Your guide to handling a**holes on public transport

bitofabind

Currently taking a Eurostar train from London to Rotterdam. Middle Aged Dutch wan in front of me chomping her way through sandwiches, crisps and cake the whole journey so far.

I’m in the outside seat in a four-seater with a table between us. Lady on the inside needs the loo so I stand up, empty coffee cup flies across the table and a few specks of coffee hit the legs of hungry Dutchie in front of me, who’s sprawled across both seats. She gasps and glares at me so I apologise and offer her some napkins to clean up. She keeps glaring so I say “there’s nothing I can do” / she gasps again “I cannot believe you said that” / “why? What exactly would you like me to do?” Cue continued outrage and glaring.

To clarify - we’re talking a few flecks of coffee from the bottom of an empty cup here, not some “I need a change of outfit and the rest of my journey has been ruined” disaster.

I’ve now re-seated myself in an empty seat across the way and am ignoring her glares in my direction, what an absolute wagon this woman must be to everyone who knows her, is what I’m thinking.

How do the goof folks of AH handle such bints on public transport?

Thelonious Monk

Kick her in the vadge

spurious

Mash yourself into the seat beside her. All the better if you end up spreading into 'her' space. She will soon move.

punisher5112

Get a refill and knock it proper this time....

Damien360

Get another cup of coffee and raise it in her direction saying cheers. Tell her you will wait until it’s empty again before placing it on her table.

KiKi III

She’s probably just posted a similar rant about inconsiderate fellow travellers on boards.nl.

buried

Start coughing and sneezing and roar into your phone how you just came back from China.

You'll soon have the entire carriage to yourself.

Richard Hillman

When I'm on the inside seat and somebody is about to set beside me. I always leave my elbow sticking out so set a boundary of how far the person can sit into the double seater

bfa1509

Hand her a snickers and say - "You're not you when you are hungry"

Roughly the equivalent of travelling with certain "passengers" on the Go Ahead Ireland 76 / A Tallaght - Chapelizod - Blanch Bus, and Red Line Luas OP.
I'd get a taxi instead.

bitofabind

Deleted User wrote: »

Roughly the equivalent of travelling with certain "passengers" on the Go Ahead Ireland 76 / A Tallaght - Chapelizod - Blanch Bus, and Red Line Luas OP.
I'd get a taxi instead.

Yeah fair point, but a taxi from London to the Netherlands is just slightly over my budget...

One eyed Jack

KiKi III wrote: »

She’s probably just posted a similar rant about inconsiderate fellow travellers on boards.nl.

Legend

bitofabind

KiKi III wrote: »

She’s probably just posted a similar rant about inconsiderate fellow travellers on boards.nl.

Why tho? I apologised profusely and gave her napkins. When she turned into a rude bint, I responded in kind and moved seats.

Sit beside her and let a silent but deadly out! That’ll put her off her munching!

mfceiling

Don't mind her OP. I knocked an oul one flying this evening getting off the train at Heathrow. Stopped at the first stop and there were loads getting off. I gave her a chance to get off but as the doors were announced to be closing she stopped at the entrance for a good oul look around. Sharpened up fairly lively when I volleyed her suitcase on to the platform accompanied with an elbow to her side. No concept that there were loads behind her trying to get off. Dope.

8valve

Keep farting. Loudly.

8valve

8valve wrote: »

Keep farting. Loudly.

Or silently!

the purple tin

8valve wrote: »

Keep farting. Loudly.

Breaking wind on public transport is heavily frowned upon in the Netherlands; you can even be hit with an on the spot fine.

lainey_d_123

Your mistake was sitting in a 4 seater...potential for three times as much hassle than if you'd gone for 2 seats with no table!

I've always found the Dutch to be some of the rudest people on earth. It's weird because the sound ones are really sound but the rude ones are really ghastly beyond anything I've encountered elsewhere.

bitofabind

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Your mistake was sitting in a 4 seater...potential for three times as much hassle than if you'd gone for 2 seats with no table!

I've always found the Dutch to be some of the rudest people on earth. It's weird because the sound ones are really sound but the rude ones are really ghastly beyond anything I've encountered elsewhere.

That’s the first time I’ve heard that but interesting to hear. I live in London so am fairly used to abruptness, but this missus was another level. I had to move away from her ugly grimace after that encounter, face like a slapped arse over a fairly minor grievance.

lainey_d_123

mfceiling wrote: »

Don't mind her OP. I knocked an oul one flying this evening getting off the train at Heathrow. Stopped at the first stop and there were loads getting off. I gave her a chance to get off but as the doors were announced to be closing she stopped at the entrance for a good oul look around. Sharpened up fairly lively when I volleyed her suitcase on to the platform accompanied with an elbow to her side. No concept that there were loads behind her trying to get off. Dope.

