To tell you about my awkward train encounter 5 mins ago?

[SundayCherry]

On a very long train up to Scotland. 4 hour journey, I’m 40 mins in and all seats are taken- everyone in their ticketed seat. I’m sat there with my book and a coffee when the lady sat next to me took off her shoes (bare feet). Well I feel mean but the smell is horrendous. A real sweaty cheesy feet smell that’s so strong. I dealt with it for about half an hour but it’s so difficult and distracting.

So I decided to buck up the courage (im not very confrontational) and ask the lady if she would kindly mind putting her shoes back on and as she speaks another language she basically said she couldn’t understand me despite me pointing at the shoes- she now has her eyes shut trying to sleep (shoes still off and against the seat of the chair in front)

I really can’t bear to put up with the smell for another 3 hours but there’s no seats to move to! There’s also lots of stops and I want to get comfy and not have to move seat about ten times when people come from other stops.

What should I do?

Or something you could spray on her feet?

I've told this story before but at a comedy gig, man next to me had excrement breath and everytime he laughed me and my friend on the other side were heaving. At intermission his friend came back to the seat first and I asked her to switch with him because of his terrible breath. She did, he was surprised but said nothing, she thought of.a comeback a few minutes later and hissed 'sorry to offend your delicate sense of smell'. I didn't mind, just couldn't understand how she could bear his company.
There comes a point where suffering overrides politeness. I would go on at her until she put them back on.

Go and find the 'Train Manager' - perhaps ask at the food carriage, they'll be somewhere. I bet they won't want the confrontation either but if you explain that the passenger next to you smells dreadful and you really can't sit there, I bet they'll move you to first class. I'm sure there will be one free seat somewhere and I've found they'd rather move you to it than have the hassle.

Keep us posted, sounds grim!

Who routinely carries spray deodorant around with them?

If I was feeling petty, I would start watching something on my phone or tablet with the sound on so that she can't sleep.

Then if she protests, I don't understand the language that she speaks (or even obvious gestures) so can't understand her trying to get me to turn it off.

I'd hide her shoes somewhere. Say in the toilet of another carriage or something. Do it While she is "asleep". Feign ignorance. I bet she will communicate in English pdq then.

That is manky. I agree she knows what you are saying is just choosing not to understand. Make it more obvious what you want to tell her.

I would be tempted to spill a very sticky drink on her feet so she has to go and wash them 😂 honestly that’s just awful on a big journey

Guess which language she speaks.
Write it out in Google translate and press the 'speak' button.

I do! A little travel size one lives in my handbag.

Spill a drink in her lap. She'll have to get up to dry herself off and put the shoes back on. Giving you a break and some petty revenge to boot.

You don't need any kind of translation tool or drawing. Point at her feet and shake your head. Pick up a shoe, hand it to her, point at feet. Hold your nose if she still refuses to get it.

I'd go to the first class section and speak to the staff there. Ask if there's a guard and if not tell them why you want to move.

do you have hand sanitiser? Dribble that on her feet?

This. Don't put up with it!

Pretty sure you need to be wearing red bloomers, take them off, attach to a stick and wave them madly while holding onto your straw hat so it doesn't blow away in the wind.

🤣🤣🤣

Does she have a coat/cardigan you can drape over them whilst she’s feigning sleep? Even a newspaper would probably help filter the stench slightly?

But I think I would try to find a member of staff and ask to move.

Some people are so bloody rude (and grim). You definitely shouldn’t have to put up with it.

Wake her up and firmly say you know she can understand you, her feet smell and to put the shoes back on. Point at shoes and waft/hold your nose if necessary!

You can do it OP!

Find the train manager and complain. It’s disgusting.

Once, before covid 19 I was on a bus travelling home from London to outskirts, a woman who wasn’t English took off her sandals and put her smelly feet on the seat in front of her (I was fairly near and again it was a packed bus). Yes, it was summer but surely you don’t remove your shoes/sandals for the whole journey, or just briefly take them off discreetly and put them back on again. In this instance I think I tried to speak to her and looked at her but she feigned ignorance too.

Ok, foot photo or it didn't happen 😃

OstrichInPink 😂

go up to her holding your nose

If her feet smell that bad, they're probably still going to smell even if she puts her shoes back on.

If the guard passes ask them to move you to another seat

Can you walk the length of a train there must be one single seat somewhere. Or find someone who works there and explain. Can you afford to bump your ticket up?

its so sad that we can’t carry pepper spray in this country.

What's everyone else doing? If it's that packed surely they've noticed too?