Seating habits

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Conversely, I can understand someone sitting in (my) reserved seat if there aren't (m)any seats available, if the train is (near) empty, why anyone would *choose* to sit an an obviously-reserved seat is beyond me - hence I *always* ask them to relocate in these circumstances. Sorry, but why sit there when there are plenty of *unreserved* seats is beyond me....and serves you right to having to move, frankly.

No reservation flags on the seat or anything.

TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) agreed with me and told the suit to go away and sit somewhere else. Suit was not happy...

What I was getting at is if a seat is NOT marked as reserved and mid journey someone tries to eject you from the seat as per my case above.

If I see a seat is reserved I'm not going to sit in it! If I did for whatever reason I would expect to have to move and would do so.

I may have a good eye for pedancy and detail but I'm not a mind reader for knowing which seats are reserved but not marked as such...

Maybe I'm being naive. But if the seat is not marked as reserved and someone asks you to move mid journey when there are plenty of available seats (I'm suggesting like 90% of the carriage for First Class) that to me just seems far too precious and defies common sense!

[Tim]

Indeed. And then there is the minor point that your Advance ticket isn't valid if you don't sit in your reserved seat...

Really?  That is news to me.  After all my pious comments about fare-dodgers it looks like I have been travelling for years without a valid ticket!

[bobm]

Best one I ever had was someone trying to evict me from a seat in coach F.  He was adamant I was in his seat so I asked to see his ticket - which he refused as I was not an "authorised person".  Fair enough.  Luckily the train manager was nearby and she looked at it.  "Yes sir, that F means your seat is facing.  You are in coach H."

I then went back to eating my fillet steak..... 

[Red Squirrel]

Best one I ever had was someone trying to evict me from a seat in coach F.  He was adamant I was in his seat so I asked to see his ticket - which he refused as I was not an "authorised person".  Fair enough.  Luckily the train manager was nearby and she looked at it.  "Yes sir, that F means your seat is facing.  You are in coach H."

I then went back to eating my fillet steak..... 

Maybe that person wasn't the first to find it confusing.  See NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) website:

Take care not to confuse the Forward, Backing or Airline indicator with coach F, B or A.

Indeed. And then there is the minor point that your Advance ticket isn't valid if you don't sit in your reserved seat...

Really?  That is news to me.  After all my pious comments about fare-dodgers it looks like I have been travelling for years without a valid ticket!

NRE website says:

Where applicable, you must travel in the Class and reserved seat(s) shown on the ticket(s).

Other members may be able to quote chapter and verse from the Codex Ferrovia...

[thetrout]

I vaguely knew of such a rule but have never seen it enforced.

Glad I'm not the only one then... 

[grahame]

Indeed. And then there is the minor point that your Advance ticket isn't valid if you don't sit in your reserved seat...

Really?  That is news to me.  After all my pious comments about fare-dodgers it looks like I have been travelling for years without a valid ticket!

Glad I'm not the only one then!

I vaguely knew of such a rule but have never seen it enforced.

I've been aware of this and usually sit in the designated seat.   However, when it turns out to be at a table of 4 already occupied by Mum, Dad and child ... with the rest of the carriage quiet ...

[ChrisB]

Because the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) can end up the wrong way round on occasions?...

[Timmer]

Should the day ever come when I am asked to sit in the reserved seat shown on the reservation, I will gladly do so. These days I usually travel on SWT^▸ (South West Trains), no seat reservations with Advance tickets, and East Coast where you choose your seat so this is rarely an issue for me. I really would like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to introduce the 'choose your seat' facility now. They use the same booking interface as East Coast so why not?

[grahame]

OK ... many thanks for your inputs; 62 people took part in the poll.

87% of you would sit next to someone (in a pair of seats) but only 46.5% would sit in the middle of a group of three seats.

93.5% of you would ask someone to move their bag / luggage so that you could sit down, but only 11.5% of you would ask someone to move their under-five child so you could sit.

38.5% of you would wait of have waited for a later (or taken an earlier, perhaps) train in order to get a seat or a more comfortable journey, and 61.5% of you would (in some circumstances) choose to stand even if seats were available


I'm not surprised at the adverse reaction to the middle seat of a group of three, and the results do help explain why some of the TransWilts services are reported "passengers standing" and yet the passenger count is slightly under the number of seats on the train; a useful understanding point.

I hadn't expected such a high proportion willing to ask people to move their bags, nor the dramatic difference between the people who will say "please move that bag" and "please move that child".

[JayMac]

On that last point, a bag is inanimate and can go on the floor, in a rack or on one's lap.

An under five can be very animate, and sitting next to one who has to now sit on their parent or guardian's lap is unlikely to lead to a peaceful journey. Can't really put 'em in a luggage rack either.

[Chris from Nailsea]

On the other hand, I understand some teenagers make a point of travelling in the luggage rack - it's apparently some sort of 'youff statement' ... 

[Brucey]

The luggage rack is also popular with commuters.  Considerably more comfortable than the floor.

[Rhydgaled]

The luggage rack is also popular with commuters.  Considerably more comfortable than the floor.

Certainly the case on some buses, where I have been known to sit on the luggage rack rather than sit down next to somebody. Other buses though the bar of the rack is so uncomfortable I have had to sit on the floor once or twice, also on trams/trains where there are no luggage racks that are suitable for sitting on.