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?

We are all affected by marketing/packaging etc, but that's another thread for another time.
I wonder how many train picnics will include the bl**dy strawberry 'sandwich'? 😉

Maybe lay her useless husband (sorry OP 😬) on the table and eat the food off him. Invite other passengers to join in.

I'm with this too. Most importantly, the two airline style 'tables' are too wonky dangerous to put a bottle 🍾 on.

I do hope OP is going to make a point of chomping, gulping and slurping very, very loudly on this journey 😉

They keep selling out.
I haven't had chance to try one yet.
🍓🥪

No M and S near me, but tbh I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I did buy their white strawberries when we were in Inverness - they were a waste of money and ended up in smoothies when back home.

Ah, there's a question. If I can eat bread, cheese and meat in a sandwich and it's acceptable, but it becomes a performative fest of chomping, gulping and slurping if I eat the items separately - then what about a strawberry sandwich? Does it count as a sandwich and is therefore acceptable, or because it's from M&S and not part of the meal deal, will it only be able to be eaten performatively with chomping, gulping and slurping? I mean, I need to know the rules!😂

If husband has form, maybe book it yourself in future

Start your birthday with a special breakfast/brunch before you board the train. Have some nice snacks for the train, plus a podcast or two and a good book.

😆🍾

Why should one adult get to opt out of doing all the grunt work?

He literally had one job - book the train seats. He fucked it up.

...well, because only one adult seems that bothered about it.

Divorce. It’s the only solution.

Wow and this is the worst problem in yourweek.
Eating a picnic on a train sounds gross.
Just plug in enjoy a podcast and but 1st class next time. Its quite a selfish attitude.

This thread is insane, even by MN's standards.

I wouldn't personally have been too bothered about the lack of a table OP but each to their own. However, the number of people on this thread painting you as a pariah for daring to eat on a train, or daring to put your food on the table, or daring to chew it, or daring not to have a sandwich etc. etc. mental.

I've enjoyed the fact you have continued to fight your corner OP. I hope you have a good journey and Happy Birthday when it comes.

Oh, its far, far from the worst problem in my week, which is why a little treat trip away for my birthday was important to me.

May I suggest this from M&S? 😉

Of course it’s a race to the bottom, if it isn’t an issue to you, it should not be an issue to anyone?

Are you maybe overreacting because you're stressed about something? Stressing about this isn't going to help.

Possibly. But it's more DH's totally avoidable carelessness that's irking me right now.

Carelessness in general or this one slightly annoying error?

Oh no I’m sorry I think I’ve missed something, has your treat birthday trip away been cancelled?

Ugh. I hate people chomping away on public transport.
I don’t want to hear your saliva, thanks.
I don’t give a toss if people think I’m ott for this 🤷🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️

Why does shoving stuff down your gob mean the difference between a nice trip or a crap one?

Christ, there is a poster on here who is getting on my tits.

OP, enjoy the picnic and the birthday - after this thread I’d be tempted to ditch your M&S bits and bobs and pull out a full Serrano ham with stand and carve (performatively obvs)

Mmm, I'd love to be sitting next to someone eating all that for three hours. Greasy chorizo, ciabatta crumbs everywhere, licking fingers... waaaaah. Buy a sandwich and have a snooze. Sounds like that's what your husband wants to do....

No they don’t. They specify - within the boundaries of law that they are permitted - the extremes that will not be tolerated.

They don’t prohibit pedicures or changing nappies on tables or using the sockets to plug in you hair drier and give your companion a blow dry. They don’t prohibit people from taking Shetland ponies, or 10ft flags on board, from playing non stop rave music or Celine Dionne on speaker.

but none of those things are acceptable. Largely people sign up to the social contract: we know what’s right and wrong without a level of specificity that would be impossible to achieve being provided.

just because something is not strictly prohibited doesn’t mean it’s ok