Unbelievable, Entitlement at its worst... (couple refuse to move out of clearly reserved seats)

[Neptune]

I notice that the TOC in question is Cross Country, in which case I wonder whether the seats were reserved when the couple actually sat down in them or afterwards.

Not condoning occupying someone elses reserved seat, however it wouldn't surprise me if XC's idiotic system of reserving seats from under peoples backsides had stoked up this particular conflict.

Do they do that on Turbostar services? They got those reservation labels printed quickly if so.

 

[yorksrob]

Do they do that on Turbostar services? They got those reservation labels printed quickly if so.

I don't do twitter so I haven't seen the footage. If there are reservation labels, I guess we can assume they were reserved before the couple got on.

 

[Neptune]

I don't do twitter so I haven't seen the footage. If there are reservation labels, I guess we can assume they were reserved before the couple got on.

Yes it’s a Turbostar service.

I believe it’s only Voyager and HST services which allow a late reservation. Of course Northern are looking at doing this on Connect services. It is an unbelievably stupid system that should never have seen the light of day. Now what’s the common theme between these 2 companies.....

 

[yorksrob]

Yes it’s a Turbostar service.

I believe it’s only Voyager and HST services which allow a late reservation. Of course Northern are looking at doing this on Connect services. It is an unbelievably stupid system that should never have seen the light of day. Now what’s the common theme between these 2 companies.....

In the name of sanity no ! (r.e. Northern).

 

[Killingworth]

I don’t support the older couple for a moment. If someone has reservations they are entitled to them in the first instance. Reservations belong to those who reserve them, and are theirs to give away as they see fit, or not!

However I am also of the opinion that a nominal charge for a reserved seat, say £1, would encourage those who don’t want to move, to do so. Particularly the older generation, who tend to respect paid ownership. ‘Excuse me, I paid to reserve this seat’ tends to carry more perceived moral weight than just ‘Excuse me, I reserved that seat’ (for free).

Not how it should be, but it would be a simple improvement. Doubtless some may disagree.

50 years ago I seem to recall a booked seat costing £1, so today's equivalent would be well over £10, maybe nearer £20. It might have gone up to £2 or more before becoming free. At £10 there'd be a lot fewer reservations, but more income.

The very suggestion would cause an outcry.

 

[Bald Rick]

50 years ago I seem to recall a booked seat costing £1, so today's equivalent would be well over £10, maybe nearer £20. It might have gone up to £2 or more before becoming free. At £10 there'd be a lot fewer reservations, but more income.

The very suggestion would cause an outcry.

It was £1 well into the 80s, possibly even the early 90s.

£1 in Jan 1987 is the equivalent to £2.91 today (RPI).

 

[Killingworth]

It was £1 well into the 80s, possibly even the early 90s.

£1 in Jan 1987 is the equivalent to £2.91 today (RPI).

I was relating back to when £1 would have been introduced. I recall my father fussing about getting reserved seats a long way back in the 60s when they were unusual. A lot of inflation since then.

 

[Ianno87]

Yes it’s a Turbostar service.

I believe it’s only Voyager and HST services which allow a late reservation. Of course Northern are looking at doing this on Connect services. It is an unbelievably stupid system that should never have seen the light of day. Now what’s the common theme between these 2 companies.....

No it is on Turbostars too... albeit only 2 or 4 seats in total (accidentally found myself in those seats last week).

(I still don't know why this Advance Purchase on Day issue can't just be solved by only issuing such tickets with counted place reservations only)

 

[marks87]

Even though there was a positive outcome for the family, I think the guard should still have taken whatever steps are necessary to impose the penalties (x2) for sitting in reserved seats. Otherwise, there's no "negative reinforcement" to put them off doing the same again.

Of course, maybe they were slapped with the penalties after the family went to 1st class. I guess we'll only know if and when this couple turns up in a sadface photo in the Daily Mail, claiming to be the "real victims".

 

[nlogax]

The incident may have occurred but don't all rise to the potential embellishment from this Tweeter. Look at her profile, posts, followers and it's possibly for added effect IMHO. If true you'd have just got your three kids to watch Youtube videos on full blast. They'd soon move with rubbish and extreme noise directed to them.

3 kids and 24.2k tweets. Good parenting not attention seeking at all no wonder they look miserable when being told to look pissed off for a tweet picture to increase her social media presence that she appears to so desire. Bet this Tweet has seen her numbers increase to bore idiots to follow her rants and wise words that we all need to be made aware of....

Christ on a bike. Sometimes I feel like exploring the lower thresholds of what is considered an allowable response in this forum...

 

[F Great Eastern]

It's rare that I've had a problem with getting my reserved seats, however it does happen from time to time on some services and unfortunately often it's usually on those where the train is so full that the chance of seeing an inspector is next to none.

The biggest category I see, myself and other passengers having this issue with, are where people have reserved a ticket for an earlier train and missed it and believe their reservation carries them forward to the next train even though it doesn't.

Then less common, but still possible to see, is the peopel who say they bought an anytime ticket which costs more and I have an advance ticket so therefore the seat belongs to them and I will have to stand because I didn't pay as much as them. That happened to me a few weeks ago, but the guard just upgraded me to First Class.

In relation to Greater Anglia, not having reservations has been a double edged sword. If you get on at a terminus where the train is empty, then there's no issue whatsoever, but if you get on a busy service further up the line getting a seat can be almost impossible without reservations on some services.

