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?

I’ve had an idea. Instead of having a birthday celebration picnic on the train, how about you have a birthday brunch picnic in your dining room before you set off. Then you only need to pack a small snack for later on the train if you thought you might still get peckish.

This way it won’t matter that you’ve only got the small folding tables. (And those sitting next to you on the train would be happier too so it’s a win all round)

Yes, obviously. I don't think I know anyone who can't.

But even I think it's fairly pretentious to eat sushi with chopsticks on a train.

Ah well, I'm sure you'll both cope.
Sush/sashimi boxes are a good idea, some different ones maybe to make it a bit different. Some of the vegan/veggie ones are quite nice too (I prefer them actually).

Leave home earlier, have a nice brunch pre-train close to the station.

I think she hasn’t clarified because it’s actually just 2 seats next to each other, an aisle and a window seat, and she’s realised how ridiculous it is that she’s having a strop about it 😬

Well, lots of people can't too, obviously.
I wouldn't decide much about a person based on their chop stick skills. 😬

I can't, well, not for eating with anyway lolzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 😆

Or two seats on opposite side of an aisle, with the middle in between them?

Well be leaving home before 9am. It's the train from London that leaves at 11.30.

Praise be! 😂😂😂

It sounds quite annoying tbf…

YANBU for being annoyed with DH for careless seat booking.

YABU for suggestion that train sushi is pretentious, after describing your usual extensive picnic!

I mean, unless you attempt to stab me with them that is.....✌️

How quaint that your entire birthday hinges on staging a miniature banquet in a shared train carriage. Truly, nothing says refined quite like olives, chorizo and two wines balanced on a wobbly table between strangers. Perhaps save the grand gestures and discover the quiet dignity of a sandwich.

I have a picnic and I mostly travel alone. The last time I travelled I was on a table surrounded by 7 lovely ladies going to York. Surely Barbara or one of her friends will be on here…. They shared their picnic and I had a lovely time.

Yes, you're right it's just 2. I thought it would be outing to say that in conjunction with the timings as I thought it was unusual (all our local trains are 2,aisle,3) and would give away where we were going from/to. But apparently all long distance trains are 2,2 and not just our particular route, so I may as well say that.

Equally, our local trains don't have trays and the non tabled seats are really, really tightly packed in - nose virtually touching the seat in front. Maybe the long distance train will be better spaced and with tables, which would be better.

They're useful in the garden as dibbers 😉

Drip feed.
Incinerated waste often isn't turned into electricity.
Wipes often end up in a whole manner of unsuitable places.

So really, the only difference is that you’re sitting next to each other rather than opposite each other?

Oh I’m feeling really sad for you now. He really has ruined the birthday.

But if you have to eat every few hours, surely you need to eat on the 9am train anyway?

I think they'd make good substitute knitting needles too. 😬

Also do you know how many trains will be leaving London at 11.30am on any given day? 😁

Perfection

Contender for the most pointless thread on MN.

No such thing as a middle seat on any UK train with seat reservations.

Once booked you can change seat reservations right up to the point of departure anyway so no idea what the fuss is about.

Well thankfully eating and drinking on trains is allowed eh!