There seems to be an endless stream of idiots who don't understand the concept of people being behind them. Whether it's barging through a door and letting it slam in your face, or stopping at the bottom of an escalator, these people always looked shocked to realise that there are people behind them. Like, how do you walk around in a major city and not get that concept? They must be so self involved.

Reminds me of a few weeks ago when I was on a business trip and running for a connecting train. There was a whole pile of us racing to another platform, as our first train had pulled in late and we only had about a minute to make the connection or wait for about an hour and a half. Loads of us ran down the stairs to the next platform and then suddenly a big group of about 15 British girls walking about five abreast just stopped dead, saying "oh it's fine ours is the next train", in the process completely blocking everyone behind them. I furiously barged them out of the way, as did a few others, and they had the nerve to look at us, all shocked and indignant like we were the rude ones! Just about made it into the train but about half the people didn't because of them.

Absolute morons.

banie01

the purple tin wrote: »

Breaking wind on public transport is heavily frowned upon in the Netherlands; you can even be hit with an on the spot fine.

They aren't in the Netherlands yet tho

I'd go with a Corona Virus freakout.

Fake call discussing your recent business trip to China, complain about a sore throat then start coughing.

When it all kicks off with quarantine, call her a liar and point out your call history with no call.

She gets sectioned!

punisher5112

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

There seems to be an endless stream of idiots who don't understand the concept of people being behind them. Whether it's barging through a door and letting it slam in your face, or stopping at the bottom of an escalator, these people always looked shocked to realise that there are people behind them. Like, how do you walk around in a major city and not get that concept? They must be so self involved.

Reminds me of a few weeks ago when I was on a business trip and running for a connecting train. There was a whole pile of us racing to another platform, as our first train had pulled in late and we only had about a minute to make the connection or wait for about an hour and a half. Loads of us ran down the stairs to the next platform and then suddenly a big group of about 15 British girls walking about five abreast just stopped dead, saying "oh it's fine ours is the next train", in the process completely blocking everyone behind them. I furiously barged them out of the way, as did a few others, and they had the nerve to look at us, all shocked and indignant like we were the rude ones! Just about made it into the train but about half the people didn't because of them.

Absolute morons.

Should have held the door

bitofabind

Coronavirus would’ve been a good shout but I don’t have the time or energy for quarantine, I’ve hit my BS threshold for one day.

Kinda wish I’d been even more obnoxious now, or at least stared her down a bit more and told her to go fcuk herself. Nothing triggers me as much as rude bints.

lainey_d_123

punisher5112 wrote: »

Should have held the door

We tried but were yelled at in German by both the conductor and several passengers. At least we tried

machaseh

bitofabind wrote: »

Currently taking a Eurostar train from London to Rotterdam. Middle Aged Dutch wan in front of me chomping her way through sandwiches, crisps and cake the whole journey so far.

I’m in the outside seat in a four-seater with a table between us. Lady on the inside needs the loo so I stand up, empty coffee cup flies across the table and a few specks of coffee hit the legs of hungry Dutchie in front of me, who’s sprawled across both seats. She gasps and glares at me so I apologise and offer her some napkins to clean up. She keeps glaring so I say “there’s nothing I can do” / she gasps again “I cannot believe you said that” / “why? What exactly would you like me to do?” Cue continued outrage and glaring.

To clarify - we’re talking a few flecks of coffee from the bottom of an empty cup here, not some “I need a change of outfit and the rest of my journey has been ruined” disaster.

I’ve now re-seated myself in an empty seat across the way and am ignoring her glares in my direction, what an absolute wagon this woman must be to everyone who knows her, is what I’m thinking.

How do the goof folks of AH handle such bints on public transport?

It sounds like you're the antisocial one here, spraying her with coffee drops from an empty cup.

What exactly did she do wrong? Eating on the train is allowed.

I also fail to see how she being Dutch is relevant at all, or how you would even know she's Dutch in the first place.

machaseh

As for handling antisocial behavior on trains:

once on the morning train a p**** tracksuit stinking of green and drink was sitting in a four seater with his dirty shoes on the seat in front of him. Right next to a sign 'don't put your feet on the seat' mind you. So I asked your man to remove his feet from the seat.

Next morn the same p**** tracksuit was sitting in a four seater with his dirty paws on the seat again. So I asked him again to remove his feet from the seat telling him that I recognized him from before. He was like yeah nah and kept his feet on the seat.

So I just took a photo of him and then suddenly he angrily stood up and started swearing. I told your man I'd report him to iarnrod eireann (or however you spell it). To de-escalate the situation I moved to a different carriage, wouldn't want to end up in a fight on my way to work now.

Irish Rail did reply 2 weeks after the incident ( :rolleyes: ) and said they would 'address the issue of anti social behaviour on morning trains'.

