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?

The only way you’re entitled to 2 train seats is if you’ve paid double fare. She should have
moved her bags.

Of course it's not, but pointing out what other counties are doing and questioning whether OP was doing the same is ridiculous.

On the bags-on-the-seat thing: pre-covid, I usually dealt with that by informing them how much I weigh, and that I would be sitting down regardless. That usually got their attention, partly, I think, through the shock value of a fat woman announcing in public exactly how fat she is.

Post-covid, I do my best to travel at extremely unsocial hours, to avoid crowds.

I do not want someone sitting next to me on a train, be it Underground (usual public transport for me) or rail. I don't want someone passing Covid to me and then I cannot visit my elderly mum. So I sit at the very back or very front of the train, and end carriages generally tend to be quieter. I don't out a bag on the seat though, and believe the person the OP refers to is using it as an excuse and would do the same even if Covid 19 never existed.

Same for my ds.

It's not worth the cost unless you travel frequent it and for long journeys

I also think she probably had corona but needed to use the train.
Im seeing a lot more people out and about with masks, and double-masks even just outdoors in the street since they changed the isolation rules. Im assuming this is their compromise since noone is obliged to stay in now, and this also means people are likely under pressure to carry on as normal. Youre much more likely to be in contact with people who are covid positive now when out and about, so in this case, since she was wearing in a mask and stated she needed to distance, I would have likely gone to a different carriage rather than try to make her let me sit there

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤩🤩🤩

Love it!

She might not be doing anything illegal by travelling on a busy train while infectious with covid (if that's the case here) but she'd still be doing something wrong.

Absolutely @ArcheryAnnie I heard yesterday from a friend who was at her gym, and the person on the treadmill next to hers started coughing, and warned them that he had COVID. My friend skedaddled as far away as she could,

I was shocked at the selfishness of such a toe-rag that he would knowingly go to the gym carrying a really infectious & dangerous disease.

If she had covid, then she would have said she had covid, not that she needed to distance. Chances are she isn't even vulnerable, just fancied sitting on her own.

I would have said sorry but either she moves her bags or I would have done. If she wished to distance still, she could have moved to stand by the doors. If there's a seat with bags and the only one left, I'm taking it. Your bags are not entitled to a seat.

How selfish. You should not have travelled.

It's not worth the cost unless you travel frequent it and for long journeys

It's also one of those ridiculous things that is gatekept by PIP/DLA (with few exceptions).

I find if you start to sit down, the bag usually gets moved pretty quickly.

I once heard one where they announced that anyone with bags on seats would be charged for extra seats

Just had a new thought. She may have been going to hospital for surgery. My DH has day surgery on Tuesday and you can’t drive after it so he has to take public transport back and forth. He’s just taken his covid test and has to isolate between now and Tuesday. I can see someone in same situation on their way to hospital with a few bags and trying to stay isolated to keep the hospital covid free.

I would generally give people space within reason. If I'm on the train and it's a choice between sitting next to someone with a mask and sitting next to someone without, I'd usually sit next to the person without, because they're less likely to be fussed about me not wearing one myself. But - within reason. Not willingly standing up the whole journey so someone gets two seats to themselves.

I do get that many people are still scared, but with respect, I think the country needs to gently wean itself off the idea that the way to deal with being scared is outsourcing it to other people to deal with.

Grab her bags and Chuck them down the aisle 🤷🏼‍♀️

If she had covid she should have said so its not a legal requirement anymore to isolate

if shes scared of catching it then dont use public transport

ExMachinaDeus blimey! That's especially arsehole-y because someone at the gym will be exhaling more forcefully, etc, during exercise.

thats not isolating then is it-if they find out hes using pt they'll cancel

would you just tell a random who was confronting you on public transport that you had covid?? Might have caused a stampede.
I wouldnt. Tbh, id have possibly done similar to that woman if I didnt have a car and needed to get somewhere. Masked up properly and try to sit away from aisle and others, keep my head down and hope noone tries to sit near me. Awkward.

Why not just approach the conductor nicely and say what has happened and that youd like to give her the benefit of the doubt but there are no other seats and you really need to sit down? Ask if there are any others. You never know, you might get bumped to first x

But if it's a situation like that, really a taxi should be used. You can't expect others to stand when there is a seat empty.