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?

@pixie5121 the bottom line is you haven’t bought a ticket for your bag so it’s beyond ignorant to put your bag on a seat when there are people standing.

Why do you not get that?

No, that's what she said. In any event,it doesn't matter what her reasons are. Unless she has paid for two seats, she's only entitled to use one

Doubt train companies even allow people to pay for and use an extra seat for baggage (or just space), since even one seat isn’f guaranteed and they would prioritise people for the available seats.

The same reason I say 'sorry, can I get out please?' if I'm in a window seat on a plane rather than climbing all over a stranger and spilling their drink. you shouldn't be apologising for that though. People apologise too much.

The woman didn't want to sit alone because she wanted more space, she wanted to sit alone because she was obviously terrified of catching a virus that could harm or kill her.

Why do you not get that?

You simply don't know that, @pixie5121 . She simply said she needed to distance. It could be that she was the one who was infected. It could be that she was making it up.

If she was genuinely terrified, she wouldn't be sitting in a train seat in close proximity to the people sitting in front of and behind her.

If you bought two tickets, how would they even know one was for your bags?

If she was genuinely terrified, she wouldn't be sitting in a train seat in close proximity to the people sitting in front of and behind her

We don’t know that there were people in close proximity sitting in front of and behind her. And if there were they could have got on after her.

So much judgement based on so much conjecture.

Maybe her handbag identifies as a person

It's basic, unspoken etiquette that if someone's bag is on a seat, you either politely ask them if the seat is free/if you can sit there or at the very least make eye contact and smile

wrong. It is basic etiquette that you do not hog seats with your bag.

even more basic is the fact that If you do hog a seat, and someone asks to sit there, then you either move the bag or go sit elsewhere.

Presuming you can ever deny a fellow passenger an empty seat is incredibly rude and selfish.

It is basic etiquette that you do not hog seats with your bag

If the train is busy. Not if it isn't.

I would say it's basic etiquette that you don't sit next to someone if there's plenty of room (unless you know the train will fill up later and eg want to sit next to a slim female, rather than a manspreading fat guy).

😂

As a railway guard, making announcements threatening to charge for bags on seats generally works. If not, "could you find somewhere to put that?" has always had the desired effect. I've never had to actually follow through with the threat and actually charge someone. That's all off my own back though, pretty sure that there are no official policies on what to do with luggage on seats.

There's a rule for under 5s though, they can only go free if the parent is prepared to move them onto their lap to allow paying passengers to sit down. If you want a seat for your three year old and adults are standing, then they need a child's ticket.

You should never go to Switzerland...you'd probably have a heart attack to see that it's the norm to put your bags on seats, and many people even try to take up 4 seats for themselves. It's considered extremely rude to ask someone to move their stuff if you could have sat elsewhere. If it gets busy, then passengers boarding the train politely ask if the seat is free and the person moves their stuff and so on, until all the seats are taken. It's really not rocket science.

@pixie5121 in all the times I've been to Switzerland, I've never once had to ask someone to move their bag. Probably mostly because their government (and the cantonal administrations) fund proper railway services with plenty of carriages so there's plenty of free seats to go around. If a train was busy, perhaps people automatically removed bags out of politeness, rather than waiting to be told.

I can't wait for HS2, it will treble the capacity into Euston.

As a railway guard, making announcements threatening to charge for bags on seats generally works. If not, "could you find somewhere to put that?" has always had the desired effect. I've never had to actually follow through with the threat and actually charge someone. That's all off my own back though, pretty sure that there are no official policies on what to do with luggage on seats.

What makes you think that " threatening to charge" works? I'm sure some people would prefer to pay for an extra seat that they could put their bags on at the moment. The only reason they aren't doing it is because it isn't an option.

This thread is about a woman who refused to move her bag.
so you agree she was ignorant. Excellent.

basic security and consideration is to put your bag on your lap. Don’t leave it sitting out as an invitation to thieves or to hog an empty seat.

there is no indication in OP that there were double seats free.
But i can understand why some women might chose to sit next to another woman rather than sit in an empty two seater because a man might sit next to her. For religious reason, because of manspreaders etc.

your fictional memo seems at odds with the basic etiquette that passengers can sit in any seat that is not occupied by a person.

As a railway guard, making announcements threatening to charge for bags on seats generally works. If not, "could you find somewhere to put that?" has always had the desired effect. I've never had to actually follow through with the threat and actually charge someone. That's all off my own back though, pretty sure that there are no official policies on what to do with luggage on seats.

So, in other words, it’s an empty threat and you’re abusing your position. Useful to know. If any guard attempts this kind of nonsense with me in future I’ll have no compunction in reporting them. Thanks for the ammunition.