The other problem with Greater Anglia MK3s at the moment unfortunately is because the coach formation is such a mix and match with some coaches carrying up to 4 different letters on them and basically the formation decided by Guinevere and a random set of balls, it's hard to work out which coach you are in, which one is the quiet coach, which one isn't, because the actual quiet coach at the front may not have a quiet coach label on it, with one in the middle which is not the quiet coach with such labels on, and the guard making an announcement that Coach B is the quiet coach which he thinks is actually the front coach, but is actually a middle coach, whereas Coach C is at the front, which is actually a quiet coach. Mix into this that the lack of reservations means that non quiet coach people are not being kept away from it like they did with reservations, and the whole thing is useless.

 

[ExRes]

Christ on a bike. Sometimes I feel like exploring the lower thresholds of what is considered an allowable response in this forum...

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

 

[SquireBev]

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

None at all, I would hope.

 

[ExRes]

None at all, I would hope.

You don't consider that some Christians would be offended?

 

[Harbornite]

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

Probably no one. When was the last time anyone was offended by that expression?

 

[nlogax]

You don't consider that some Christians would be offended?

Nope.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

Probably no one. When was the last time anyone was offended by that expression?

Here we go with the usual.....be careful you might upset someone, not me , but someone I don't know who might be annoyed, possibly? !!!

Move along nothing to see here, lets get back on topic...

 

[Geezertronic]

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

If anyone is offended by that phrase, that is their problem and not anything the original poster needs to concern themselves with.

It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so <<censored>> what?

 

[Minilad]

I notice that the TOC in question is Cross Country, in which case I wonder whether the seats were reserved when the couple actually sat down in them or afterwards.

Not condoning occupying someone elses reserved seat, however it wouldn't surprise me if XC's idiotic system of reserving seats from under peoples backsides had stoked up this particular conflict.

It's a 170. You can't do 10 minute reservations on 170 operated services

 

[Darandio]

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

Assuming it's non motorised, i'd have thought they would be very impressed at his efforts to help save the planet?

 

[SquireBev]

Probably no one. When was the last time anyone was offended by that expression?

Probably some time in the 1890s.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's a 170. You can't do 10 minute reservations on 170 operated services

In any case there are clearly reservation labels placed in the seats they are occupying.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Assuming it's non motorised, i'd have thought they would be very impressed at his efforts to help save the planet?

Unless of course Christ decides to put his bike on a train, in which case certain members of the forum will complain about Him blocking the gangways.

 

[talltim]

I don't do twitter so I haven't seen the footage. If there are reservation labels, I guess we can assume they were reserved before the couple got on.

You don’t need to ‘do’ twitter to click on the link and see what is being talked about. I don’t ‘do’ the local paper in Swindon but if someone posts a germane link I’ll have a look.

 

[talltim]

Unless of course Christ decides to put his bike on a train, in which case certain members of the forum will complain about Him blocking the gangways.

Being omnipresent he could put his bike on every train at once...

 

[Brissle Girl]

I notice that the TOC in question is Cross Country, in which case I wonder whether the seats were reserved when the couple actually sat down in them or afterwards.

Not condoning occupying someone elses reserved seat, however it wouldn't surprise me if XC's idiotic system of reserving seats from under peoples backsides had stoked up this particular conflict.

As they were paper reservations I presume not.

 

[RLBH]

Unless of course Christ decides to put his bike on a train, in which case certain members of the forum will complain about Him blocking the gangways.

Presumably the Saviour would show love to all men when bringing His bike on a train, and ensure that it wasn't blocking anyone, that He did not sit in any reserved seats, and rendered unto CrossCountry that which was CrossCountry's.

I was relating back to when £1 would have been introduced. I recall my father fussing about getting reserved seats a long way back in the 60s when they were unusual. A lot of inflation since then.

Look at what the airlines charge for 'choose your seat' type services - usually around the £10 mark, sometimes more for desirable seats. And that's on a mode of transport where getting a seat is guaranteed by law. There's no reason why TOCs couldn't have a similar service for reservations, with commensurate pricing. Whether doing so would be commercially sensible is another matter.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Years ago when working a service from Leeds - Manchester Airport (ATN days with a 158) I had a similar situation with a family who’s reserved seats were taken by an older couple.

I asked the couple to vacate the seats but they refused as this was the only table bay left (there were plenty of pairs of airline seats in the vicinity). I then told the family to go to FC where there was plenty of space for them and free snacks from the trolley and I wasn’t going to charge the upgrade as this couple had caused unnecessary problems. The couple suddenly got up and said “it’s ok, they can have their seats we’ll sit in first”. I said ok but you’ll have to pay the upgrade and I’m still giving this family a free upgrade because of your actions.

They stayed put!

Out of interest, why did you not have them thrown off the train at the next available stop to be met by the BTP? After all, (I think) they've broken two byelaws - sitting in a reserved seat and refusing to obey an instruction of a member of staff. I suspect I know the answer - too much hassle, delaying the train, potential for the couple to say they were victimised, etc, etc, but unless rail staff take a firm line on this then it would be anarchy if everyone behaved like that.

 

[Malcmal]

While I fully agree with your basic sentiments, perhaps you could start by considering how many people you might be offending with your use of 'Christ on a bike'?

Should have been "Christ on a donkey" surely as there were no bicycles around when the original #fakenews was written

Speaking of #fakenews - unless you were actually there in person there is no way to know who said what etc. I do agree there is at least a hint of "look at me" about the Twitter profile but this doesn't mean the story is made up either.

 

[221129]

East Coast Mallard refurb Mk3/4? so LNER?

It's an Xc 170