People hogging seats on trains with baggage

Emme

I commute to Dublin by train and I have noticed that people clutter up seats with bags, laptops etc. They are often unwilling and sometimes refuse point blank to clear these seats for other passengers even if there are no other seats available. This means that people who get on in Kildare, Newbridge etc. often have to stand for their journey even if there are seats on the train not occupied by other people.

The people who refuse to move their stuff are often day trippers - ie people who don't use the train to commute to work. Some people can become quite aggressive and threatening when asked politely to move baggage to let people sit down. One day an elderly lady who had baggage strewn over two seats on the train (she was sitting on another) waved her walking stick at me in a very threatening manner when I politely asked her to free up one of the seats.

Has anybody else encountered this problem with people refusing to take baggage off seats? If people are fined for putting their feet on seats they should also be fined if they refuse to move their baggage to allow other passengers to sit down.

hyperborean

Emme wrote: »

I commute to Dublin by train and I have noticed that people clutter up seats with bags, laptops etc. They are often unwilling and sometimes refuse point blank to clear these seats for other passengers even if there are no other seats available. This means that people who get on in Kildare, Newbridge etc. often have to stand for their journey even if there are seats on the train not occupied by other people.

The people who refuse to move their stuff are often day trippers - ie people who don't use the train to commute to work. Some people can become quite aggressive and threatening when asked politely to move baggage to let people sit down. One day an elderly lady who had baggage strewn over two seats on the train (she was sitting on another) waved her walking stick at me in a very threatening manner when I politely asked her to free up one of the seats.

Has anybody else encountered this problem with people refusing to take baggage off seats? If people are fined for putting their feet on seats they should also be fined if they refuse to move their baggage to allow other passengers to sit down.

Just tell them to move their bags and if they dont move them for them. Dont be polite as these people dont deserve it.

pclive

I like to seek these people out and ask them to move the bag/coat etc

Strumms

It annoys the hell out of me. When you buy a ticket in a train you pay for 1 seat end of. Yes we would all like our journey to be as comfortable as possible with a good deal of personnel space but that is not determined by ourselves, fair enough if the carriage is half full or whatever but one person ensuring extra comfort and room for themselves should not come at the expense of somone being able to have a seat for a journey regardless. If somone refuses to free up a seat free it up yourself. Interestingly enough I have noticed this behaviour start up on Ryanair flights which causes boarding times to be longer and potential delays.. Sometimes 'society' bugs the **** outta me.

rainbowdash

pclive wrote: »

I like to seek these people out and ask them to move the bag/coat etc

Yeah I'd be the same, just move the bags for them and pay no heed.

foggy_lad

I was on the Waterford-Dublin train about 18 months ago and went to sit beside another passenger as the train was quite full and there were lots of people standing at the carriage ends. This obnoxious woman told me that I could not sit there as she had booked both seats. When challenged on the rules on seat reservations she went on to lie about having bought 2 tickets. luckily the ticket checker was on board and nearby so I asked him to sort the situation out. He checked her single ticket and told her that even if she bought a reservation or ticket for every seat on the train unless she produced actual people to sit on those seats they were availableto all other passengers!

He then went along the train insisting people clear bags coats handbags etc off seats. Fair play to him for that, it's a pity it happens so infrequently!

I have frequently seen people on bus coaches bring large suitcases as well as smaller airline carry-on type cases onto the bus and place them on seats or on the ground blocking seats or just leave them in the aisle. Unfortunately not enough drivers stop these ignorant people from doing this.

murphaph

It's node rude just to use a seat for a bag but the second a passenger needs or just wants that seat then the bag should be removed. The irony of the old woman with the walking stick is that she probably hadn't even paid for her own seat and was using 2 more!

foggy_lad

murphaph wrote: »

It's node rude just to use a seat for a bag but the second a passenger needs or just wants that seat then the bag should be removed. The irony of the old woman with the walking stick is that she probably hadn't even paid for her own seat and was using 2 more!

It is rude as not only is it an ignorant practice as it forces another person to have to ask for their seat but the bottom of the bag could also contain all kinds of dirt or bugs!

Most beg bug infestations are caused by people coming home from holidays, the bugs are transferred to their cases when they put the cases onto the beds in their holiday apartments, they then place the infested cases on their own beds at home to unpack.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/pdf/bedbugs-infested%20items.pdf

RGDATA!

Emme wrote: »

They are often unwilling and sometimes refuse point blank to clear these seats for other passengers even if there are no other seats available.

I've been on trains for years and have never seen this - i.e. someone refusing point blank to clear seats for other passengers.
There's probably an element of "i'll leave me bag beside me here and hopefully nobody will bother me" with some, but i've never had nor seen someone not move stuff when requested.

schemingbohemia

RGDATA! wrote: »

I've been on trains for years and have never seen this - i.e. someone refusing point blank to clear seats for other passengers.
There's probably an element of "i'll leave me bag beside me here and hopefully nobody will bother me" with some, but i've never had nor seen someone not move stuff when requested.

Yeah, neither have had anyone actually refuse, they might throw their eyes up or tsk but never refuse.

