

busybarbara · 02/12/2019 20:08

This thread has basically confirmed all the fears I have about public transport which means I drive into the middle of London despite everyone saying not to. I don’t have anyone fighting with me for my seat behind the wheel!

Notopel · 02/12/2019 20:22

I always ensure to reserve a seat if I’m travelling with DS (6). If there’s someone who appears fit and healthy sitting in our reserved seats, I expect them to move. There’s no way I’d countenance him having to stand for a long journey. Different situation if someone had a greater need for the seat - elderly, parent with young child etc, but otherwise DS should be benefitting from the seat I had the foresight to book for him. I’m regularly in this situation as we travel regularly on Sunday afternoons, and generally there is always someone already in the seats on a packed train.

Justaboy · 02/12/2019 21:04

Well!! thats no fun!, do you just have a fight parking to compensate then;?..

Moomin12345 · 03/12/2019 14:21

Travelling from London up north at peak times is like being on a cattle train. The trains to Manchester are particularly packed and Virgin often randomly cancels the trains with no good reason. I've spent many blissful hours on the floor after paying around £100. Even Jeremy Corbyn' would handle this better than rail companies. I think next time I won't care about the reservations and just sit.

LittleMissTeacup · 03/12/2019 21:51

Had a friend in the Army, we were on a busy train to London and he was in uniform. Visibly pregnant lady (with bump badge) got on the train and went to her reserved seat and the man refused to move. We were standing (busy train) and my friend walked over and had a very quiet word - man got up and offered his seat!

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