To be annoyed at people on the train who take up another seat with their bags?

[Gateau]

I get a really packed train home from work and there are usually quite a few people standing.
Despite this, some people who have a seat obviously think they've paid for a seat for their bag too. They don't even lift it when other people clearly have no seat.
Whereas other 'standers' just leave them to it, I just go up to them and politely say, "I would like to sit down; can you please move your bag."
They usually look really pissed off. It's worth it for the look alone.

Bumdiddley.

you pervert

I would stare too, but ime it's usually the fat smelly blokes that do it!

If it was someone with sprinter's thighs, I wouldn't have a problem.

Ah well, if your going to be rational about it and start a 'pissed off at selfishness' thread, this could become rather more boring straightforward!

I'm a regular commuter. The worst bags problem is with people who get on with a couple of humongous rucksacks/suitcases and then wedge them into the seats beside them thus rendering about 6 seats unusable. Then when everyone piles on there is no-where to move them to...

The loud iPod issue seems a bit better these days but boy the mobile phone one isn't. I know it's a hoary old chestnut but there are so many people who just bellow away into their phones as if they were at home - all sorts of detail. They are totally unaware of the impact they are having around them.

Maybe a 'pissed off at bad manners' thread would be more appropriate, on hindsight.

My personal pet peeve (and I have been on and off a long time commuter) is those people who shout into their mobile phones and why is it that they always say 'I've got to be in court in the morning'? without fail. GRRRRRR

I must admit I do put my bags on the seat if the train isn't busy if it is I don't wait to be asked I take my bags down as soon as I see a lot people getting on. When I have my DS in his mahoosive 3 wheeler I fold it down unkess he's a asleep then I just lodge him in somewhere but rarely at the doors.

Ranting. I think they always say, "Hi, it's me. I'm running a bit late but can you [do completely random thing that isn't important but lets the whole train know that this delay is a problem for someone as important as me and I have an assistant so I will call her to sort my life out]

Yep, they are always very important!!

And then I sit there thinking 'but are you in court in the morning on charges of tax evasion' and it vexes my whole day.

I have to admit to being a bit of an opportunist bag-leaver, particularly if there is a long-legged broadsheet-weilding man or an overweight woman bumbling towards the available seat next to me. Of course they've paid for a seat, but if they've got a choice, I'd rather they sat elsewhere instead of crushing me against the window with their razor sharp elbows/rolls of fat for the entire journey.

Incidentally, I frequently give up seats for pregnant women and the elderly, and I'm 24 weeks pregnant myself.

I once got onto a packed commuter train to find that the only seat not taken up by a person was taken up by a large cast-iron flamingo. It didn't belong to the person sitting next to it, so I held it over my head and asked "Who owns this flamingo?" No-one said anything, so I said loudly "I'm putting it between the seats, because it really doesn't need one of its own". Still no-one said anything, even when I had to walk half-way down the train to find somewhere to stow it. Some people are just unembarrassable.

The train announcer on London Midland train from Milton KEynes to London announced a while ago "people will need to move their bags or pay for another seat". It is VERY annoying and I always ask people to move if it's a bag next to them stopping me sitting down.

And when it's busy of COURSE I don't take up a whole seat with my bag.

I guess it's getting into dodgy ground to start saying that those who put bags on seats need to pay for another ticket though, as that implies that a ticket itself is payment for a seat, which it most certainly is not. Surely that would mean those standing could ask for their money back.

I reckon train companies should just swallow their pride and admit that there is such thing as third-class rail travel and price tickets accordingly. I actually wouldn't mind standing if the tickets were half the price. A standing-only carriage with lots of poles and things to lean on would be fine by me if that's what I'd paid for.

That is the way they are going, a lot of TOCs have already taken out seats so that there is more standing room. You won't get a reduction in price though, TOCs can now raise the fares 3 times a year, whereas back in the day, they only raised them once.

WWW you are on my line. Let's gang up and lie across entire rows of seats shouting to each other by mobile phone...

And actually TOCs can charge you for baggage over a certain amount, they rarely bother but they do have a Accompanied Animals and articles charge that they can enforce.

the problem occurs when you get on the train with several large bags, and a sleeping baby in pushchair - and find no space to put your bags - they're too big to go under/above the seats - and the luggage "bits" are full.......

When dh was a boy, he went on the train with his grandad. There was only one seat avaliable on the whole train, which happened to be occupied by a chaps bag. DH grandad was a rather blunt (well rude actually) man, and asked the other passenger to move his bag, when the passenger refused. DH's grandad picked up the passengers bag and threw it up the carriage, and much to an 8yr old dh's horror made him sit in the vacant seat, whilst dh's grandad and the other passenger argued. Dh has often said that experience was not the most pleasant he has ever had.

lojoes, lol. Bet your dh does not put his bag on seats though.

fair play to his grandad. i have oved peoples bags or sat on top of their shopping but never thrown them

Just ask them to move their bag. I've never had anyone refuse.

We all know that - and do that squeaky. SO that's not the point.
The point we are making is, bag-leavers should have the good manners to move their belongings when the train is packed without being asked.

it annoys me when people sit in the aisle seat, and put their bags on the window seat, knowing full well that makes it really difficult for anyone else to sit down there. i always sit in the window seat and put my bag on my knee.

I think life is too short to get offended by other people's bad manners or neglectful manners, especially when not directed at you personally - whether it is bags or feet on seats, smoking, swearing, speeding drivers etc. They are just not as perfect as us.

I agree Gateau - it is frustrating and selfish. What is worse though, are those people who sit in the aisle seat whilst the window seat is free. They make it as tricky as possible for others to see that the other seat is free. If you ask them to move, they inevitably stand up and let you take the window seat as they, obviously have to get off the train before you as they are VERY important

Lucykate - cross post! Glad that it's not just me who sees it as rude and frustrating!