To think that grown men on trains shouldn't behave like this?

[Iamnotminterested]

I travelled from Euston to Manchester this evening. Within 2 minutes of getting on the train most of the seats around me were taken by football fans who'd travelled down to watch Man City v Chelsea, who pretty much straight away cracked open can after can of lager and shouted/responded football chants down the carriage...except that these weren't young fans, but rather men in their 50s and 60s who quite frankly were a fucking embarrassment, and I as a single female traveller mid-carriage felt mightily uncomfortable.

AIBU to think that men of this age should get a grip and not behave on public transport this way, and make me (and the other women who I spoke to after at Piccadilly) feel uncomfortable and glad to arrive?

@Macncheeseballs

The journey is part of the fun, a time to catch up, you want no alcohol because of some people who can't control themselves, why should the rest of us suffer

Why is it suffering to wait an hour or two to get a glass of wine?

@Macncheeseballs

Ouioui, God how puritanical and judgemental you sound

No she doesn't. Our rights end (or should) where they encroach on other people's rights to go about their business without feeling intimidated. Why are you being so dismissive? Because they were men - or because alcohol is involved?

Some people do not manage alcohol consumption without becoming boorish (both sexes) and it's them you have to blame for others wanting a zero-tolerance of alchohol because of that.

@Macncheeseballs

Ouioui, God how puritanical and judgemental you sound

For suggesting you could have your booze at any other point than a train journey? And that you and your friend might be able to have fun and catch up on your journey in ways that don't involve alcohol?

That's hysterical that that's the conclusion you've reached .

In England I can only see alcohol on trains being banned if there is a serious accident and survivors getting out is hampered by their drunkenness. Too much of what is laughingly called our "culture" revolves around drinking. The licensing laws need to be properly enforced in pubs, bars, etc for starters.

@Susannahmoody bizarre statement. Football fans are the same abroad

How about a 6 hour train journey? Am I allowed my teensy little glass of wine then? How about if its a special occasion, a birthday or an anniversary, no ? Cos you've deemed alcohol wrong. For what it's worth I do alot if train travel, much of it with out alcohol, but it should be my choice. It's toxic masculinity that makes those groups of dick heads behave like that.

M8 I don't know why it's so important for you to have the booze but it's not us you need to be asking questions about it.

I'm going to go against the grain and say that I wouldn't have a problem with that. A group of men drinking and singing chants about football? Most people have been a little noisy and inconsiderate now and again.

I would however have a problem with swearing, fighting, puking etc but it doesn't sound like this was the case on your train.

I've also had the misfortune to encounter this behaviour on a couple of trains very recently. Alcohol should be banned, totally unnecessary for anyone to be drinking whilst travelling.
The first occasion involved a very young man vomiting shortly after boarding with a bottle of spirits, at approximately 10.30am.
The second time a mass of drunken football fans boarded an already full train and proceeded to drink and shout foul abuse for the rest of the lengthy journey.
Why should other passengers have to put up with it? Vile behaviour and language absolutely fuelled by alcohol.

@Macncheeseballs

How about a 6 hour train journey? Am I allowed my teensy little glass of wine then? How about if its a special occasion, a birthday or an anniversary, no ? Cos you've deemed alcohol wrong. For what it's worth I do alot if train travel, much of it with out alcohol, but it should be my choice. It's toxic masculinity that makes those groups of dick heads behave like that.

I think alcohol on trains should be banned across the board. Because the benefits to individuals do not outweigh the challenges and risks of the anti social behaviour of many people.

I think it's worrying that someone wouldn't be able to go six hours without an alcoholic drink. I think it's odd that someone thinks their birthday or their anniversary is so important that it means that they have to have a drink on a train rather than wait till they get to a bar or their hotel. Or have that "one glass" at the pub before boarding.

It's about the wider consequences. Banning alcohol on trains would do more good than harm. It would stop threatening, anti social behaviour. It would make passengers feel safer. It would enable workers to have an environment with less harassment and stress.

It's not all about you and your need for your glass of wine that means you simply cannot contemplate a train journey without one.

We don't have the means or resources to police this anti social behaviour when it's happening. Banning alcohol from trains is one of the only solutions.

