To think you shouldn't put bags on train seats

[LaughingCat]

Just this really.

Context: On a train that’s crossing the country.

Almost impressed with a guy who has sat at one table seat, put his bag on the next seat, put his suitcase on the seat opposite, put a smaller suitcase on top of the aisle half of the table and then filled both sides of his window half of the table with stuff.

On a peak time train.

When there are only two tables in this carriage.

And loads of empty luggage racks/overhead storage space.

His chutzpah is amazing. I’d be dying inside at the thought of someone challenging me to move my stuff in his shoes.

Also, had a ticket inspector round and they only beeped one ticket so he’s definitely not bought all four to sprawl out. Inspector didn’t say anything even though it’s getting busy 😭

This really gets to me. Super early in the morning or late at night, sure, my bag will land on the seat next to me but otherwise it stays on the floor or on a luggage rack because that’s what you do to be a considerate passenger.

AIBU? And what other transport etiquette fails really get your goat?

Did anyone have to stand? If so, that is outrageous. He obviously did it to intimidate people to not ask him to move anything. I would have loved to have seen his face if a couple of young kids and a parent went to sit all around him - just as they would be entitled to do - whether there were other seats or not.

If someone needs a seat you ask him how you can help him move the bags and where is he getting off so someone can help him

hope he would feel shamed but I doubt it

In France where I am if someone did this, you would just say ‘oh excuse me’ and wait for them to move their bag. It’s madness you wouldn’t say anything..!
If you said that and the person didn’t react, people would say ‘oh here’s your bag, thanks’ and give the bag to the person and sit down.

Another reason to not put your bags on train seats (in France) is bedbugs 😂
I think that’s calmed down now but there was an outbreak in Paris recently and the advice was to not leave baggage on seats as they may crawl inside and you take them home. You could say that next time, they might spring into action 😂

People can use their big girl/ boy voices and say ‘ can you move that please, I’d like to sit there.’ I’m assuming this is in England somewhere because in my country we’d just tell him to shift his stuff!

You see I would deliberately sit there and say really nicely ‘are these all your bags?’ If he then said yes I’d say ‘would you like a hand stowing them so I can sit down’

I’ve asked “Have you got a ticket for that bag?” when I’ve been left standing and someone hasn’t moved their bag.

I think you should be able to put a bag on the seat next to you if it's empty. If I had to put my bag on the floor I'd likely forget it. Also floors on trains are often sticky/wet/dirty and I don't want that on my bag. I don't want it in the overheads because I'd forget it or someone else could nick it and given that mine has my life-saving medication in it, I need a) access at all times and b) for it not to get lost/stolen. I don't think you should spread out like this man in your example did, he's being ridiculous. If the train was filling up and someone wanted the seat where my bag was, I'd just move the damn bag. I wouldn't expect them to need to say anything because it's bloody obvious when someone is standing next to a seat expectantly but if someone wasn't getting the hint, using your words isn't that hard for an adult is it?

The times at which I get trains, they're usually quite quiet so I put my bag on the seat next to me. Just as we're pulling in at each station, I put it on my lap so that no-one that wants to sit there even has to give it a second thought. I get so angry at people's lack of manners/consideration. Either they are utterly ignorant or do it on purpose.

Just ask him to move his bag from the seat you want to sit in and sit in it. There is no need to get him to clear the other seats because that is up to other people. I don't use overhead racks because I am not tall or strong enough to get things up and down without assistance and sometimes we all forget things if they are not in direct view.

if there is nowhere to sit, then ask him to move.

if there are other seats, I’m not sure it sure it would bother me.

I don’t like using the luggage storage, bags are too far away.

I had this situation on Sunday. Train really crowded, it surprised me other people hadn’t asked for numerous bags on seats to be moved but carried on searching for seats.
I’m direct and just say can you move your bag?

In answer to questions, no-one standing yet (though hitting a major city soon where it will fill up). However every other seat now taken in the carriage and we’re all squidged while he has a whole table to himself. And just taken a Zoom call on his laptop without a headset 😭😭😭.

