Why do solo train users take a table for 4?

[Badbadbunny]

Why do solo train users take a table for 4 and then huff and puff when a couple or family join them? Just on a train with lots of empty twosome seats but only one table for 4 free and a single woman takes it, and made a big fuss about moving her bags off the seat and clearing the rest of the table after she put loads of stuff on it when a family of 4 came on with one of them having to sit elsewhere.

I'll tell you what DOES infuriate me and for a while, it happened a lot when I was taking relatively quiet trains in the middle of the day to London (commuter trains, but less busy at that time of day)

Two sets of seats of four (no table - it's a commuter train) and two (men, always men) get on together. One sits on the aisle of one and the other sits on the aisle seat of the OTHER set of 4. So between two of them, they're basically taking up 8 seats as they then chat across the aisle. They also inevitably, sit half in the aisle, so attempting to get past them is hard.

There was a period where this was something I saw weirdly often. It was bizarre.

I ideally sit at (and reserve if possible) a seat with a proper table so I can work. I don't spread out and take up all the table or all the seats, and I totally expect other people will come to sit in the other 3 seats and wouldn't make a fuss about that. But I wouldn't move just so a family or group could sit together - unless it was unusually important (eg single mum with lots of small kids or someone needing to sit with a carer).

My train pet hates are:

• loud leery gang of pissed-up lads (or sometimes lasses) yelling along the carriage
• Family where dad leaves mum to deal with young/demanding kids and sits somewhere else on his own looking at his phone. He gets a Look from me!
• Self-important businessperson on loud, interminable business phone call. On one train journey I wanted to work but this woman's loud call about the intricacies of biscuit sales logistics and budgets (pricing, marketing, how many should go in a pack, etc etc) went on for the whole journey. By the end I hadn't done any work but could easily have run her biscuit company I knew so much about it! (Yes you could solve this by booking the quiet coach, but I tried that and someone told me off for tapping on my laptop... sigh)

Because they’re way more comfortable and I’ve generallypre booked that seat anyway. I wouldn’t care if someone joined me though.

I book a table seat when I book my ticket. They are nicer seats. Sometimes, by the time the train journey actually happens, all the other seats are taken. That's fine. I also don't spread my stuff all over the table, or put my bag on another seat. Most of us do still know how to behave on public transport.

I'd also rather not talk to or engage with people, and I'd be happy with an airline seat if there was actually a way to use a laptop comfortably. They need to invent some kind of bigger desk that folds out from between the seats or something.

I always book a seat and request a table. But if others take the other seats I don’t mind. My DD takes the train several times a year to and from uni and says most seats seemed to be pre booked. So it’s not selfish to sit at a table (the vast majority travellers are solo). But it is to then get pissy about having to share it!

I don’t! You get more leg room in a double seat. Especially if there are four pet on the table, you can’t move

Very surprised the vote is going against you OP - it baffles me also. People saying that the tables in the two seaters aren’t big enough for a laptop - not true, at least not on Southern (but I suppose this may be true on other trains). In fact speaking of Southern, the table in the big group seats is tiny so that doesn’t really explain why solo travellers sit there - presumably it’s for the leg room, but it’s always struck me as selfish. When I’m solo I always pick a 2 seater, wouldn’t dream of hogging all that space to myself. Boggles the mind..

You only get more leg room if no one sits opposite you!

I find it far better to take the single seats with fold down table - that guarantees you more legroom. And leg room you don’t have to negotiate about.

I manage just fine with the fold down table. I prefer to sit on the aisle seat and I find no one ever asks to sit in the window seat (unless an incredibly busy train) so I’d say I have loads of space the majority of the time.

I never leave bags or anything on the other seat though I sometimes (rarely) use the other fold down table for drinks etc.

Because they want to? I usually book a seat with a table as lm working so use the table for my laptop and l find it less claustrophobic than other seat configurations. If it’s first come, first served then it’s just tough 🤷‍♀️ Taking up seats with the bags was rude and obnoxious though

Im more curious about why people don’t book a table seat but then still think they are entitled to them. Including being indignant (sometimes rude!) when asked to move by the person who actually booked them

Because my laptop doesn’t fit on those tiny tables in the double seats and I have paid the same ticket price as you

If you are working a table works much better, the flip down tray only fits a laptop on and nothing else, it's very cramped. It's far more comfortable on a table, when I travel with work I always book a table seat, thankfully it's usually all solo working travellers too rather than families on a day trip. The train is always packed so I don't anticipate the seats to myself anyway.

The only way you'd be "right" in this situation would be if you'd booked the table seat and asked the solo traveller to move from your reserved seat, if you are just asking someone to move because you happen to have kids, well no I wouldn't move (I have 3 kids and would book if we were desperate to sit together on a long journey, short journeys you don't need to sit on a table).

What is making a big fuss? She moved her stuff out the way, which is exactly what she should have done.

A table for four doesn't mean a table for four people who all know each other.

Matter of preference. Some people like the tables. In terms of etiquette, you need either not to put bags on seats or to be able to remove them really quickly if someone gets on. I have no problem in asking people to move their staff and can be really sarcastic if they start to huff and puff.

You need to investigate the table a bit more. Some pull forward giving you space at the back to open a laptop. Others have a wee doodah at the front that pulls out allowing space for a laptop.

Not all trains, but many I’ve been on have that. It’s handy.

It’s the upper leg room I feel you get more of on the table seat. I’m not bothered about stretching my lower legs out it’s the freedom to cross and uncross your legs without banging into the seat infront or having to close the table to do so.

Because the table was free, they paid their ticket and their lives don’t revolve around your family of four?

Just guessing of course

Oh that never happens to me! I wish it did

sometimes its just the seat you are allocated. then other people dont turn up and you end up on your own, I travel by train a lot and wouldnt huff and puff if I were joined by other people.

This

i like a table I find the airline seats claustrophobic. But I don’t put my stuff on seats or all over the table and am fine if others sit there, I don’t expect it to myself

I booked a single seat, forward facing (why I travel long journeys 1st class - single seat with proper table - I always use my rail card so it’s pretty much the same cost as full priced standard ticket)

when I got on the train I’d been booked to a rear facing window seat on a table for 4 🤷

I moved into the non reserved single seat, forward facing 👍

I guess if someone sits down hoping to work, a family joining them is probably a stressor as kids by their nature tend to make noise - which is absolutely fine (kids are allowed to be kids) but if you need to concentrate on work I can see it would cause stress? That’s the only reason I can think for huffing and puffing otherwise if you’re on a table for 4 you will be joined and you kinda need to appreciate that

Taking table for four - not unreasonable at all, those pull down trays are not a lot of use and the two-seats often don't have a window because they shove them in any old how without regard to alignment with windows.

Spreading bags over empty seats - unreasonable unless carriage is virtually empty.

Huffing and puffing at others taking seats - unreasonable.

Thanks, going on a trip soon so I will investigate! (on my way to my reserved table ]

I pressed ‘you are not being unreasonable’. However, that was in reference to the passenger huffing and puffing (generally making a passive aggressive palaver) about removing her stuff from other seats.

She has a perfect right to sit anywhere she wants (seats that aren’t reserved, and are covered by her ticket). So, you are unreasonable in that. People who throw their crap around trying to baggsie seats for which they have not paid, when others are looking for seats, should remove their crap straight away when someone wants to sit there.

So, you’re entitled if you think she shouldn’t sit where she wants, and she is entitled if she expects to occupy other seats with her stuff.

It seems to surprise people that a single person might need, or simply want, a table, after all that single person is paying the same for their ticket as the person in a group of 4! In fact as the single person can't take advantage of reductions offered to families they are subsidising the family.