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?

Yep.
But that's communal travel for you.

We're not all the same, but why would anyone be jealous exactly? 🫣

Is this likely to be a possibility, when there's apparently no availability to upgrade via the website? I was assuming the train is full in first class.

Wipes are really, really bad for the environment. 😔

Pack lunches into boxes, cute bamboo bento boxes of you feel like being extra ✨pretentious✨, download a good audiobook, sit back and have a solo picnic and enjoy your book. Bonus points if you're sat next to a mumsnetter for wafting the chorizo and olive smell at them and chewing a few decibels above dead silence.

That might be how you eat, but it isn't how we do!

Ok....a flannel then. Bought from home made wet with some tap water (from home) from a reusable bottle.
🙄

Everyone makes eating/drinking noises, even if some are louder than others.

Oh yes it is. Listen sometime.

That post brought to you by mild misophonia.

Please clarify the middle seat thing OP!

What's actually wrong with a little cloth and bottle? 🫣

Did you see the insane list of items? It’ll barely fit on a whole table, that’s no way they’re just using their half.

Ive been on trains where people have done similar and it’s bloody annoying for everyone around. Luckily it’s pretty rare, most people have a sandwich and a coffee.

Any train I’ve taken has tiny tables so I have no idea how the OP fits a picnic onto one.

Surely all that chorizo and figs etc. takes ages to eat?

What if you end up without a seat and are standing up in the corridor?

Surely just have a birthday picnic when you arrive.

I would say that the OP’s DH is NBU to have booked 2 seats instead of 4, which seems unnecessarily expensive just so as to have a picnic sitting facing each other (how much does this usually cost, out of interest?)

It was just the patronising remark about wipes.

I don’t think he books 4, they usually share the table with 2 others.

I think they usually book two seats at a four person table, not all the four seats. Ie sharing the table with two other people.

Not multiple platters and 20 tubs! An appropriate sized selection for 2 people to have lunch. Bought from M&S at the station. Probably 1 "platter"/selection pack and 2 or 3 tubs. Plus bread rolls and some fruit. All contained comfortably within our side of the table...

How about as he has shortened the celebratory amount of the day, you get an extra time to celebrate? Tickets or something nice that you recognise as replacing the lost journey time. Have a Happy Birthday 💐

You mean the factual remark about wipes?

Eh?
Is this how entitled people actually are nowadays?

Buy a couple of trays of fancy mixed sushi, and a bottle of wine/some tinned cocktails. Done.

Please clarify the ‘middle seat’ thing 😭. Surely all this drama isn’t about the fact that you’re sitting next to each other on 2 airline style seats rather than at a table?

Is this for real ?

Having an entire spread is not normal. A sandwich or a salad are normal. A whole picnic plus wine is not.
Also, not everyone can avoid getting a train at that time. Maybe that will get them elsewhere for a connection or have booked tickets for somewhere. You wouldn't think "Maybe I should avoid that train and rearrange everything in case something is having a three course dinner"