Also, yes, UK and we’re all just glowering at him ineffectually. If someone comes on I’ll offer them my seat and haul my heavily pregnant carcass over to his table to ruin his cosy set up.

I would have tried to sit there when I got on but I genuinely assumed that he was with other people who were off getting a hot drink or something and some of it was their gear.

This is how I usually do it. The guy is an extreme example but I like to think most of us have common sense when the train or bus is quiet but are considerate as people get on.

I travel by train regularly and just politely say “could you move your bag” and everyone does.

It’s beyond me that anyone would stand rather than open their mouth!

My transport bug bear is when people sit in a reserved seat and refuse to move. They seem to think that embarrassment will prevent you insisting on your rightfully purchased seat.

It’s small of me but I do find it satisfying to make them move 😆

I’m in Ireland and would have no problem asking someone to move their bag.

Why bother to police other people's behaviour? If there is nowhere else to sit or you have a burning desire to be next to him, ask him to move his stuff.

Don't know how to votes, as, if I'm on a train, and the seat isn't needed, then it is easier to pop my bag on the seat next to me and be able to get things in and out.

However, whereas that answers your title, with YABU, the scenario you described in your OP is completely different.

He's being ridiculous, but then so are any passengers that want a seat and don't make him move them.

If I see someone doing this I zero straight in on them and ask them to move so I can have a seat. Just this morning I asked a woman to move her bag off the seat - it was a peak time train into central London ffs and loads of people were standing! She looked annoyed but did it - what was she going to say? These people bet on the fact most people won’t say anything, and I think people should - it’s not as if the person taking up seats with their bag/s is in the right and they bloody know they’re not!

edited to add that if the train is half empty that’s different - as long as people move their bags as it fills up. Doing it to prevent people sitting there is shitty behaviour - the clue is in the word ‘public’ in ‘public transport’.

Oh god, this reminds me of when I was travelling out of Euston on a really busy train - there was a guy in my reserved seat with his rucksack in the seat next to him. I asked him to move so he (reluctantly) moved to where his rucksack had been, and put that in another empty seat across the aisle. Moments later another bloke rocked up and asked him to move as, you guessed it, he’d reserved that seat. First guy sits in the seat over the aisle with his rucksack on his knees, looking very pissed off, only to be moved yet again by the woman who’d reserved that seat! He left the carriage after that, presumably looking for an unreserved seat.

I don’t get why some people do that - it’s not as if you can’t see the seats are reserved. If no one is in it five minutes after you leave the station then fine, grab it, but to sit in three reserved seats in a row before the train had even started moving and act sour about being asked to move is baffling!

I travel quite a bit on trains and the lack of consideration is getting worse. I had a similar situation last week where a lady had several wheelie suitcases, all of which were under the table so no one else could sit there. She was so busy puffing away on her vape that she didn’t notice when one by one they rolled into the aisle and down the train. I was very disappointed when someone brought them back to her. Although I’m not even sure she realised what had happened

I was on a train the other day where a woman at a table had put a bunch of bags on the seat next to her. The train was full so I asked to sit there and she said “well my suitcase is in front of the seat so….” (It was under the table so I didn’t see it at first, but blocking where your legs would go).
I’d love to say that I said something like “no problem, I’ll save your seat while you take it to the luggage rack” but unfortunately I didn’t.

My most usual version of this is people catching the Piccadilly line to / from Heathrow & taking up 2 or 3 seats & half the aisle with their bloody big cases & bags.

I don’t just ask them to move their stuff so I can sit down if it’s busy, I helpfully point the ‘available’ seats out to standing passengers which then usually embarrasses the space hoggers into taking up less space.

If people have bags on seats and no-where else to sit, I ask them to move them. Most do it attitude so I give a very enthusiastic thank you once the performance is over. Either that or show me the bag’s ticket.

I would ask them to move the bag so I could sit down. If someone is sitting in my reserved seat I ask them to.move

Nothing wrong if there is space and you move it when stopping and it looks as if the seat might be needed.

And if someone does not, do this thing called speaking to them.

As for the Zoom call without headphones, there must be imaginative ways to disturb them. Or if a work call, just speak to them and tell them about this thing called confidentiality.