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Most obnoxious seat hogging tactics?

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soil

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Got on the 11am from Woking (ex Waterloo) to Weymouth yesterday with 2 children. Walked up the carriage, looking for a set of seats across the aisle. None available.

Got to the middle of the carriage where there are two tables with two plus two facing seating.

Table on the left had a woman next to the window with her bag on the aisle seat, and diagonally opposite her another woman in the aisle.

Table on the right had a man slumped with his head on the table in the aisle as if sleeping and/or drunk with a large holdall occupying both the opposite seats. I prodded him and asked him to move the bag. So he moved it so it blocked the whole of the left half of the table, and immediately put his head back on the other half the table and closed his eyes. Sat in the seats with my daughter where his bag had been and told my son to sit on the seat with the lady's bag across the aisle. She moved it.

At Southampton Airport Parkway the other lady got off, so we all 3 went to sit on the table on that side as it wasn't very comfortable sitting opposite this 'sleeping' man with his enormous bag (which would have fitted in the overhead luggage space). At Southampton Central the train emptied considerably and this point the 'sleeping' man realised that nobody was going to take his 4 seats any more, and he sat up and read a newspaper.

Didn't see a guard but would hope he would have told this man where to stow his bag, doubt it somehow though.
 
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ChristopherJ

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When I use 378s on London Overground, if no one is sitting next to me I always place my leg over the armrest of the adjacent longitudinal seat let my leg dangle off it. This is best done when sitting at seat ends or behind the cabs because there is a little bit more room available in the outer seat isles than at the intermediate seats in the middle of the train.

If someone wants to sit down on the adjacent seat I immediately retract my leg back over and return to an upright position.
 

SS4

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Feet on the seats is the most obnoxious. Second is anything dirty on the seat - both they and I know that someone is unlikely to sit on a dirty seat.

OT: Small people sitting in the seats with the most legroom really annoys me as does someone who sits next to you and proceeds to squash you and take over your seat
 

SprinterMan

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I was on a reasonably empty 158 doing BNG-BHM not long ago and at Wellington, we took on a huge number of people. I had a table to myself, so I offered it to a mother and her 2 little brats. She said not to worry, then sits next to me with her 2 children opposite me so I ended up surrounded. I hate children and am a little claustrophobic, so I pretended I was getting off at Telford and went and hid in the next carriage. She wasn't rude or anything, but it was worse than that, she basiclaly wouldn't allow me to move and I really wanted to get away. She wasn't being kind as she thought.
Adam :D
 

table38

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I saw a woman do the usual trick of sitting in the aisle seat with her bag in window seat, but she also put her large overcoat across the two seats opposite to effectively reserve the whole table, then pretended to look important and busy by spreading papers out as if it was her own little personal office :(
 

davido39

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I have a complete contrast to your story. Last month I decided to go and visit a friend in Englandshire, I boarded the train at Kilmarnock headed for Carlisle where I was going to purchase a North West Round Robin. on my arrival at Carlisle I proceeded to the Ticket office to purchase said ticket anyway as I was buying my ticket I noticed at the corner of my eye some woman next to me only to turn around to find her standing right next to me. The ticket seller had noticed this to o so he made a point of telling me the ins and outs of the ticket :lol:.
Anyway when I had purchased my ticket I was met by what I think was the woman's husband who said she was in a hurry as there was an emergency in Newcastle, I said to the husband if she had said this to me then I would have obliged only to be told to grow up. The train for Newcastle was not leaving for another ten or so minutes and I thought to myself, would the husband promptly walk up the driver of the Newcastle train and ask him to leave then and there or be told to grow up as the driver was waiting his time. What got me about this was how rude the woman was standing so close to me!

The other incident that happened that very same day was when I was returning on the Blackpool North York train, I managed to get a table seat and sat at the front facing window seat, I never use the seats furthest away from the window if I can help it to consider other users of the train, anyway we made the scheduled stop at Hebden Bridge an I overheard this guy say about people who sit at table seats if they are travelling alone, there was four of them, now if he'd had done the polite thing and asked if it was ok if I could sit elsewhere then I would have as I have done this in the past, instead he had to make a big song and dance about it which actually made me laugh but also
made me think how standards in politeness have dropped so much. I use the train on a regular basis and usually head for a table seat if the train is quiet and never have I heard anyone complaining. Now as in your case I had took up the whole two seats by sitting on the outer seat then yes a passenger has a right to complain but I try to be thoughtful to my fellow passengers by sitting on a seat nearest the window oh and I never take up any table space as I find it so rude when passengers think that the table is their own property and know one else who happens to be sitting round the table should use it!

