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?

You can 'highly doubt' all you like, but using the word shame tells us a lot.

I'm very sure it's not what she actually meant. I think it's just her way as a parent of a SEN child to have a bit of humour to the situation. Poorly worded perhaps but as she said, exasperated.

Well, you could interpret it whatever way you like, but shame was really a poor choice of word.

She didn't sound remotely exasperated. The tone was very much approving of his actions.

Similarly, for work I frequently need to travel on the route that goes from London to Stansted and lots of people have cases. Fair enough, they're going on holiday.

That reminds me of another peeve, but this is with station operators rather than fellow travellers.

The airport shuttle from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport goes from one of the platforms where you need to cross a bridge. They have now put in a ramp on one side but the other side is steps. Last time we did this we were going for a long haul flight so we each had big cases, cases we could both manage as they had wheels. Even so when I got to the top of the steps I had to pause a moment to gird my loins for carrying it down. As I did so a very kind man took hold and carried it for me. Needless to say I thanked him profusely.

I would have been able to manage I am sure, or DH would have come back and helped, but it was good of him. However, surely of all services, this is one where you might expect a high proportion of travellers will have big cases. Seems perverse if they can put in a ramp one way why not at the other side?

A few years ago we got a train from Prague to somewhere in Germany. Train was nice but my god, the station was huge and they only told us 2 minutes before boarding what platform!! Running in an unfamiliar station, with luggage trying to find our platform was not fun... Luckily the train ended up being slightly delayed which meant we made it otherwise we wouldn't have and I'd have had a breakdown...

Then last year we went to Japan and rail travel doesn't compare to there, rail travel is ruined for me anywhere but Japan and I refuse to do so unless I absolutely have to (unless it's in Japan 😂).

Her follow up post did. Yet you lot are all clutching at the word shame. To be honest she has a point in some circumstances a packed train and 4 different seats not directly opposite each other but dotted about the carriage could potentially be dangerous for an ASD child and set off a meltdown. But anyway it seems we will have to agree to disagree about this.

I would have no issue at all asking them to be quiet, or with asking the conductor to do so. That isn't on.

Nobody is clutching - we are pointing out how there is no need for anyone to feel shame. Why use the word if it wasn't meant?

I am headphones in, gripping book person.
I reserve a seat but won't stand i. A queue to get to it if there are spare un reserved seats.
I can't lift even my small case above my head to put in racks but will ask someone to do it.
Will pack up my stuff and move to somewhere more conducive if there are lots people/gobby youths/ screaming kids.

It annoys me to see parents struggling. I went by train from London to Ipswich yesterday alone, and boarded. No reserved seats. Watched people take up every single table seat, cover the table in their stuff, sprawl their legs out, put their bags on seats. Mostly very young people. Having loud phone conversations.

A Mum then boarded with her three kids and she had to sit with one of them at a 4 with two other lone travellers, with her other kids several seats away so other passengers were left with unaccompanied young children. As other posters have said they furiously avoid eye contact because they kind of know they're not being good spirited.

Yup, it winds me up. I appreciate some here have said they need the table to work, or that they've reserved a seat and after listening, I think fair enough, but its a pet peeve for me because its often very clear these people have no intention of using 25% of the space, they spread their things in such a way to create a clear message that they aren't sharing.

Wheelchair spaces in a train are exactly that. A wheelchair space.

It isnt my problem if you've got a suitcase the same size as a double decker bus, and neither is it my problem if you've got a pushchair the size of a 7.5ton lorry and don't know how to fold it/it folds in 2 pieces/rammed full of crap. And as for dogs in buggies- sorry but if your dog is that elderly/infirmary it needs a fucking pushchair then it shouldn't even be on a train in the first place.

People sat in the companion seats that I've booked as part of my booking and look at you like you've sprouted tentacles if you ask them to move also annoy me. Fun fact, if you're travelling as a wheelchair user most train operators will also reserve you a seat incase you want to transfer out of your chair.

And as for people piling their luggage around you/your chair when you're already in the wheelchair space- don't do this either. How exactly am I meant to get out at my stop if I'm in the middle of some kind of wheelchair vs suitcase jenga game? You'll be the first person to moan when I accidentally crash into your case trying to get out.

As I've told people before- you have the luxury of being able to choose where you sit. I don't. So please move your stuff.

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

I recall taking my 10/11 year old granddaughter to get the train home after a holiday with me. There has been massive storms overnight and trains were cancelled etc., at the station we were told Just get on the first train that comes, whatever your ticket says.
On the platform there were masses of people from earlier cancelled trains but eventually one came, she got on with the crowds and I saw her standing by an empty seat at a table, the woman had her bags on the seat and refused to move them. After her best Paddington stare the woman eventually moved the bags muttering about rude young people! She'd chosen the wrong one, granddaughter may be young but she will stand up for herself

Omg this made me laugh so hard. 😂😂😂😂

So the woman who took up loads of space fully chose to leave the four top when a couple joined the train? To me that sounds very accommodating. I don't see why you should be complaining about that. You should've just sat there before the couple turned up.

I think you maybe need to stop observing other people so closely on public transport!

The thing about performative pooing. As in they make deliberately exaggerated straining noises? They loudly exclaim they need one, then on return equally loudly give a detailed account of the shitting process they just experienced?

Oh yes. I had one I had to sit next to one as the train was so full. He had a beautiful bouquet of flowers which he was holding on the table so I don't know if he was allergic or had a cold. It was absolutely disgusting and made me feel sick. Eventually the person sat next to DD got off and I could move.

People can't win, can they?! You're a villain whether you refuse to move, or offer to move…

I hear you OP and raise you people who put their dog on the seat and then claim they've paid for the seat.

People who book the quiet carriage and then carry on with their noisy phone call etc regardless. I almost hugged a random bloke who told someone off for this recently.

People who refuse to put their cases in the luggage rack and so take your space with their legs as they can't move for their own luggage.

Yup I've confirmed I am a travel misanthrope and I'm going to settle in with that. I think what it is, is that society works when everyone treats others with respect and it's so frustrating that such a big % just don't bother. It makes life and experiences less enjoyable.

On that note, I'm going to leave the thread now. It was intended as a humorous one about petty annoyances. A few seem to be beset on creating accusations and arguments.

I hope the PP with the ASD child is okay. There's really no need to cross examine people in a frivolous chat, they're not under oath and shouldn't need a defence. Sorry about that, I'd intended my thread to be light and fun.

I would add people eating crisps in the quiet carriage. While mouth breathing. Real example.

Also, people who take one step off the tube train then immediately stop and look left and right, calming pondering which direction they should go in. Just MOVE and work it out afterwards.

You mean you're off in a strop, with 'lots of bags', because some other perspectives were offered? Pack lighter next time, and happy travels.

How could you possibly know what they have waiting for them? I'd say the opposite and actually most people DO have somewhere to be, a connection or meeting or whatever.

Ten minutes warning for the platform is pure luxury if you're at Euston. Less than 5 minutes is normal. When I travelled from there a lot I was expert at being the first person on the platform for the 08:30 train.

Bags on seat wankers can go to hell

Ah but if you put your young kids around the yahoo with the laptop with all their drinks bottles and snacks, they'll usually move quite quickly if there are other seats available 😂.