Great Western Coffee Shop

Over the last year or so when the HoW trains have become increasingly crowded I have noticed that many passengers continue to put their luggage on vacant seats, and also some sit in the aisle seat, hoping that no-one has the courage to ask to use the window seat. On several occasions this has resulted in passengers boarding at a later station standing in the doorways, and those boarding subsequently assuming that no seats are available and joining the doorway crush. This was particularly evident when I travelled from Dorchester West to Trowbridge on a day between Christmas and New Year. A woman had her case wedged in front of the seat next to her, a young man boarding at Yeovil suggested to her that he could put her case on the overhead rack, her reply was 'No, I need it here.'  Fortunately I could show the gentleman where there was another vacant seat, but there were still many obstructed seats and people standing.
Would it not be sensible to sometimes dispense with the routine on-board announcements, which apparently few regular passengers take any notice of, and substitute something along the lines of 'Please do not obstruct seats with luggage or other personal items.'? I would also like to add 'If you occupy two seats you will need to buy a ticket for the second one.' but maybe that would be taking it a little too far.

If on a crowded train like that, I make a point of choosing a seat clearly obstructed to put people off on the basis most others will be too timid, so they can have the 'easy picks'. Sometimes the response is 'huffy', but most people realise they're trying it on and give in gracefully.  The worst offenders to my mind are those who have earphones and/or pretend to be dozing. My raised voice is more embarrassing for them I find.

Aren't I wicked?  :D

Conditions of carriage make it clear that luggage cannot occupy a seat else it can be charged for. Though it doesn't specifically mention obstructing the seat by being in front of it.

I would have hoped a proactive train manager would have done more to address the general problem on the service you describe, even if they weren't made aware of the specific incident.

Like trainer, I will sometimes make a passenger give up their spare seat for exactly the same reason.

Controversially I am also an "Aisle Seat Hogger" However I have no problem with offering the window seat for anyone who wants it.

Occasionally I get the passenger who when you stand up to allow them to take the window seat gets cross and just asks you to move up. I politely decline if this is the case as I will not take the window seat with someone I don't know. A video on YouTube taken on a TransPennine Express Service makes my reasons perfectly acceptable IMHO. One rememberable occasion when a passenger asked for the empty seat I stood up quickly to allow them past and was told to move up (told not asked) so I declined. I said I don't take window seats and eventually just sat down again. To which this lady said "so you're just going to leave me standing here then" very loudly to draw attention. To which I said loudly "Yes" and went back to twitter :-X :-[

On the flip side of that I will ask for an aisle seat if someone has a bag on it for the same reasons as John R and trainer. Some are ok about it. Others make it clear they are unhappy and and others simply refuse. Of those that have refused I have either quoted the NRCoC as inspector_blakey has done before. Or depending on the attitude of the passenger just said reasonably firmly "Ok let me rephrase that. I'm sitting there!" And plonk myself down anyway which always provides an interesting reaction.

Then of course placing ones railcard on the table in clear view for an expected ticket check usually curtails any argument without needing to say anything... ::) :-X :-[

A few years back, at the height of the bird flu paranoia, I returned to Bristol from Gloucester on a Class 153 - not my favourite rolling stock. It was packed, as well as late. I had some sullen bugger shift his bag off the only otherwise unoccupied seat around a table, something that others had not felt able to do, judging by the numbers standing. I am over 6 feet tall, and nobody knows that I am a coward. So I sat next to my seething companion, and read the newspaper.

Then I coughed. I have done this from time to time, with no risk of infecting anyone as a rule, since I had radiotherapy in 2002. My companion excused himself and went past me. Suddenly, I had not only a window seat to myself, but also a table and half a carriage - in this case, half a train.

I may buy a bell and a sign saying "Unclean".

"Alms for an ex-leper." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U74s8nFE7No)

For obvious reasons, I particularly like the line, "C'mon bignose, let's haggle."  ;D

I like the line "Shame he didn't say "Blessed are the bignoses""

Sounds like we have some things in common, although pepole who know me know I'm a coward, the general public doesn't. I kinda have an excuse for being a coward though (a mental 'disability' of sorts, not dyslexia but something non-serious in a similar sort of way).

I don't like to sit next to anyone I don't know, so if I have a bag I generally will put it on the seat next to me if traveling alone (which, most of the time, is on buses). I will move the bag if asked, and sometimes I do so if I see the service is getting busy. If I get on a bus and every pair of seats is already taken by at least one person, even if they aren't blocking the seat next to them, I will generally try to sit on a luggage rack (or in some cases the floor) rather than sit down next to somebody.

I target people who have bags on seats if there are no other single seats left. Not normally a problem in First.
Sometimes I also have to quote the NRCoC to which one person said and who are you. Out came the staff pass, I'm staff so unless you want to be charged a full priced ticket for that bag I suggest you move it.

Generally people do comply. They just hope you don't ask.

Out of interest (and in the context of other discussions on this forum about the possible reduction in First Class provision on FGW), are staff entitled generally to travel in First Class using their free/reduced rate benefits, or is it restricted by seniority, time of day, day of week, journey purpose etc.?

We get a certain number of first class journeys at weekends. Not allowed during the week unless you are MS4 or above, and even then your supposed to give up your seat to a full fare paying customer.

Interesting that staff are supposed to give up their seats to a fare paying passenger. In practice this is hardly ever done.

I recall a few senior CrossCountry Managers on the 14:44 Bristol Temple Meads - Plymouth a few months ago who seemed reasonably oblivious to First Class Passengers Standing and even when they realised didn't seem too bothered about it. They seemed so content about this actually that a smart arse decided to do a 10 minute reseveration from Taunton - Plymouth... ;D :-X

On the flip side of that I once vacated my reserved seat to avail myself of the onboard facilities on an FGW HST. Came back and some snobby woman had chucked my jacket between 2 seats and was sat in my seat >:(

When I queried this the lady said very sharply "Well if you were sitting there I just sat on you didn't I and I think you're in the wrong part of the train"

*Starts Raging Blood Boiling inside*

My response: "Well did you sit in my toilet waste?"

Lady: "What?"

Me: "No. Because I went to the toilet like a respectful and civil human being"

Lady: "Well does this seat have your name on it? No? And you're still in the wrong part of the train"

*really looks forward to the pending reaction*

Me: "Well if you look at that label tag on the back of my seat you'll see it states Reserved between 2 stations with my Surname on it. So yes it does have my name on it"

Well out of all the comebacks she was expecting. That wasn't one of them. She moved. Tried to take the seat again later in the journey too!

I think I give off an energy field of "pick on me" or just attract negativity and bad luck.

I just get the idiots.

FGW were cracking down (in my view extremely harshly) on staff using First Class on HSTs when not allowed during weekdays.

Revenue would do a spot check and..
The Train Manager who 'allowed' it would have their staff passes revoked and
The employee would also loose their staff passes. There was no time scale on how long for.
However did it apply to low level managers? Apparently not, when one had their passes confiscated they created such a stink and played the "im a manager Im allowed to travel first class" card, that the policy was quietly forgotten about.