You can't sit here

[Lampshade]

I'd sit there and make a point of eating a packet of crisps very noisily.

 

[Ivo]

Take an enthusiast friend with you and talk loudly about obscure aspects of the railway. A few minutes of conversation peppered with words/phrases like 'DBSO', 'buckeye coupling', 'RETB' and 'axle hung traction motors' should clear the whole carriage, never mind this group of seats.

Oh yes, I remember that tactic

Worked pretty well on the WAG, did it not?

 

[4SRKT]

Oh yes, I remember that tactic

Worked pretty well on the WAG, did it not?

Indeed. Tried and tested!

 

[asylumxl]

We have people like this on FCC TL. To be honest if they have a bag on the seat and do not remove it, I remove it for them and sit down.

You have to give them a taste of their own medicine. They are not special in any way and need knocking down a peg.

Whenever I do this, if they want to start an argument or fight I'm more than game. So far I've had no problems.

 

[route:oxford]

Say "watch me" and clamber over them if necessary.

Spilling iced mochathingy on your way.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Indeed. Tried and tested!

I've done that, but to get to the front of a buffet.

 

[Nym]

Say "watch me" and clamber over them if necessary.

Spilling iced mochathingy on your way.

This is especially fun for me when I walk over someone, steel toe capped boots and a very heavy step FTW.

Remember being in coach E on a pendo last time I came back from London and every single seat had a bag next to it and I picked the snootyest poshest looking woman on the whole train and told her to 'move her bag!'

 

[lookingforit35]

Or sarcastically thank them for saving you a seat!

Consider inviting others to join in your good fortune by exclaiming "Good news everyone, there are some free seats over here".

 

[Badger]

If somebody won't move over, when there is no other seat on the train, I will stand in the aisle next to their seat. I've got to stand somewhere, might as well be right in their face.

 

[AlterEgo]

I would make a bee line for them seats every day just to p*ss them off. How arrogant they are.

Indeed.

 

[Nym]

If somebody won't move over, when there is no other seat on the train, I will stand in the aisle next to their seat. I've got to stand somewhere, might as well be right in their face.

Preferably with your back side to their face and make sure it's a particularly gassy day?

 

[lookingforit35]

Look on the bright side.

Until they give up with their silly games, you've got a guaranteed seat every day as you can head straight for them. Just dont be tempted to befriend them or you might be drawn into their web of odd behaviour and become "one of them"!

 

[tsr]

This is especially fun for me when I walk over someone, steel toe capped boots and a very heavy step FTW.

Yes, the same here. The thing is that you can genuinely claim that you didn't know you were hurting/annoying them if your boots are big and hefty enough.

An additional tip is to carry something with Velcro on it, and carry said item in such a way as to catch it on as much of their clothing as you move. For example, a bag with a Velcro closure would be ideal, or perhaps a coat with one of those double storm flaps.

I have tried the "loud, mad enthusiast" trick with a couple of friends on more than one occasion, and unfortunately everyone ignored it. Mind you, one of those times was so off-peak that we managed to find and sit in several empty Central Line carriages in several different trains over the course of an hour or two, so making loud and deliberately boring announcements about the Tube's safety systems was hardly going to put anybody in particular off.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Look on the bright side.

Until they give up with their silly games, you've got a guaranteed seat every day as you can head straight for them. Just dont be tempted to befriend them or you might be drawn into their web of odd behaviour and become "one of them"!

Or you might find they repent of their great evil seat-hogging and become "one of us" by the same, but rather unlikely, friendship, which would be slightly odd and would lead to them being viewed with some suspicion by "ourselves".

 

[455driver]

We have people like this on FCC TL. To be honest if they have a bag on the seat and do not remove it, I remove it for them and sit down.

You are more polite than me, I just sit on the bag.
But then I am rough looking f$%&@er so can get away with a bit more though.

 

[asylumxl]

You are more polite than me, I just sit on the bag.
But then I am rough looking f$%&@er so can get away with a bit more though.

Let's hope you never sit on a bag full of used syringes then .

 

[calc7]

Just go in all guns blazing - they're being rude ***** so you be a rude ****. Quid pro quo and all that.

A woman on a Pendo I was on who was desperate to save the adjacent seat for an acquaintance who was "on their way" gave in after a couple of people tutted and told her "you can't save seats"

 

[Tomonthetrain]

because of my size, i usually find sitting half on their lap "accidentally" does the trick...especially on the 172s.

another method is to just start talking On a phone then suddenly do an impression of the ladbrooks advert (Where the commentator starts screaming yes.)

 

[tsr]

Another thought: if the incident occurs when you are with a companion (or companions), and if the seat that has been, errr, "taken" for the mysterious passenger is near the end of the carriage, start conversing very loudly and in mock worried tones about "whether or not this bogie feels dodgy to you". Be very insistent in describing your (hopefully imaginary) problem. Whichever way the rude passenger takes the word "bogie"/bogey, hopefully it will result in them being reluctant to occupy their seat and others near it any more!

