People who hog train seats
Author
Discussion

duckers26

Original Poster:

992 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
Something that really annoys me is people huffing and puffing when you sit down on the train. I commute into London each day and when the train reaches my station it's busy but not full and often the spare seats are in the middle of three. I will go for any empty seat and fit fine into my allotted area without encroaching into anyone else's space. Almost every morning though there is someone tutting because they are too big for their seat and have to sit half in half out now. I'm sorry but why should I have to stand for twenty minutes so that they can sprawl across two seats only having paid for one?

sc0tt

18,288 posts

230 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
Indeed, I agree.

Its the fat blokes that sit there with their newspaper wide open.

hman

7,497 posts

223 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
buy a motorbike.

trains ffs!

BE57 TOY

2,628 posts

176 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I hate taking the peasant wagon, but when I do, I like to stand! Those seats must harbour lots of nastys!

Corpulent Tosser

5,468 posts

274 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I don't travel by train often, but when I have there always seems to be a number of people with a bag on the seat beside them, even when the train is busy.

I guess they hope it puts people off sitting beside them. It doesn't work with me, I just say "I want to sit there" and ignore the disgruntled looks from the fellow passenger.


ehonda

1,483 posts

234 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
It's the people that sit in the aisle seat on the 2 seat benches and stick their bags on the window seat that wind me up. 9 times out of ten they end up getting moved and doing the huffing and puffing thing.

ewenm

28,506 posts

274 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
BE57 TOY said:
I hate taking the peasant wagon, but when I do, I like to stand! Those seats must harbour lots of nastys!
This thread isn't about taking the bus wink

creampuff

6,511 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I don't take the train much, as I have banned trains except where the journey is short enough that I can walk if necessary. South-West Trains did that to me.

However I've never really found the huffing and puffing. I just say excuse me, they move their stuff and I sit down.

hyperblue

2,907 posts

209 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
To be fair, the seats in rows of 3 are ridiculously narrow.

944fan

4,962 posts

214 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I don't huff and puff and I try to be sociable and accommodating but I am a broad 6'5'' powerfully built director type. I am not fat, but I physically cannot fit in the seats comfortably. Its like they are designed for 4 ft tall petite ladies. I can only sit at the tables as well because I cannot fit my legs in the normal seats.

I am so glad I dont have to get the train anymore. I miss working in London but I don't miss commuting to London.

Kateg28

1,370 posts

192 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I commute into London and have noticed that men often seem to sit there with their legs wide apart so their leg then pushes into 'my' space and I then get squashed against the window by their legs.

Are your bks really that huge that you cannot keep your legs together?

(my fellow commuters today included a smoker reeking of stale smoke, someone whose headphones were so loud I knew what music he was listening to, and a recently divorced father discussing his personal life very loudly on a the phone)

Council Baby

19,746 posts

219 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
Kateg28 said:
Are your bks really that huge that you cannot keep your legs together?
Unfortunately they are poppet, now budge over a bit.

yellowjack

18,408 posts

195 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
Corpulent Tosser said:
I don't travel by train often, but when I have there always seems to be a number of people with a bag on the seat beside them, even when the train is busy.

I guess they hope it puts people off sitting beside them. It doesn't work with me, I just say "I want to sit there" and ignore the disgruntled looks from the fellow passenger.
I had that coming back from London on a busy late train. Stupid American (sounding) woman with her big bag on the seat beside her, and my wife needing to sit because she'd had a medical procedure done days before.

We had "the conversation" whereupon she claimed her bag wouldn't fit in the overhead rack, so I tried to 'assist' it into the rack myself. She was right. It didn't fit up there, so I wedged it into the space under her seat/legs and sat my wife down. If your luggage doesn't fit in the space provided, then leave it near the doors. If you don't like the idea of leaving it out of sight, stay with it. Near the doors. Your choice, I couldn't give a stuff, stand with it, sit on it, whatever. Just don't block a seat/seats which were fitted for the use of other passengers.

I resent standing at any time, even when the train is full, as the proper answer is for the TOC to provide more seats/carriages, but I WILL NOT be forced to stand while some ignorant tosser sits surrounded by luggage/shopping etc, or while knob-ends sprawl over two (or sometimes more) seats. As for me ignoring those tossers and letting my wife stand while a perfectly serviceable seat is wasted? That's NEVER going to happen.

As an aside, why is it acceptable on the tube/railway network to have people stood up for hours on end? It's dangerous, too, in the event of an accident. They don't allow standing on aircraft or coaches, so why is it OK to allow it on trains?

The Hypno-Toad

13,298 posts

234 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
OP.

You are Ben Elton AICMFP. smile

Oh crap, am I back in the 80's again? Gotta stop getting my gear off Nigella.


creampuff

6,511 posts

172 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
yellowjack said:
why is it acceptable on the tube/railway network to have people stood up for hours on end? It's dangerous, too, in the event of an accident. They don't allow standing on aircraft or coaches, so why is it OK to allow it on trains?
Because trains are fked.

mattdaniels

7,362 posts

311 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
duckers26 said:
often the spare seats are in the middle of three.
Don't quite understand. There aren't any three-abreast seats in first class. /PH

944fan

4,962 posts

214 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
yellowjack said:
As an aside, why is it acceptable on the tube/railway network to have people stood up for hours on end? It's dangerous, too, in the event of an accident. They don't allow standing on aircraft or coaches, so why is it OK to allow it on trains?
As I understand it, Train seats are designed to collapse easily if hit with enough force. This is why there are no seat belts on trains. In coaches and planes the seats are far more study and belts are fitted to prevent people moving in an accident.

Not saying its right but that's how I understand it. It really used to boil my piss that I had to pay £4K+ for a season ticket to stand up the whole journey. Even in the standing areas you always got some who would sit down with us fking massive back pack taken up most of the exit space, leaving no standing room.

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

261 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
duckers26 said:
Something that really annoys me is people huffing and puffing when you sit down on the train.
I must live on a more civilised route than you because I don't really get it.
Except I do it myself periodically when a fatty tries to fit into that middle seat.
I find it astonishing how little self awareness some fatties have with regards to that. Just plonk themselves down as though they genuinely believe they are slim enough for that undersized seat to accommodate them

IroningMan

10,598 posts

275 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
I like to sit in the aisle seat with my stuff on the window seat beside me.

If someone approaches then I make eye contact, smile and pat the vacant seat next to me. Invariably they move on.

yellowjack

18,408 posts

195 months

Wednesday 27th November 2013
quotequote all
IroningMan said:
I like to sit in the aisle seat with my stuff on the window seat beside me.

If someone approaches then I make eye contact, smile and pat the vacant seat next to me. Invariably they move on.
roflroflrofl I see what you're doing there.

No one wants to sit next to the weirdo wink