Rant over. :lol:
 

Clip

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I saw a woman do the usual trick of sitting in the aisle seat with her bag in window seat, but she also put her large overcoat across the two seats opposite to effectively reserve the whole table, then pretended to look important and busy by spreading papers out as if it was her own little personal office :(

Should have sat on her jackets :)

think we had a thread like this not too long ago and I did chuckle at some of the replies..
 

davido39

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Feet on the seats is the most obnoxious. Second is anything dirty on the seat - both they and I know that someone is unlikely to sit on a dirty seat.

OT: Small people sitting in the seats with the most legroom really annoys me as does someone who sits next to you and proceeds to squash you and take over your seat

Oh so you expect small people to use the luggage rack! :lol:
 

Wiggler

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Feet on the seats is the most obnoxious. Second is anything dirty on the seat - both they and I know that someone is unlikely to sit on a dirty seat.

Nah... I'd say the worst example would be someone sitting by a table seat, opening up a condom packet then filling said condom with a dollop of oil of olay and placing it on the seats opposite them...
 

313103

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When I use 378s on London Overground, if no one is sitting next to me I always place my leg over the armrest of the adjacent longitudinal seat let my leg dangle off it. This is best done when sitting at seat ends or behind the cabs because there is a little bit more room available in the outer seat isles than at the intermediate seats in the middle of the train.

If someone wants to sit down on the adjacent seat I immediately retract my leg back over and return to an upright position.

Unless you see a member of staff who you know ;) Then stand whilst talking to said member of staff.
 

fgwrich

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Oh so you expect small people to use the luggage rack! :lol:

It's been done before! I had the 'pleasure' several years ago of a 3 car 166 vice HST on one of the late evening Oxford turns, so faced with the unit turning into a 'WedgeEx' and with no luggage in the rack, i chose to sit in it from Paddington to Reading.

Not using the railways as much lately, i cant comment too much - but i did come across somebody yesterday in my day of frustration on FGW. Got on a fairly empty 165 at Newbury yesterday, service was mid loaded - I chose to sit down on the 2/2 seat bays and put my bag down next to me - seats opposite to me were free, but some 'commuter / passenger chose to move my bag without asking and promptly sat down next to me...I wasn’t too pleased because not only did my bag weigh a fair bit - having just picked up several local ales from a shop in the town, not asking me in the first place before moving my bag, but that the seats directly in front of me remained free all the way from Newbury to Theale! :roll:
 

34Short

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Manners cost people nothing, yet if they used them, they could buy the world.

I often sit in the "Easy Access" seats - Towards vestibules, designed for elderly or with people with a handicap. Should I see anyone needing them more them me, I'd be more than willing to offer it. Same goes if they asked me.


There used to be a time when I used to work in an office, and I'd carry a black tie in my pocket. From time to time, I'd swap ties and rub my eyes until they became red - Thus giving the impression that I'd been to a funeral and people would often leave my to my own devices. Not that I'm greedy or owt, I just like my own space from time to time...
 

soil

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I was on a reasonably empty 158 doing BNG-BHM not long ago and at Wellington, we took on a huge number of people. I had a table to myself, so I offered it to a mother and her 2 little brats. She said not to worry, then sits next to me with her 2 children opposite me so I ended up surrounded. I hate children and am a little claustrophobic, so I pretended I was getting off at Telford and went and hid in the next carriage. She wasn't rude or anything, but it was worse than that, she basiclaly wouldn't allow me to move and I really wanted to get away. She wasn't being kind as she thought.
Adam :D

I did feel a little for the woman whose table we took over at Southampton Airport Parkway. The other woman opposite having left there were three of us and her in the window seat.

I assume she got off at Southampton Central but maybe she was just getting out of our way.

I did consider making more of a scene to the fake sleeping man with his four seats but you never know with people, possibly drunk/insane, better to avoid confrontation really.
 

trentside

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On lightly loaded services, I will usually put my bag on the seat next to me so I can access it easily. If the train gets more crowded, I'll move it on to my knee or onto the floor before anyone asks to sit down - and if anyone does ask me to move it before, I smile and say 'sure, no problem'. I've never had an issue doing this, and don't see a problem with using the seat for this purpose when the train is quiet.