 

[pitdiver]

I remember a few years ago when I used to travel on th "Cobbler"( London Euston- Nothampton) a group of people would pull the same stunt but this was with a compartment. They would have cheese and wine on the way. Would also play cards during the journey.
The wine was excellent and the cheese was pretty good as well.

 

[Sammy h]

Every morning on my train a group of about 6 commuters board the train which is quite busy and they keep empty 4 seats so another group can join them at the next station.

I've heard them say to people when someone has been in these seats "your sitting in the wrong place" and earlier one said to me "You are not allowed to sit here" there was no other seats (other than the four empty ones) but the train was packed and I had to stand for about 70 minutes.

I was wondering what are the rules here, am I allowed to sit down (the seats are not reserved) just this is a daily occurrence and I've paid 4.300 for my ticket and id like a seat if ones available.

Am I the only one wondering what type of ticket the OP has if they have paid £4,300 for it?

Let us know what happens this morning!

 

[stut]

Sounds like a pretty standard annual season for the outer reaches of FCC...

 

[richw]

If somebody won't move over, when there is no other seat on the train, I will stand in the aisle next to their seat. I've got to stand somewhere, might as well be right in their face.

And then pass wind for good measure!

Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2

 

[dlj83]

Am I the only one wondering what type of ticket the OP has if they have paid £4,300 for it?

Let us know what happens this morning!

This sounds an excuse for a forum meet.

It's a southeastern one year ticket, but am sitting on the train now and four of them sitting by the table, I'm sitting next to the woman they talk too who got on the next stop (but I didn't reserve the seat for her). Have my headphones in my phone (no music, whilst I read) have been asked to turn my music down twice, and I told them it's not playing music.

Funny suggestions so far I like eating crisps loud, I travel alone so I guess I can only talk loudly about signalling myself. Although on the plus side that might get me an entire carriage.

 

[jopsuk]

So, continued attempts at bullying then! They're just the equivalent (probably the grown up versions of) the kids that "reserve" the back seats of the school bus.

 

[millemille]

This sounds an excuse for a forum meet.

It's a southeastern one year ticket, but am sitting on the train now and four of them sitting by the table, I'm sitting next to the woman they talk too who got on the next stop (but I didn't reserve the seat for her). Have my headphones in my phone (no music, whilst I read) have been asked to turn my music down twice, and I told them it's not playing music.

Funny suggestions so far I like eating crisps loud, I travel alone so I guess I can only talk loudly about signalling myself. Although on the plus side that might get me an entire carriage.

If you want to have the problem dealt with officially, given that I work for LSER, drop me a PM with the service details and whereabouts on the train this group generally sit and I'll raise it with our commercial department.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would be having a word with the guard about this one. If a few people raise it, and/or its clearly happening everyday then guards keep each other informed about these kinds of things.

You express my own feelings perfectly, with the point you make.

 

[BestWestern]

I presume this is a DOO (no Guard) service? Thankfully I don't ever have to travel on these trains, but I would imagine that such selfish and socially unacceptable behaviour is pretty widespread where there is usually nobody in charge to do anything about it. Still could be worse I suppose, at least they aren't a group of yobs working the trains mugging people. I would have to agree that you should just take one of the seats in future, assuming that you genuinely need to as it would likely be a rather tense journey, and make it perfectly clear to them that you are not at all interested in their obnoxious 'rules'.

 

[millemille]

I presume this is a DOO (no Guard) service? Thankfully I don't ever have to travel on these trains, but I would imagine that such selfish and socially unacceptable behaviour is pretty widespread where there is usually nobody in charge to do anything about it. Still could be worse I suppose, at least they aren't a group of yobs working the trains mugging people. I would have to agree that you should just take one of the seats in future, assuming that you genuinely need to as it would likely be a rather tense journey, and make it perfectly clear to them that you are not at all interested in their obnoxious 'rules'.

Given that the OP talks of the group sitting around a table this means it's a Mainline, not Metro, service and there should be a conductor on board.

Hence my offer to raise it within LSER.

 

[LE Greys]

Unfortunately, in this world, you get people who are highly territorial. Well, a couple of sarcastic comments and a firm glare can work. If you do plan to sit down, arm yourself with a copy of the largest newspaper you can find and read right through the whole thing, and if you finish it, have a go at the crossword. Generally act as though they are not there and pay them absolutely no attention. People who are like that crave attention, so don't give them any unless it is negative.

because of my size, i usually find sitting half on their lap "accidentally" does the trick...especially on the 172s.

another method is to just start talking On a phone then suddenly do an impression of the ladbrooks advert (Where the commentator starts screaming yes.)

I've used similar tactics with excessive mobile phone users, pull out my own and pretend to make a drug deal, talking about 'shipments', 'customs problems' and so on.

 

[Eagle]

I've used similar tactics with excessive mobile phone users, pull out my own and pretend to make a drug deal, talking about 'shipments', 'customs problems' and so on.

I've tried that, but using a (fake) foreign language. You can always bank on people's xenophobia