'This is first class not a kindergarten' SORRY LONG RANT about train travel...

[Domesticgodless]

This happened 2 weeks ago but I'm still stunned/gutted/keep thinking of clever dismissive things I should have said to the git...

Me, dh and the 2 boys (4 and 6m) were getting on a Saturday morning London-Manchester train and decided to go Weekend First. We got on and immediately got that sense of the whole almost full carriage going 'oh no, kids'. Well, we're used to that. Then dh (struggling with pram) said 'why don't you take ds1 into the next carriage, there are more seats there'.

So, took ds1 into carriage. Middle aged man is sitting on first 4 seater table alone typing furiously on laptop.

ds1 asks in his (admittedly piping) voice on entering, 'is this a quiet coach'

Man (scowling directly at him): 'yes it is, so shut it' (or words to that effect, couldn't quite catch it)

Me (stunned) 'Nice.'

Sit down with ds1 who is talking (as children do) about what to eat etc.

Man: (glowers directly at ds1, not looking at me)

Me to ds1: 'We had better move back a seat, we're getting death stares here'

As we get up to move back, man says with air of suppressed rage and affronted entitlement,

'They are not 'death stares', it's just that I've got a right to peace and quiet'

Me: 'is this the quiet coach where talking is banned?' (looking round for signs- it isn't)

(ds1 talking in background)

Man: (in tone of utter contempt) You see? I don't want to have to listen to that.

Me: He's just talking to me. He's four years old.

Man: This is first class where people pay for peace and quiet. It's not a kindergarten.

AIBU to think a) that this bloke should be forced to listen to children playing Power Rangers in shifts for 48 hours?

I am ashamed to say I actually cried for about 30 minutes after this (I did leave the carriage, couldn't bear to have him glowering so vilely at ds1 all the way to Stoke)

The Virgin train reservation system is nuts - it often splits up groups, dumping the odd person in the midst of them and then the corresponding person in the group winding up down the carriage somewhere. I think it's designed to be contrary.

Er not disingenuous Twig, just disagreeing with you. They're not the same.

A reasonable level of good behaviour is called for, but that doesn't mean that your child has to be silent. They can't be boisterous though.

Weekend first is cheaper for a reason, and if you've paid your fair, and they allow under 5s for free, it's not your fault.

What a saddo the person that has to work on their lappy on a train on a Saturday morning.

paid your fare

The man was wrong. I would have replied "The first class carriage is not your office" and stayed in there.

Plus it was a Saturday.

I travelled back from London on commuter train yesterday and loved hearing the chatter of a 4 year old boy nearby (especially when he did a rendition of the song "London Bridge is falling down")

Far, far nicer than the middle-aged twunt opposite on his mobile nastily discussing a work colleague very loudly. He was also wearing tiny lycra cycling shorts which he'd evdiently changed into before leaving his office.

The last time I travelled first class to Scotland, the carriage was full of rugby fans. They were not doing spreadsheets