Rail passengers on SWT told only slim people could sit due to shortage of space

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Andover Advertiser:

Rail passengers on a South West train were told only slim people could sit due to a shortage of space


Commuters shocked as fat people told 'not to sit down' on Hampshire train

Hampshire rail passengers were left shocked after a station announcer said fat people ^should not sit down^ due to a lack of space.

Commuters on the busy train, that had stopped at Basingstoke on its way through to Andover, were told there was a shortage of space and that only slim people should sit.

The announcer reportedly said: ^We are going to be like sardines on this train. Can I ask that only slim people sit on the three-seaters? If you are fat, then it is simply not going to work.^

One passenger on the Basingstoke to Salisbury train said they were shocked and added: ^I would get fired if I said that at my work^.

South West Trains has apologised for the incident and a spokeswoman said ^all passengers are welcome^ on its services.

[JayMac]

This was, according to reading on other forums, an on-train announcement made in jest by a guard. Nothing to do with station announcers as implied in the rather confusing press reports.

I suspect SWT^▸ (South West Trains) will be asking the guard concerned to stick to the script in future. One person's joke is another person's offensive remark.

[Rhydgaled]

Three-seaters? Andover? How old is this story? The answer to the last question would appear to be eight years at least, if the photograph is of the actual train in question (which might explain the first two queries, did SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s 170s have 2+3 seating?).

[Network SouthEast]

No, the class 170s had 2+2 in standard class and 2+1 in first too.

[JayMac]

Which begs the next question. A service with 3+2 seating on its way to Salisbury?

Salisbury to/from Basingstoke is served exclusively by SWTs^▸ (South West Trains) Class 159s.

[Network SouthEast]

I suspect that was the joke the guard may have made.

With 2+2 seating you DO have to be slim (as slim as a piece of paper) to fit in the middle seat!

[LiskeardRich]

As a larger chap, I find his announcement quite funny.
I'm getting bored of the PC brigade shooting down every joke made by someone in customer service.

Not knowing the stock I didn't realise it was only 2+2 which makes it even more evident he was joking as there are no 3 seaters on that service.

[stuving]

I suspect that was the joke the guard may have made.

With 2+2 seating you DO have to be slim (as slim as a piece of paper) to fit in the middle seat!

In which case, did the guard say something like "sit three abreast", only to have people (over-)react to some of the other words (like "fat") and paraphrase that bit? 

[JayMac]

I suspect that was the joke the guard may have made.

With 2+2 seating you DO have to be slim (as slim as a piece of paper) to fit in the middle seat!

Story first appeared in The Telegraph, with no mention of Andover or Salisbury. But with the same alleged announcement from the guard about 'three-seaters'.

On balance, I think the announcement happened on a SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service with 3+2 seating. Just not on a train to Salisbury, particularly with the later text added to the Andover Advertiser story not quoted in the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter):

A spokesperson for the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance said: "Our guard was aware this particular service was very busy and, in a light-hearted way, pointed out that some middle seat spaces might not be comfortable for passengers with a similar build to herself.

"This was in no way intended as a slight on any customers and the majority of passengers on the train took the comments in the spirit in which they were intended.

"However, like ourselves, she is very sorry if any passengers were offended by her remarks."

On balance, I think the journalism has been woeful.

[grahame]

Which begs the next question. A service with 3+2 seating on its way to Salisbury?

Seen 150925 on the Portsmouth run - but that's not SWT^▸ (South West Trains) ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

On balance, I think the journalism has been woeful.

As do I.  However, as in many such cases, I merely quote what the press choose to publish. 

[Fourbee]

If it was a class 450 (not west of Basingstoke of course because of the lack of juice) then the middle seat is a bit of a joke IMO^▸ (in my opinion) which increases the "number of seats" but is not that practical at times.

You'll get differing views even from MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) in the same party:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368425/South-West-Trains-seats-small-complain-DO-one.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2861576/Slim-Tory-MP-tells-large-bottomed-commuters-Former-public-health-minister-complains-squashed-man-sitting-her.html

Apologies to any who don't hold that journalistic source in high regard

[Rhydgaled]

Which begs the next question. A service with 3+2 seating on its way to Salisbury?

Seen 150925 on the Portsmouth run - but that's not SWT^▸ (South West Trains) ...

Not SWT, and doesn't go through Andover. Andover, I believe, is ONLY served by SWT, the line is not electrified and SWT's only DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) are the class 159 and class 158 units, neither of which have 2+3 seating as far as I know (I think it has been said they are not wide enough to fit 2+3 seating, not that you'd want to).

[TaplowGreen]

As a larger chap, I find his announcement quite funny.
I'm getting bored of the PC brigade shooting down every joke made by someone in customer service.

Not knowing the stock I didn't realise it was only 2+2 which makes it even more evident he was joking as there are no 3 seaters on that service.

Agreed, it was clearly meant light heartedly and people need to be less precious..............indeed it's a legitimate issue - quite often on Turbos between Paddington/Reading you will see individual seats on pairs of two that cannot be used as the person in situ is of a size that makes it impossible to get more than half of one of one's own buttock on the seat.............I am no slim Jim myself, however I flatter myself that I am not the cause of someone standing due to my size!

[ChrisB]

I ask them to move up into the centre seat - perching half-on an outside seat is slightly better than no seat at all....something you can't do with half a centre seat. Not actually had any refusals yet either.