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I've always found the Dutch to be some of the rudest people on earth. It's weird because the sound ones are really sound but the rude ones are really ghastly beyond anything I've encountered elsewhere.

At least we eat with our mouths closed and wait until everybody exited the train before we enter unlike Irish people. :rolleyes:

krissovo

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I've always found the Dutch to be some of the rudest people on earth. It's weird because the sound ones are really sound but the rude ones are really ghastly beyond anything I've encountered elsewhere.

The Dutch are not rude, they are society who speak their minds (similar to South Africans) and I find the most honest in Europe, they call a spade ...... a spade. Not like us who put a brave face on everything and hold back our real emotions. If roles were reversed and she spilled coffee on the OP there is a good chance he would have apologized to her, its our nature.

lainey_d_123

krissovo wrote: »

The Dutch are not rude, they are society who speak their minds (similar to South Africans) and I find the most honest in Europe, they call a spade ...... a spade. Not like us who put a brave face on everything and hold back our real emotions. If roles were reversed and she spilled coffee on the OP there is a good chance he would have apologized to her, its our nature.

Sorry, no. There's being honest and speaking your mind and then there's being a rude c*nt, and a lot of them fall into the latter category. There's a reason that tact and empathy are generally valued in societies around the world.

Another funny thing about the rude Dutch people I've known is that they could give it out but they could never, ever take it back. God forbid you spoke to them the way they spoke to you, they would be incredibly offended.

I mean, what can someone do if they accidentally spray a few drops of coffee on you? It's an accident. It's not like bitofabind woke up yesterday and decided to pour coffee over a stranger. She was getting up to let someone else out (so not even her own choice) and accidentally knocked an empty cup. She did apologise and offered some napkins. What else can you do?!

BlaktainPicard

I remember being on a greyhound bus in the US from NYC to Cape Cod ' hungover, and some fecker sat beside me with a load of strong smelling sandwiches and was munching away the whole journey - awful.

BillyBird

mfceiling wrote: »

Don't mind her OP. I knocked an oul one flying this evening getting off the train at Heathrow. Stopped at the first stop and there were loads getting off. I gave her a chance to get off but as the doors were announced to be closing she stopped at the entrance for a good oul look around. Sharpened up fairly lively when I volleyed her suitcase on to the platform accompanied with an elbow to her side. No concept that there were loads behind her trying to get off. Dope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmxmuW9HacY

Millicently

BlaktainPicard wrote: »

I remember being on a greyhound bus in the US from NYC to Cape Cod ' hungover, and some fecker sat beside me with a load of strong smelling sandwiches and was munching away the whole journey - awful.

I absolutely hate when they eat stinky food in a confined windowless space. You can be trapped for hours with it. The amount of people who buy crap from Supermacs and eat it on the train from Heuston is ridiculous, that crap should be banned, the stench of it is atrocious but I console myself that it's probably going to leave them raw arsed on the way out of them.

Strumms

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Your mistake was sitting in a 4 seater...potential for three times as much hassle than if you'd gone for 2 seats with no table!

This, yep, to be avoided at all costs. There will always be at least one of the four who will think it’s their personal office space with laptop, food, paperwork, loud phone calls....and whatever else, I rarely have a comfortable journey if I’m stuck there, give me an aisle seat at a two seater before anywhere at a four...

On the most Eurostar trains they have in Standard Premier ‘solo’ seats with just one seat and a table, or one seat opposite one seat, worth it for a more comfy, relaxed and jackass free experience.

machaseh

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Sorry, no. There's being honest and speaking your mind and then there's being a rude c*nt, and a lot of them fall into the latter category. There's a reason that tact and empathy are generally valued in societies around the world.

Another funny thing about the rude Dutch people I've known is that they could give it out but they could never, ever take it back. God forbid you spoke to them the way they spoke to you, they would be incredibly offended.
!

I made a thread on how Irish people are superficial on this forum a while ago and it exploded into a 100 page rac1st tirade telling me to get out of Ireland.

Don't dish out what you can't serve is the motto, and the Irish are certainly not better at following that motto than the Dutch.

machaseh

Incidentally, once I was having a phone call on a train to cork and I already had a few cans (as I find train rides super boring and drinking is the only thing to do) and perhaps my voice was a bit loud. I then realized after like 5 minutes that all the irish people were like very subtly gesturing to me and looking at me in a strange way.

Why didn't they just shout 'TURN DOWN THE VOLUME THERE BUDDY', then I would have stopped talking loudly instantly. That's what we would do in the Netherlands. Or even tap someone's shoulder and politely asked to turn the volume down.

This strange gesturing and winking really does not land with me no.

nigeldaniel

About 10% of the population are just aching for a confrontation of any kind. Tolerance is increasing a necessary tool to have.

looksee

machaseh wrote: »

Incidentally, once I was having a phone call on a train to cork and I already had a few cans (as I find train rides super boring and drinking is the only thing to do) and perhaps my voice was a bit loud. I then realized after like 5 minutes that all the irish people were like very subtly gesturing to me and looking at me in a strange way.

