Feet on seats

Stigy said:

I was in an enforcement type role until recently (done about 12 years in the job). We didn’t wear stab vests and often worked alone. I think common sense plays a part in this to a large extent. If I encountered people with their feet on the seats I’d say something like, “can you drop your feet down please mate/chaps/whatever term was most relevant to them”). I’ve never had any issues and I think Guards should feel comfortable in doing the same. I’ve only seen people get the hump when staff have been rude or abrupt in asking the question. Obviously.

I mentioned common sense; If there’s a large group of lads larking around and being generally anti-social, I’d rather concentrate on more pressing issues of their language and out people in the carriage. If it meant letting their feet on the seat slide so as not to just keep on at them about all the offences their committing and concentrating on the most serious, then so be it. If a guard witnessed this, I’d never expect them to get involved and just text or call BTP and generally show a presence.

In general terms, I really don’t think we are at the stage in terms of violent crime which means rail staff should be afraid to politely ask a customer to take their feet off the seats.

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There isn’t really an issue with staff doing it, as they’re slightly more tooled up than the average punter. Whether it’s worthwhile is another matter, as there’s nothing to stop the feet being returned to the seat as soon as the member of staff’s back is turned. Perhaps I’m just getting too cynical as a natural consequence of getting older!

But punters taking it upon themselves to lay down discipline is a no-no as far as I’m concerned, for numerous very good reasons. Things have certainly turned nastier over the last couple of decades, and this isn’t just perception as where I am the paperwork backs this perception up in terms of the number of fights and similar incidents on trains - some of this may be accounted for by trains having got busier, but the end result is the same, namely more bad people.

bramling said:

There isn’t really an issue with staff doing it, as they’re slightly more tooled up than the average punter. Whether it’s worthwhile is another matter, as there’s nothing to stop the feet being returned to the seat as soon as the member of staff’s back is turned. Perhaps I’m just getting too cynical as a natural consequence of getting older!

But punters taking it upon themselves to lay down discipline is a no-no as far as I’m concerned, for numerous very good reasons. Things have certainly turned nastier over the last couple of decades, and this isn’t just perception as where I am the paperwork backs this perception up in terms of the number of fights and similar incidents on trains - some of this may be accounted for by trains having got busier, but the end result is the same, namely more bad people.

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I must agree with this. Things have got nastier and attitudes have got worse across the last few years.

Stigy said:

I was in an enforcement type role until recently (done about 12 years in the job). We didn’t wear stab vests and often worked alone. I think common sense plays a part in this to a large extent. If I encountered people with their feet on the seats I’d say something like, “can you drop your feet down please mate/chaps/whatever term was most relevant to them”). I’ve never had any issues and I think Guards should feel comfortable in doing the same. I’ve only seen people get the hump when staff have been rude or abrupt in asking the question. Obviously.

I mentioned common sense; If there’s a large group of lads larking around and being generally anti-social, I’d rather concentrate on more pressing issues of their language and out people in the carriage. If it meant letting their feet on the seat slide so as not to just keep on at them about all the offences their committing and concentrating on the most serious, then so be it. If a guard witnessed this, I’d never expect them to get involved and just text or call BTP and generally show a presence.

In general terms, I really don’t think we are at the stage in terms of violent crime which means rail staff should be afraid to politely ask a customer to take their feet off the seats.

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Finally, a little bit of common sense and perception!

One would think we lived in a completely lawless society from the opinions of some of the posters above. We are all far more likely to die in an accident at home than by being stabbed by one of the 'countless' knife wielding maniacs who inhabit every single train on the network.

Temple Meads said:

Finally, a little bit of common sense and perception!

One would think we lived in a completely lawless society from the opinions of some of the posters above. We are all far more likely to die in an accident at home than by being stabbed by one of the 'countless' knife wielding maniacs who inhabit every single train on the network.

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For the Nth time, it’s *not* about what actions staff may take. They have some degree of authority, and access to a place of safety - either on the train or on a station (and note even this isn’t brilliant on something like a 12-car 700 where one could be 120 metres from the nearest cab). In some cases staff will also have better access to means of seeking help.

For a random passenger they do not have these safeguards, which makes it rather more foolhardy to go picking an unnecessary potential fight with a stranger. It doesn’t have to be a knife-wielding maniac for things to turn nasty.

I have dealt with problems that have arisen merely from someone claiming someone else has looked at them in the wrong way. This isn’t fantasy, it’s real life. How many times do we need to repeat that it’s simply not worth it over a seat cover, where like it or lump it people have zero power to force the other party to comply - law or otherwise.

There’s times in life when it really is best just to let something go, frustrating though this may be. I’m sure we can all think of times when we’ve been part of a group of people all *thinking* something, but there always has to be one person who comes out and *says* it out loud. I have a friend who is always doing this. He made a comment to a woman about her parking badly over a pavement, within a couple of days his car had been keyed. Likewise he had a go at someone over being cut-up whilst driving, and ended up having a full-scale fist up in the middle of the North Circular. In both occasions he was absolutely in the right, but was it wise to kick off - NO!

In Northern Land the Class 150 recently travelled on was full of foot marks, really quite bad...

Can’t believe this thread has run into 4 pages. It’s a no. Don’t do it. Just get on any bus or train and slap the seat and look at the dust/dead skin/whatever else may be in there escape.

bramling said:

There isn’t really an issue with staff doing it, as they’re slightly more tooled up than the average punter. Whether it’s worthwhile is another matter, as there’s nothing to stop the feet being returned to the seat as soon as the member of staff’s back is turned. Perhaps I’m just getting too cynical as a natural consequence of getting older!

But punters taking it upon themselves to lay down discipline is a no-no as far as I’m concerned, for numerous very good reasons. Things have certainly turned nastier over the last couple of decades, and this isn’t just perception as where I am the paperwork backs this perception up in terms of the number of fights and similar incidents on trains - some of this may be accounted for by trains having got busier, but the end result is the same, namely more bad people.

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I agree with you. I was replying to another member who was replying to someone else who said Guards should be telling punters to take their feet off the seats.

Stigy said:

I agree with you. I was replying to another member who was replying to someone else who said Guards should be telling punters to take their feet off the seats.

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Problem is some will remove their feet and as soon as the guard goes away the feet return.