AIBU to be disappointed about this?

[mrsm43s]

Later this week, on my birthday, we're doing a long train journey to visit friends for a few days. Whenever we do these long journeys, we always book them over lunchtime, and do a "train picnic" of nice food e.g afternoon tea style and share some prosecco or anti pasta style and share some red. It means that our trip starts when we get in the train, and the journey flies by.

DH booked the train tickets, and he just accepted the default seating rather than selecting seats, and as a consequence we're stuck on a middle and aisle seat with no table. So lunch is pretty much going to be a sarnie and a bottle of water as there's no table space, the journey is going to be long, boring and uncomfortable, squashed in next to a stranger.

We've tried to change seats now, but as it's a couple of days away, there's no availability of seats at a table, and no availability in first class either.

I feel like instead of my birthday starting at 11.30am once we're on the train, it's not going to start until 3pm when we arrive, and the journey is something to be tolerated, rather than something to be enjoyed.

I don't want to be spoilt, and I get that I'm going to have a lovely time with my friends, but I'm really grumpy and disappointed. I think it's mostly because DH has form for this kind of stuff, always taking the quick, easy way, and never checking anything.

AIBU to be pissed off? And does anyone have any ideas of how to make the journey more fun, or special/treat lunch ideas possible to eat when sitting in a cramped middle seat?

....but could you have had the picnic in airline style seats, had that been the only option?

Exactly this! Very often hot toasties etc that smell.

its 11.30 to 3, over lunch time, people will eat!

OP just make the best of it, don’t ruin your day.

I’m sure you behave impeccably. Yes, when working I do always try to book the quiet carriage but the trains are often incredibly busy on that line and you rarely get what you request. Ironically, when I’ve travelled with a friend and NOT wanted the quiet carriage that’s where we’ve been put!

OP is going to have her picnic in the airplane style seats.

But it wasn't the only option when they planned it. Her DP messed up the booking, again.

I'm asking if you could have. 🙄

We've had chomping, slurping and gulping but no mentions yet of guzzling, scoffing, pigging or troughing. Train eaters get a slightly milder version of the riot act read to those who dare to eat in cinemas.

When?

Don’t, you’re going to get me really riled. I was at the theatre a while back and the people in front of me brought takeaway pizzas in with them.

I know what you mean. My DH prides himself in "getting things done". 90%of the time he's missed something. And I either do without, or we have to fix it, or whatever. It's annoying as fuck.

On the other hand, I'm a perfectionist. When I do something, I do it right. But sometimes that works against me and I do need someone to just do it.

What I'm saying is that there is some balance there. No one is perfect.

I once had a lady sitting behind me.
It went like this...
Slurp,.slurp,.slurp
2 seconds
Burp
Slurp, slurp,.slurp
2 seconds
Burp
Repeated roughly once every two minutes, for the entire duration, punctuated only by sweetie wrappers/sweetie sucking and louder than actual speaking whispers regarding what she didn't understand regarding the plot
It was funny in the end, almost felt like a scene from a prank show or comedy.
I think of her often when I see a Minion.

Oh, never mind, you replied to a comment I had posed to another pp, hence I thought you were them replying.

@DressOrSkirt she was asking me and I replied, yes we could have. But it would have been less pleasant and we, and the op are allowed to prefer a table.

Of course you're allowed to prefer something, but my point is that most of us adapt if we don't get our exact preference.
I fear OPs overreaction is a sign of other worries in the relationship (based on other reples). ✌️

You're being unreasonable to write tix instead of tickets. It's one of my big annoyances.

Happy birthday though.

I think some train companies don't allow alcohol anymore

None of the long distance ones have banned it.
And a non-table seat is definitely not the same as a table seat, particularly when you try to use a laptop on the stupid useless creaky plastic flaps on the backs of the seat. It's really cramped when there is someone next to you in standard in an airline seat, even reaching down to get something out of your bag is tricky.

It's your birthday, get upgrades. There are often still available seats in first class so you'll likely be able to sit together.

We were at the cinema and people brought in salami and sushi. It was disgusting!

It was me who mentioned banning alcohol - Scotrail have apparently reversed the general ban and only have it on specific trains at certain times now, but it was in place until recently.
Scotrail also do have some longer journeys, and before OP mentioned details we weren't aware which company it was.
I appreciate that the proper longer distance routes haven't banned it.

Eating on a long distance train is nothing like bringing a pizza to a theatre, hope that helps.

I didn’t say it was. I was trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humour.

Hope that helps.

We know you were. 👍
Am I the only one who.is hungry now?

Does he secretly hate the picnics do you think and want to sit on his own?

I suggested this earlier - it might be his way of trying to get out of it. He needs to speak to OP if that's how he really feels though.

Agree, he should tell her if that's what's going on. It does sound like a lot of palaver to me and I would much prefer to just sit and read a book and relax and maybe chat to one another on a long train journey - but each to their own :)

I've also eaten Itsu sushi on a train, and a plane, much nicer than the on board options.