I do find it objectionable when people continue to use seats to store bags, coats etc when trains are busy and people are standing or sitting in luggage racks. I've had no hesitation asking people to move these, and haven't encountered issues other than the occasional sigh or mumbled moan. I also find people using their feet or shoes to reserve seats unpleasant.
 

jon0844

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I'll move my bag before being asked to do so, but do usually put it on the seat next to me. I usually sit in the aisle seat too, but that's just because I'm usually up to leave the train before I get to my stop (to walk though and get to the right set of doors).

If I'm not feeling 100% then I might cough or sniff a bit more than normal to discourage someone sitting down, but then that's probably as much for their comfort as mine!
 

34D

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I saw a woman do the usual trick of sitting in the aisle seat with her bag in window seat, but she also put her large overcoat across the two seats opposite to effectively reserve the whole table, then pretended to look important and busy by spreading papers out as if it was her own little personal office :(

Please appreciate that us tall blokes often have no option other than sitting in the aisle seat.
 

Tracky

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I saw a woman do the usual trick of sitting in the aisle seat with her bag in window seat, but she also put her large overcoat across the two seats opposite to effectively reserve the whole table, then pretended to look important and busy by spreading papers out as if it was her own little personal office

And

Please appreciate that us tall blokes often have no option other than sitting in the aisle seat.

Completly Different.

I hate seeing people literally "Bagging" second seats on busy trains. There is no need at all to bag thrid and forth seats.

A tall person can take an aisle seat and still leave the window seat obviously empty and offer it to somebody else.
 

TGVDUDE

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It's been done before! I had the 'pleasure' several years ago of a 3 car 166 vice HST on one of the late evening Oxford turns, so faced with the unit turning into a 'WedgeEx' and with no luggage in the rack, i chose to sit in it from Paddington to Reading

Done this many times myself to and from Cardiff!
 

PFX

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I never put up with this sort of crap and don't understand why anyone does. In my view, bags don't buy tickets so don't have a right to a seat/seats.

I was on a very busy service from Leeds to York last year and had a pair of seats with my wife. A woman and bag took up the seats on the opposite side of the aisle. When a young lad walked up the aisle, clearly looking for a seat, she turned to face out the window so she could play 'blissfully unaware'. He hung around in the door area to stand so I told him to get the woman to move her bag which she did, while giving me a dirty look.

I realise that while I may be handy enough, others don't feel so but if I ever see anyone seat hogging where others are standing, I make sure they stop. Perhaps I'll ask the wrong person one day but until I do, I'll keep on fighting for the seatless underdog!
 

317666

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Once me and a group of friends got on a 165 at Rickmansworth. In the carriage we boarded there was one bay of four left, and a man decided to barge past us and sit in it, then quite literally shouted "Yeah I've taken the group seats, it's your problem sit somewhere else!" or something like that. I actually found it quite funny that he'd done that as it really didn't achieve anything except making a prat of himself in public, and we just walked into the next coach where there was an empty bay of six which was better as it was more spacious anyway :) Although looking back I wish we had sat down in that bay of four and just surrounded him to see what his reaction would've been!

Also, I was once going from Leeds to Preston on the York - Blackpool Northern service. It was in August and as you'd imagine the platform was packed full of holidaymakers with lots of suitcases, surfboards, prams, bicycles, prettymuch everything that you don't want on a crowded train! As it happened a two-car 158 pulled in - I wasn't too worried as I knew I would be able to find a seat, and I did, but the faces of some of the families etc. on the platform when they saw the length of the train was absolutely priceless :lol:
 
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chris89

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General bags on seat, sit in aisle seat and bag on window seat is the most common, and one i have come across travelling to Edinburgh, then getting evil looks from the person after asking them to move it.

I only really put bags on seats on buses overal, but move them when it gets busy. On trains it seems people avoid sitting next to me :P

Chris
 

PR1Berske

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I've told this story elsewhere though not on here, oddly enough

About two months ago I was on a Northern service from Preston to Wigan (a Liverpool service). It was quite packed and I was standing, which for the sake of the time from PRE to WGN really didn't bother me

I happened to be standing near a girl engrossed in a copy of CELEB SCANDAL WEEKLY or whatever it is, who had put two suitcases on the seat next to her and an oversized bag on the floor beside the seat.