Of course it’s not acceptable

It’s unacceptable from young men too, or women (agree with PPs that hen parties are as bad)

Some of the local trains ban alcohol and I think it should be banned for all trains tbh. There’s absolutely no need for it. It’s annoying for everyone around you and makes them feel unsafe.

YANBU. A large group of males, gathered around a few females, drinking alcohol and shouting because they can, to let everyone know they took over this enclosed environment, IS intimidating. They know damn well they’re a fysically more powerful majority, that women feel intimidated and still they engage in this behavior. I consider it toxic masculinity to behave like that.

Macncheeseballs, can you not see that it's not the alcohol as such that is the issue, it's the behaviour of some people when they drink it?

Honestly though, why is drinking on public transport so important to you? Whatever the special occasion, that's the transport leg, isn't it? Not the destination.

If you're on the Orient Express though, you can drink, chin-chin. Otherwise no, a blanket ban - and thank the knuckle-draggers for it.

I like football but I do my best to avoid football trains as they are a total pain in the arse. The only thing that was worse was when my train picked up a load of Oasis fans at Milton Keynes after they played the MK Bowl - loads of drunk, smelly people, stealing from the buffet, communication cord pulled, the works

As long as they don't bother other passengers I don't see why you need to comment.

@FelicityBeedle

Tbh I see more of that sort of thing from women on hen dos, loud drunken singing, pissed on the train etc. I just move carriage

Agree. Hen dos.. Women in their 40s plus hobbling drunk and speaking to men..

...all of that said, anyone who wants to ban alcohol on trains hasn't travelled on the West Coast Main Line as much as I have.

Why were you uncomfortable? They were were being daft and loud but that shouldn’t affect you unless they were doing anything directly to you.
Nice carriage if it bothered you that men were having fun on a trip away from home.

@LaBellina

YANBU. A large group of males, gathered around a few females, drinking alcohol and shouting because they can, to let everyone know they took over this enclosed environment, IS intimidating. They know damn well they’re a fysically more powerful majority, that women feel intimidated and still they engage in this behavior. I consider it toxic masculinity to behave like that.

I'd feel more intimidated by a group of drunk women. Women can be downright nasty when drunk and wanting to start on another woman who may have looked at them the 'wrong way'.

Move carriage

@potter5

As long as they don't bother other passengers I don't see why you need to comment.

But they DO bother other passengers, that's the point.

I agree that if people are considerate and don't encroach on other passengers then there's no need to ban or restrict anything. But, this is the age of the entitled.

"Hen dos..
Women in their 40s plus hobbling drunk and speaking to men.."

Speaking to men?! Heavens to Betsy! And them in their forties too.

@GoingOutOutNEVER

Why were you uncomfortable? They were were being daft and loud but that shouldn’t affect you unless they were doing anything directly to you. Nice carriage if it bothered you that men were having fun on a trip away from home.

Yes... we must think of the menz having fun. Never mind that a fellow passenger is made to feel uncomfortable because these drunken louts (applicable to either sex) has no consideration for anybody else.

I'd be disgusted if this were my husband or son or brother but, we're all different.

Totally agree that grown men shouldn't behave like that, just to add that grown women on trains, can also be nightmares. Had a really horrible time on a train from York to Manchester, when a gaggle of middle aged women got onboard for "Stacey's 50th" weekend. The put up streamers, balloons and played 80s music at footblast. Started passing sex toys around and then began chanting at me and my husband (I am gay) to get out dicks out for the girls. Rachel Parris got it spot on

[quote CliftonGreenYork]Totally agree that grown men shouldn't behave like that, just to add that grown women on trains, can also be nightmares. Had a really horrible time on a train from York to Manchester, when a gaggle of middle aged women got onboard for "Stacey's 50th" weekend. The put up streamers, balloons and played 80s music at footblast. Started passing sex toys around and then began chanting at me and my husband (I am gay) to get out dicks out for the girls. Rachel Parris got it spot on [/quote]
@HarlanPepper read this

Some men don't want to be pestered by women waving an inflatable didlo round when they're trying to get home from a long commute from work