To expect to sit on an empty train seat?

[NellieTheElephant1]

Travelling on a busy train to London, lady wearing a mask sitting on a window seat with her bags next to her on the aisle seat. No other seats available nearby. Asked her politely 'excuse me please' indicating that I wanted to sit there. She mumbled 'sorry no I need to distance'. Surely if you're that worried about Covid don't travel on public transport at busy times?

And this is why “living with covid” is in fact “ignoring covid” . All the CEV people that were and still are expected to shield / take extra precautions so that everyone else can get on with life are making sacrifices such as still wearing masks and keeping distance. Why shouldn’t someone who still needs to wear a mask & distance be afforded some respect? it’s crap that there’s not enough seats on trains at the best of times but don’t berate someone who is clearly still in need of extra precaution.

Why would you “ask” to sit in an empty seat?
it’s not up to the bag owner to determine whether or not a fellow passenger deserves a seat.

Well obv but then it isn't one person to a seat is it, so the opposite of what you posted

*Why would you “ask” to sit in an empty seat?
it’s not up to the bag owner to determine whether or not a fellow passenger deserves a seat.*well technically you just ask them to move their bags because its better manners than telling them

Asking presupposes a negative response is possible.
there’s never an acceptable reason to hog a seat with a bag.
you don’t want to enter into a debate, you want a seat
IMO “move your bag, please” is perfectly polite

@1onway1under12and1over18 if you are so clinically vulnerable that another person sitting next to you in a train is going to make you unwell, you shouldn't be on public transport. As pp have said, droplets from the person sitting behind you are more likely to be an issue.

I have two CEV family members. Both with chronic life limiting lung diseases. Both blue badge holders. Now quadruple jabbed. Both have recently had Covid and were fortunately okay.

I appreciate that some immunosuppressed people cannot be vaccinated but not having someone sitting next to you on the train is not going to protect you from the multiple other people you are likely to encounter if you're going to London on a jolly day out.

We have to live with Covid. It's not going anywhere and people need to deal with their health anxiety.

Yep. If you’re priority is not infecting others, go and stand between carriages where there aren’t many people.

people need to deal with their health anxiety

It's ridiculous to call it "health anxiety" as if it was all in the person's own head. Getting covid is still a real bloody risk to your long term wellbeing.

I would of replied 'my need to sit trumos your need to distance' as I removed her bags and sat down

How do you know she was off to London on a jolly day out and not on her way to hospital to have her chronic life limiting lung disease checked out? That’s not health anxiety, that’s her life. A life she’s getting on with by getting on a train and out of the house. Just as everyone else is entitled to. Why shouldn’t she be afforded some space? If she were in a wheelchair or with a visible disability there would be no argument about taking up more than one space on a train. I’m surprised by your lack of empathy given your family members conditions. I’ve no doubt this person is also quadruple jabbed & may have also recently had covid and been fine but frankly, on top of health issues she may already have can’t face to have another thing to have to deal with even if it happens to be mild. Everyone is getting on with life. Covid is a distant memory to many many people. Some people can’t yet forget it. Don’t assume and misjudge just because you want to get on with life.

Trains are now back to being full. We would all prefer not to have someone sat alongside but that’s not just the reality. I just say ‘excuse me please’ and wait for them to move said items. If you need more space the only option is to travel at a different time of day or potentially stand… but some trains are now full and standing again.

Because it was on a Saturday @1onway1under12and1over18. And clinics don't run on Saturdays and nor are scheduled ops performed.

I know Covid is still a thing. I know the risks. But the rules have changed. It was a busy train and the OP was entitled to sit there. As I said very early in the thread, if you want two seats, pay for two.

And clinics don't run on Saturdays and nor are scheduled ops performed.

I don’t think that’s correct. Our local hospital is doing diagnostics and surgery at weekends.

As an ancient, seasoned traveller on London Transport, the only way to deal with these people is to say, firmly "move your bags please, I need to sit down " and move them yourself if they don't oblige. PITAs .

Oh, okay. My mistake. Never been a thing for anyone I know. But the point stands. It's a busy train. Your bags can't have their own seat unless you pay for them.

The lack of understanding of CEV is clearly stated in your “the rules have changed” . Most CEV have had to make their own minds up and evaluate their own individual risk regardless of the rules for others. The majority can now do as they wish so I applaud this lady for having the strength to speak up for herself and ask for space. It’s a shame so many feel they can’t and so stay indoors with their “health anxiety”

And btw surgeries and clinics do run at weekends. They’re actually a ‘super Saturday’ initiative brought in by NHS to get waiting times down. Imagine how long those waiting times might be if CEV people hadn’t made the sacrifices they did to protect themselves to allow other people to carry on with their lives!

I'm sorry I ever got drawn into this discussion - my bad. This thread has fuck all to do with CEV or operations and clinics at the weekend and I am really really sorry I ever brought it up or reacted to other posters raising it.

The only thing which is relevant is that the woman who the OP wanted to sit next to can't use a seat for her bag unless she's paid for it.

That's it.

We're so hard in London aren't we? Why don't you tell all the bumpkins what we do to the people who stand on the wrong side of the escalators while you're at it? I'm sure everyone will be so impressed with you and grateful for your advice. I know I am👜

This thread is weird. It's about public transport, designed to carry passengers from A to B. It's not about a health care setting.

Passengers are expected, and expect, to board, find a seat that is not occupied by another person, and sit in it. Generally sitting passengers are safer and more comfortable than standing. It is completely inappropriate to speculate on others' physical or mental health, or expect them to speculate about yours. We know nothing about what's going on in other people's lives.

Most people are happy to help out in a small way - a tall person might lift a bag onto the rack if asked politely for example. But it is unreasonable to inconvenience others or cause them discomfort because of your personal issues.

Er, they DO run on Saturdays. Do not know if this has a,ways been a thing or is playing catch up with the huge NHS backlog

Most CEV have had to make their own minds up and evaluate their own individual risk regardless of the rules for others. The majority can now do as they wish so I applaud this lady for having the strength to speak up for herself and ask for space. It’s a shame so many feel they can’t and so stay indoors with their “health anxiety”

But you have NO idea whether this woman was CEV or not. The levels of projection going on on this thread really are stratospheric.

Why would you applaud someone who was hogging a seat instead of getting up and going somewhere less crowded?

she had that choice, but decided to deny a fellow passenger a seat, while she took up two seat, one for her and one for her handbag.

that isn’t admirable - it is extremely selfish and full of self importance. She had no idea if any of her fellow passengers had a disability that meant they needed a seat, and clearly didn’t care, because she was only thinking of herself and imposing her will onto others.