When yonder guard came ticket checking, he noticed (and made eye contact with me in doing so) me standing near to this chair Jenga.

The conversation between him and the young lady went something like this:

Guard: "Scuse me, love, are these your bags on the seat?"
Girl - "Yea."
Guard -"Well could you move them to the racks please to make some space?"
Girl - "Nah, I can't, coz, like, I've got a bad back and that"
Guard - "Well I haven't"

With that he hurled all the bags to the luggage racks, pointed at me and said "You can sit down now mate" :D:D:lol::lol:
 

Shimbleshanks

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My other half was on a crowded Electrostar out of London Victoria the other night when another passenger produced a sponge cake on which he then proceeded to smear liberal quantities of HP Sauce and then ate it. He pretty soon had half a carriage to himself.
 

GodAtum

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When travelling solo I never use a table even if I know it's going to be empty. Force of habit i think! I'm also prone to allergies so often start sneezing if someone with perfume/cologne sits down next to me :(
 

jon0844

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...produced a sponge cake on which he then proceeded to smear liberal quantities of HP Sauce and then ate it. He pretty soon had half a carriage to himself.

Ergh. Surely it has to be Daddies sauce on a sponge cake?
 

David Goddard

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Veet on seats has to be the worst offence, be it to stop others from sitting there or that the offender is just lazy and wants to put their feet up.
I often walk past these people and ask them to remove their feet frmo the seats, and sometimes they oblige quite readily- it helps when I wear my fleece that is awfully similar colours of the train operator!

I remember that an RPI (in Liverpool I think it was) actually issued a penalty notice of some sort to some people with feet on the seats a few years ago. GOON ON THEM! I say- too many on train staff just ignore it.

We (and they) have no idea what kind of things these people have trodden in (dog mess, fag ends, etc), why should they spread it onto our train seats for someone else to pick up on the seat of their trousers.

The punishment - take offendor off the train and smear dog mess on the back of their trousers!
 

SS4

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Oh so you expect small people to use the luggage rack! :lol:

Well... <D
It's more on buses than trains to be honest though where one set of seats has more leg room than the others

Nah... I'd say the worst example would be someone sitting by a table seat, opening up a condom packet then filling said condom with a dollop of oil of olay and placing it on the seats opposite them...

OK, you got me there. :lol:
 

lj9090

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Managed to get a guard involved today for a full 15 minutes failing to persuade someone to free up one of the 4 seats herself and her luggage were taking up around a table.

Probably a bit naughty really but timed it perfectly so I started asking as he was walking down to do the ticket checks to ensure he got involved :lol:
After about a minute I wasn't all that bothered anymore, and after 5 minutes someone offered me their seat next to them so *really* not bothered anymore.. but he was quite keen to keep going, and kept the argument up all the way till he had to open the doors for the next stop.

She refused to budge. I got off the train much to the bemusement and amusement of the rest of the carriage for causing a scene for just one stop, so no idea where it went after that :)

Isn't there an option to charge a child ticket for luggage? Quite surprised he didn't offer that as it would have diffused the situation pretty quickly.
 

ainsworth74

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Isn't there an option to charge a child ticket for luggage? Quite surprised he didn't offer that as it would have diffused the situation pretty quickly.

The NRCoC have this to say on the matter:

47. Accompanied luggage, articles and animals

You may take a single item of hand luggage that must be capable of being held in your lap if required, plus up to 2 items of luggage each not exceeding 30 x 70 x 90 cm in size. Unless you are disabled or have reduced mobility and have made arrangements in advance for assistance, you should be able to manage your luggage without additional help. Luggage is carried subject to sufficient space being available in the train service you wish to use. Luggage should not occupy seats intended for passengers; if it does so, it may be charged for as set out in Appendix B.

If we look at Appendix B we find:

Each train company is responsible for setting the charges that apply to luggage conveyed in these circumstances; however, it will not exceed half the adult single fare for the journey or part of the journey over which the luggage is being conveyed on that Train Company

So I'd suggest that they'd be liable to pay half the single for each piece of luggage occupying a seat. Also if it's taking up that much space I wonder if there luggage didn't fall foul of the size/number of items limits!?
 
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