Confused about train seat

[TrainSeatDrama]

boarded a train with my son, went to a table where there were 4 seats. 3 of the 4 seats were vacant. The two were reserved (light above the seat), the other two available. There was a woman sat in one of the reserved seats and we went to sit in the two available seats opposite her. She said would I mind not sitting there as she possibly may need to move as she was sat in a reserved seat (she hadn’t reserved it), she was sat there as she can’t travel backwards. I was confused as I said, but these seats are available (where we were about to sit), and she got uppity and said I didn’t understand what she was saying?

I think I do understand- she was sitting in a reserved seat hoping to stay there travelling forwards, but wanted to bagsy the seats opposite in case she had to move but stay near her friends who were sat on an adjacent table.

Was I being unreasonable to sit in the available seats? She got up in a right huff and sat somewhere else close by.

I don't know what's worse, obnoxious people or people who make silly assumptions and generalise everyone based on those assumptions.

Next time be clear, as in, 'I understand perfectly, I'm just saying no to your ridiculous request.'

You’ll get flamed here, but you shouldn’t need to know if someone can’t travel backwards as they should be ensuring they book a seat if they’re so inflicted.

And if they don’t; them’s the breaks. They shouldn’t be saying it to anyone to get specific seats they haven’t booked

Are you aware you can change your vote?

Honestly, what is wrong with people these days. She was being ridiculous and extremely rude!! She wanted her cake and to eat it. Some folk are so entitled!! You were not being unreasonable at all!

She was a CF. You were fine.

Blimey. No she can't bagsy two seats

i woul have said i understand perfetly fine thankyou

did she lose her seat?

Nothing brings out assholes like train seats. YANBU, obvs.

Thanks for your input regarding the backwards travelling situation, most people are aware of this though, I think. Presumably, if you have an issue with travelling backwards, you would take responsibility for this and plan accordingly? It’s not the fault of other passengers to be put out or bullied because of your situation and this Woman sounds like she is full of her own self importance at the expense of anyone she thinks she can take advantage of.

I would have said 'yes I understand that you want to save this seat '"just in case" but that's not how it works, you can only sit in one seat at a time'.
I always reserve seats and have moved people out of my seat.

If your going from Bristol to Manchester and you ended up backwards, it's because you booked via the cross city line that goes past the Uni and so the train has to reverse. If you want to stay facing forward, the train needs to go via Camp Hill.

There isn't an option on the direct XCountry train, it's just the luck of the draw on the day. Sometimes it will go backwards, sometimes not. There is no way of knowing until it happens.

I have no issue with it at all couldn't care less what direction I'm travelling in. BTW not being from Birmingham (or anywhere near), it never occurred to me that the train would go in reverse halfway through the journey. Oh and did you see the part where I said that the woman was an entitled CF.

You could book two seperate journeys and switch trains or look at the stops when you book the tickets. It shows all stops on the train line app.

So she sat in a forward facing reserved seat, instead of a backwards facing available seat.

However, if the reserve seat was claimed by the person that reserved it, she would have sat in the seat going backwards anyway!
Wouldn't it name more sense to sit in the non reserved backwards seat anyway, and move to the reserved one if the person didn't get on at the stop they reserved from.
If i had been one if the group of friends I would have either swapped seats or sat there too. Not sure if the fact none of the friends swapped says more about the other woman or her friends.
My guess is she didn't want to be opposite a child.

Why would I want to do that when I said I don't care what direction I travel? It wouldn't make a difference as the only stops between Bristol and BNS are Bristol parkway and Cheltenham so no matter what train I book, there is no way of knowing what direction the train leaving BNS will be going because only the stations the train actually stops at would come up.

Yeah, I'd have said:

'I understand you perfectly. You are a cheeky fucker, who wants a whole table to herself and to 'reserve' a preferable seat without actually buying the appropriate ticket to do so. One arse = one seat, you should have put yours into a seat you can definitely stay in. You didn't, and so I am sitting here now!'

This is the perfect answer! 🤣

I’m not really sure what your point is?
The original post was referring specifically to the Woman’s attitude, I believe. Whatever crappy excuse she gave for wanting to have two seats at her disposal despite not having reserved either of them, doesn’t really matter. If you don’t care about which direction you travel in, why make that point in the first place? I’m not from Birmingham either, but I’m aware that trains can travel in both directions?!
Nothing excuses her rudeness, and selfish behaviour.

Travelling backwards is safer than forwards if there's sudden braking or crash!

Will bear that in mind while vomiting profusely

😂😂😂
But you'll thank me if the unthinkable happens!

To be fair, you often can't chose a direction of travel when reserving a seat. I can't travel backwards, well I can but it makes me really dizzy and I might be sick which wouldn't be pleasant for anyone. So I book a seat on long journeys but know there's a good chance I'll have to find a different one. However, if I don't sit in my backwards reserved seat I would never expect someone not to use it. In fact I tell folk it's free!

Not obnoxious, just unlucky enough to have a balance problem and considerate enough not to inflict vomit on my fellow passengers.