I can totally understand this point but you cannot complain about the lack of a seat because everyone else wants to get one the same service.
Indeed. As a commuter, you'd probably know just how tightly packed train services are and have realised that the reason the trains are overcrowded is down to the other people who have the nerve to commute at the same time as you!
You might be able to extend trains, extend platforms or perhaps add more tracks but there is a limit - just like the road network - and eventually you must start to try and discourage people from travelling at the busiest times. There's no other way!
Otherwise imagine the immense cost to build a network that copes with demand between 6-9 and 4-7pm and is virtually unused the rest of the time! A cost that would mean season tickets going up even more.
It does amaze me how many people strop at FCC RPIs when being relieved of upwards of £20 for sitting in first class without the appropriate ticket along the lines of "I pay £3000 (etc) for this and never ever get a seat".
And they are saying this from the comfort of a first class seat (which they hadn't paid for) and have chosen to get the fast train rather than the semi-fast that leaves at exactly the same time, with seats galore, but takes 8 minutes longer.
Life is full of choices!
Absolutely. Although, I have to say that shortly before I stopped commuting, my local bus changed its times and I was effectively forced to take the fast train - but I still got a seat as I boarded at the country end, unlike everyone else packing into coach 1 of 8!
To wait for the semi-fast, with first class declassified, meant missing the bus by 2 minutes and a 20-30 minute wait for the next one. But, as you say, I have choices and sometimes I'd still do it!
Some commuters do themselves no favours at all. They act like sheep and don't think to perhaps spend a day or two experimenting with different services, getting on different carriages and seeing if there's a nicer and more comfortable way to do the commute.
That said, I guess I always benefited from these lazy and ignorant commuters so long may most of them pack themselves in like sardines!