To get irrationally angry at train behaviour

[MisanthropeLikely]

I'm not an angry person, but I'm thinking I might be becoming a Victor Meldrew when travelling. Particularly by train. Particularly long distance. Specific behaviour that enrages me:

1. People that have loud phone conversations or video calls on trains

1. People on long train journeys with limited space in the luggage rack who selfishly put their small bags on it rather than in the overhead, meaning people with larger cases have no space to put it

1. People who spend ages farting around standing in the aisle during boarding so no one can pass.

1. People who act like it's the Olympic 100m in their rush to get off

1. Men who manspread into the aisle

1. People who sit on your reserved seat and then refuse to move.

1. Lone travellers who take up 4 seater sections, preventing people in groups from sitting together

1. People who ostentatiously poo on trains. I mean, I get you sometimes have to go but some of the things people do are disgusting

1. Listening to music or watching videos with no headphones

10. Train stations that are massive but wait until 10 minutes before the train to tell you your platform so you need to have a stress race to make it with your bags.

11. People who wont move their bags off seats on an obviously full train.

I get irrationally angry about this stuff. My worst ever experiences were:

I was on a train once and this man had vrazely taken our reserved seats despite them being marked reserved and other empty seats. He'd set himself up some kind of fucking buffet on our table with a cloth and everything, then when I politely asked him to move, he told me to go and sit somewhere else because I was disturbing his meal.

Another time I was boarding a eurostar in an intense heatwave after a huge delay. It was roasting, I'd been standing at the gate for two solid hours in menopause sweats with a load of heavy bags. They started boarding. It's about 29 steps down to the platform, and a ramp os provided for people with luggage. The attendant was at the top of the ramp telling everyone who did not have luggage to take the stairs.

Anyway, there I am struggling to keep ny heavy suitcase from rolling right down the ramp and taking me with it, and some woman with no luggage at all aside from her small handbag decided to walk down the luggage ramp and overtake everyone on the inside. As there was no space, she moved her legs into my suitcase and then shouted at me "YOUR SUITCASE IS ON MY LEGS, WHY DONT YOU WATCH WHERE YIUR GOING"

I flushed bright red and said "I'm going downhill with a heavy bag I can barely control, multiple other bags and you walked into me trying to overtske", she turned and sniggered at me. A real deep, patronising snigger.

I still hold a grudge a year later.

Does anyone else experience these feelings or is it just me? I am petrified of flying so travel extensively by rail and I am at a point where I don't enjoy travelling because I feel so irrationally cross at inconsiderate and rude people.

Anyone else?

Oh yes! Just this summer I went on trains through Switzerland through to Italy. We went to Zurich, Lucerne and Lugano including the Gotthard Panorama Express with the boat ride. It was amazing. And everything ran so smoothly and was so not annoying. Then we got to Milan and the station is beautiful but everything else was not great. I think the Swiss should do a training scheme

Can someone please explain what an "ostentatious poo" is please?

On Sunday the Northern train I attempted to travel on was absolutely full when it arrived at our station, no seats anywhere. The previous train had been cancelled and the following one was cancelled, and ours was delayed - the first announcement said 'fault on train awaiting replacement train', the second announcement a few minutes later said 'awaiting guard who is on a train on way here but do not know how long it will take'. I got off the train and drove instead. Then later I met someone with a friend who works for Northern trains, apparently their staff have a contract which allows them not to work their shifts if they decide not to - so on a sunny Sunday staff scheduled to work can just choose to take the day off! I do not understand how that situation has been allowed to happen.
Just to top it off the car park fee at the station was £6.50, as I had overstayed the free 20 minutes.

YANBU.

I hate trains in this country, they are very unreliable, always full, not relaxing and often contain many rude people.

Your entitlement shows.

Ooooh backtracking now are you?
There's different types of ASD so let me try and explain it to you so you understand.
This type of ASD that the posters child has makes them blunt and extremely honest. It's not like the poster has whispered to her child oh darling go and make a scene and loudly comment so we can get a table. People with ASD can think for themselves ya know.
I recently met a child like this on our holiday and I have to say I love an honest blunt child. Also they can't help it. HTH

But, by the same token, you could just wait till the bulk of the crowd have gone past before you get up, especially if you are going to block the aisle faffing about with your coat etc. For all you know, they may have connecting trains to catch and limited time to do so. Why stress about it?

It really doesn't.

He's right that they're for 4 people, but they can be for any 4 people.

In all fairness, I don't consider this backtracking - and I'm one of those that argued single people sit where they want - I think just like any 'conversation', after listening to other points of view then you can change your mind a little or just see things/ideas that you hadn't thought of previously.

Yes, it really does.
Being a parent doesn't mean you deserve someone else's seat. 🫣

This but on planes. Just sit down so people can pass, take what you need out of your bag, and THEN stand up to quickly pop your coat/bag into the overhead. The plane is not going to take off literally the second the last person has stepped foot on board, so you will still have time to get stuff into the overhead locker.

See also- everyone unbuckling seatbelts and grabbing bags and rushing to stand in the aisle before the plane has even got to the stand. I totally get it if you have no luggage and you need to get off quickly, but most of the time I see all these people jumping up and barging other people to rush off, only to get to the baggage claim and stand around for ten minutes waiting for their bags!

I'm dying to know too. I'm worried that I might have done them in the past

Honesty is fine, however it doesn't trump other people's rights.

The child has Asd and can't help being outwardly blunt.🫣

Sorry, I don't get how I'm 'backtracking'.

On the other hand, the poster says her child does this regularly. He's not being "honest", he simply doesn't understand why single people are perfectly entitled to sit in the four seat spaces. She has, on her own account, had a long time to teach him that he must not behave like this - I know from personal experience that it's not easy with ASD, but it's not impossible. Indeed, it's pretty essential for his own safety, because if he carries on being rude on public transport sooner or later he's going to meet someone who reacts violently.

I'm not speaking about the child - the child can be as blunt as he likes.
I'm referring to the parent - she refers to people being shamed into moving.

Yes, again, that's fine. The issue is pretending you said something different in the first place. That poster was clearly approving of her son's actions in the first post, then after challenge she changed her story and said she tries to stop him.

I often travel alone and will sit at a table seat. I don't have a laptop or food to eat - I just like to sit at a table. I didn't realise i was being selfish. When I book a seat, I can specify what type I want.

If someone is sitting in our reserved seats, we always tell them politely that we've reserved them and could they move. I've never had anyone refuse, but have had a few comments.

The worst thing I encountered was sharing a table with an elderly couple who took out their lunch and it was bloody egg sandwiches.

I feel like I've slipped into an alternate reality where nobody understands the term "backtracking." You did nothing of the sort.

Well I can't see how that other poster was backtracking. It was clear she said her child had asd. Anyone with half a brain would realise that her child can't help it. Instead she has people piling on her saying her child is rude. Maybe so but it can't be helped.

How is his behaviour "Honest"? He's claiming loudly that it is unreasonable for single people to sit in groups of four seats. That is not true, and according to his own mother she has explained that to him.

Thank you! I too started to think I was going insane...

More and more people are using the "enthusiasts" apps where you can track particular trains and see which platform they're on long before the platform number appears on the departure board. Especially useful at places like Euston and Kings Cross!