The whole bags on seats is a totally passive-aggressive tactic designed to force someone to ask them to move them rather than being considerate of other people's needs and leaving them on the ground or in the luggage racks above.

monument

foggy_lad wrote: »

It is rude as not only is it an ignorant practice as it forces another person to have to ask for their seat but the bottom of the bag could also contain all kinds of dirt or bugs!

Most beg bug infestations are caused by people coming home from holidays, the bugs are transferred to their cases when they put the cases onto the beds in their holiday apartments, they then place the infested cases on their own beds at home to unpack.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/pdf/bedbugs-infested%20items.pdf

Tone it down please!

Emme

RGDATA! wrote: »

I've been on trains for years and have never seen this - i.e. someone refusing point blank to clear seats for other passengers.
There's probably an element of "i'll leave me bag beside me here and hopefully nobody will bother me" with some, but i've never had nor seen someone not move stuff when requested.

I have seen it a few times on the Dublin-Waterford line, usually when the trains are travelling in the Waterford-Dublin direction. I suppose a train journey is part of a day out for some of these people and they treat it as such. They don't expect to or want to mix with grubby commuters. Ironically enough, it's the over 65s who hog seats most and taxpayers like me are funding their seats! :eek:

highlydebased

On a very busy train to Belfast over the bank holiday weekend one woman had a suitcase and several bags on the seat next to her. The elderly couple sitting opposite me mentioned it loudly every time the ticket checker/guard/train host/whatever he's called walked up and down though he never asked her to move the stuff and there were people standing.

I have also witnessed the John 3:7 sign (or whatever it is) take up seats on match days, one small design flaw of the overhead rack is the sign doesnt safely fit on it!

murphaph

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Yeah, neither have had anyone actually refuse, they might throw their eyes up or tsk but never refuse.

The whole bags on seats is a totally passive-aggressive tactic designed to force someone to ask them to move them rather than being considerate of other people's needs and leaving them on the ground or in the luggage racks above.

If there are luggage racks free then they should be used before a seat for sure, but if on a train with no racks then I see no problem using a seat until someone needs it.

Throwing one's eyes up to heaven when asked to move it however would be extremely rude in my book.

As for foggys bed bugs....well, do you prefer all these nastie ABOVE your head in a rack or under you on a seat? Hobson's choice perhaps.

Jamie2k9

I like to seek these people out and ask them to move the bag/coat etc

Me to I do like to start a row when I know I will win. The other passengers always end up making a tool of themselves in the end.

ongarboy

The rare time I travel by train from Dublin to Tralee in recent years, I was impressed for the driver or customer service agent to announce explicitly over the intercom on busy trains that passengers had to remove baggage from empty seats or else they will be charged for them. On quiet trains with plenty of empty seats, I see no problem with leaving belongings on neighbouring seats.

Lapin

On a recent journey from Limerick Junction to Portlaoise on a nearly full Cork - Dublin train I noticed an Irish Rail attendant moving through the train asking passengers with bags on seats to put them away and make room others.

I'd never seen this before and thought it was a nice touch. She was calm, polite and efficient. It also had the twofold effect of dealing with the situation in an orderly manner. Those with bags on seats are more likely to follow the instructions of an employee and it removes the uncomfortable responsibility from standing passengers of having to ask others to move their bags.


On a side note, I traversed a considerable chunk of the country that same day using 6 different trains. They were all on time, clean and all connections between trains were hassle free. Every member of Irish Rail staff I met that day was friendly and helpful. Things are improving.

Credit where its due !

Emme

Lapin wrote: »

On a recent journey from Limerick Junction to Portlaoise on a nearly full Cork - Dublin train I noticed an Irish Rail attendant moving through the train asking passengers with bags on seats to put them away and make room others.

I'd never seen this before and thought it was a nice touch. She was calm, polite and efficient. It also had the twofold effect of dealing with the situation in an orderly manner. Those with bags on seats are more likely to follow the instructions of an employee and it removes the uncomfortable responsibility from standing passengers of having to ask others to move their bags.


On a side note, I traversed a considerable chunk of the country that same day using 6 different trains. They were all on time, clean and all connections between trains were hassle free. Every member of Irish Rail staff I met that day was friendly and helpful. Things are improving.

Credit where its due !

Do you work for the Irish Rail PR office?

gobnaitolunacy

Emme wrote: »

Do you work for the Irish Rail PR office?

Do you have to be working for IE PR to say something good about an IE staff member at the top of their job? It's a refreshing change from all the incessant bashing.

Emme

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Do you have to be working for IE PR to say something good about an IE staff member at the top of their job? It's a refreshing change from all the incessant bashing.

No, but it doesn't ring true. I commute to work by train and I think it's very poor value for money. In my experience all ticket checkers did was make sure people had tickets and bully people mercilessly if they didn't. I wouldn't travel by train if I had another way of getting to work. Some of the tactics the revenue protection staff use are extremely intimidating. I saw them reduce a young Asian tourist to tears because she didn't have a ticket - she honestly thought she could buy it on the train as she had done that in other places.

Iarnrod Eireann's service is seriously lacking.

Lapin

Emme wrote: »

Do you work for the Irish Rail PR office?

If you read some of my other posts in relation to Irish Rail, you'll soon discover that that is far from the case.

But as I said above, I do believe in giving credit where its due.