Moving someone’s bags…

[ImnotadickheadIpromise]

Just at the end of a v long journey (11,000 miles) with my mum. I will preface by saying I’m already exhausted and she’s driven me mad the whole time.

Last part involves a train ride… gets on and there are smaller bags on the bottom of the luggage rack so no room for our two larger ones. Mum starts immediately moving and rearranging other people’s suitcases, at which point a woman comes steaming down the carriage as if her bag was being nicked. I told my mum not to mess with them and ask the seats close by who they belonged to so they could move them themselves (most would fit in the overhead anyway). She kicks off at me.

Only one case would fit after all that so she’s gone and sat down without even telling me, leaving me standing for 45 mins in the vestibule with my case and her carry on case after I’ve been on the move for 20 hours!

YABU people can rearrange others stuff as they like
YANBU she should have asked before touching others things

It actually really annoys me when people use up all the space for smaller things that could go elsewhere. Like on planes when people put their coats or small bags in the overhead lockers, leaving no room for luggage that won't fit under the seat. I have rearranged things in those scenarios and if people don't like it, tough. They should have thought of that before they took up all the space. So on that basis I can't say she's unreasonable. But she shouldn't have just left you.

@EmpressSoleil I totally get that, I should have added that people ABU for doing it in the first place but I just think you should ask them to move their own stuff. I’d be happy not speaking to her for a few days tbh as she’s done my head in the whole trip but it’s her birthday tomorrow!

I'd happily move someone else's stuff around if they've been thoughtless about placing it, and I wouldn't mind if someone did the same to me.

It's not like she ran down the end of the carriage and put it somewhere the owner couldn't find it.

I'd have moved them too. I wouldn't put them in a different location I'd have put the to one side or on top of my cases. The luggage rack is for luggage, not piddly bags you could put under the seat, in overhead spaces etc. if people are going to behave selfishly/stupidly, sure I'm going to shift things around to maximise the use of the space. If they don't like it, tough.

its your Mums birthday, make the best of it you can.

i DO understand the frustration, I really do, but my mum has just suddenly (at 81) 'got old' and I think our travelling/holidays together might have reached their end. She's. 12,000 miles away & having an operation this week & im shit scared of losing her even though she's still ALSO driving me nuts 🤣🤣

I would rearrange as well. On a crowded train the odds of being able to find the owner of the bag to have them come and move it themselves are slim, unless you fancy bellowing down the carriage!

No I agree with your mum, in this situation moving them is entirely fair. Sometimes you have to - if someone puts their bag on top of yours for example and you need to get off.

Anyway, no harm done, journey finished now hopefully?

I'd have moved them too, and I'd be happy for mine to be moved. The person in the wrong was the crank kicking off.

I wouldn't have moved them, I think you open yourself to confrontational situations or the risk that they say you have damaged/broken something etc.
However I am a massive over thinker.

Yes thankfully, finally back in my own space after sharing a small house with three other adults for a fortnight 😬 tired and hungry just about sums it up!

and I it really annoys me when people are so cheap that they pack all the stuff into one big suitcase that they want to take on board instead of real hand bag.
Also, when the plane is packed and the ground crew is trying, they would repeatedly say it will be free of charge just let us take it with the cargo. but nope still us normal people have to suffer.

But on a plane the overhead lockers are designed to accommodate the allowed luggage per seat. So if I don't have a carry on bag but do have a coat, why would it be unreasonable of me to use the space that is technically allocated to me?

Because it doesn't work that way. On a fully booked flight there is never enough room for all the cabin bags. Hence why they put out the call for people to volunteer for their bags to go in the hold. They wouldnt need to do that if there was enough space for all.

Shoving coats and handbags up there just holds thing up for everyone else while people are trying to find room for their case.

Because they are not designed that way. If a plane is full, there isn't enough overhead space for everyone if everyone brings a case. You don't have your own allocation of space.

I appreciate that all companies are different, and that each passenger doesn't have their own mapped out specific space allocation. But the BA website says, "All customers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage and one small item (handbag, laptop) on board. Hand luggage must not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and the small item must be no bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm."

So if the overhead cabins aren't working, it seems the luggage sizes are not being enforced?

I always put my (small-ish) suitcase on the floor mounted racks when on the train. I'd be very annoyed if anyone moved it and put it on the overhead ones because I am a short-arse and just cannot reach it there myself. Someone did ask to put it up there once and initially didn't want to take no for an answer, but did subside when I explained (and demonstrated) that I simply wouldn't be able to reach it.

I do put it as far to the side and towards the back of the shelf as I can to leave as much room as possible for others, but I absolutely don't want anyone taking it upon themselves to put it anywhere else. I do book a seat near the luggage rack so that I can keep an eye on my case

Don't just move other people's luggage. Shuffle it to one side if necessary, or stack your own stuff beside it. Otherwise though, the luggage racks are first come, first served.

Don't just say that they should be put on the overhead racks. Some of us really can't use those and don't want to need to ask others whenever we need anything.

If I am going on a plane then obviously I have to use the overhead lockers. I have to get DH or the cabin crew to help me there, and they do.

Op, well done for sharing that very long journey with your mum. Totally get that you are frazzled.

Enjoy your own space, slap a smile on for her birthday, then take some time to be ‘busy’ doing your own thing.

No she shouldn’t move things. What happens when someone is hurrying to get off the train and starts looking in the lower rack for their things and can’t find them because they aren’t where they left them? At busy stops you often can’t get down the aisle until the doors open, you may only have a few minutes to disembark.

No, it says customers are allowed to bring those on board. It doesn't say there is room for them all. Not every flight will be full, or not every customer will bring a bag. But when they do, that's when you get staff asking for volunteers to have their luggage placed in the hold.

@Herdinggoats That was exactly my point - I'd completely panic if my stuff had been moved even if it only then took a couple of seconds to see where it had gone. We were stopped at the first station on the route as well and were there for a while (ticket gates open) so anyone could have wandered on and taken it!

@Dearg Thank you - it was stressful! Although not as stressful as on the way there when she had an undiagnosed UTI, collapsed twice, vomited all over herself and almost had to make an emergency landing. She's only 65 this week but has always been very young for her age and the most frustrating thing over the past weeks is she cannot hear as well as before but hasn't sought help yet as she's upset that she's 'falling apart'!

YANBU to rearrange luggage to make it work.

I would not think twice about rearranging bags on the train or plane. I would not move them to a different compartment or anything, but if I can move them a little - sure. People who dont think their precious bags should be moved can fuck off.