Why didn't they just shout 'TURN DOWN THE VOLUME THERE BUDDY', then I would have stopped talking loudly instantly. That's what we would do in the Netherlands. Or even tap someone's shoulder and politely asked to turn the volume down.

This strange gesturing and winking really does not land with me no.

They didn't shout 'TURN DOWN THE VOLUME THERE BUDDY' because this is not somewhere else, its Ireland, and that's not the way people interact here. It doesn't matter whether you think its right or wrong, that's how it is. If you want the interaction of the Netherlands then that is where you have to be. This is a different country, with different customs and its your responsibility to find out what those customs are, or accept being considered a foreign barbarian.

pjdarcy

bitofabind wrote: »

...

I’ve now re-seated myself in an empty seat across the way and am ignoring her glares in my direction...

Instead, just meet her glare with a expressionless steely stare and maintain it for the rest of the train journey.

punisher5112

I've told many they invented a thing called ear phones...

machaseh

looksee wrote: »

They didn't shout 'TURN DOWN THE VOLUME THERE BUDDY' because this is not somewhere else, its Ireland, and that's not the way people interact here. It doesn't matter whether you think its right or wrong, that's how it is. If you want the interaction of the Netherlands then that is where you have to be. This is a different country, with different customs and its your responsibility to find out what those customs are, or accept being considered a foreign barbarian.

But why don't they? It is much quicker to just tell the culprit that he's being a bit too loud. Sometimes people get carried away in a conversation and don't realize, especially after a couple of cans.

bitofabind

I'm all about direct communication where things don't get lost in translation or the message doesn't get watered down in its delivery.

I can be fairly abrupt myself tbh, hard to get from A to B without hassle when you're living in London. The way this woman behaved wasn't abrupt or direct, it was RUDE. It someone spills a few iotas of coffee on you BY ACCIDENT and APOLOGISES and offers some tissues by way of further apology, and you're still acting like a giant cuunt, well then probability says you're likely just a giant cuunt.

Patrick2010

machaseh wrote: »

But why don't they? It is much quicker to just tell the culprit that he's being a bit too loud. Sometimes people get carried away in a conversation and don't realize, especially after a couple of cans.

TBH If I was sitting near some loudmouth on the phone knocking back cans I'd be reluctant to say something. People are usually cautious about confrontations in areas like trains, buses etc.

Feisar

machaseh wrote: »

But why don't they? It is much quicker to just tell the culprit that he's being a bit too loud. Sometimes people get carried away in a conversation and don't realize, especially after a couple of cans.

Were you speaking Dutch? Probably thought you were an eastern European and might stab them:pac::pac::pac:

humberklog

I carry a battered up blue plaster (like for kitchen staff) and pop it on the seat beside me.

machaseh

bitofabind wrote: »

I'm all about direct communication where things don't get lost in translation or the message doesn't get watered down in its delivery.

I can be fairly abrupt myself tbh, hard to get from A to B without hassle when you're living in London. The way this woman behaved wasn't abrupt or direct, it was RUDE. It someone spills a few iotas of coffee on you BY ACCIDENT and APOLOGISES and offers some tissues by way of further apology, and you're still acting like a giant cuunt, well then probability says you're likely just a giant cuunt.

I would agree with that but I find the context of her just eating on the train (which is perfectly allowed) a bit superfluous.

machaseh

Feisar wrote: »

Were you speaking Dutch? Probably thought you were an eastern European and might stab them:pac::pac::pac:

I had no idea that Dutch sounded like Eastern European languages to the Irish ear? I usually hear that it sounds like German (which is logical as it is related to German). Especially the guttural sounds that we have are to my knowledge not present in any eastern european language. But who knows.

frash

buried wrote: »

Start coughing and sneezing and roar into your phone how you just came back from China.

You'll soon have the entire carriage to yourself.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51457610

https://twitter.com/vesti_news/status/1226863875242500096

Redneck Reject71

I like the ones who are on their phones, having a conversation on speakerphone.I start joining in the conversation, laughing and asking questions. All the while the person is giving me dirty looks or telling me to STFU.It's not soon after they take it off speaker or hang up and spend the rest of the trip mumbling under their breathe and giving me the stink eye. Which is another source of entertainment for me,heh.

anewme

I flew to Greece with my sister in May. We booked 2 aisle seats opposite each other. I arrived to my seat and there was a very large couple there. ( non English speaking) She was in my seat, he was in the window and they both had crap on the middle seat. I stood beside my seat and was double checking the ticket. The woman in my seat pointed to the middle seat and I pointed to my aisle seat. She moved into it reluctantly was spilling over in top of me.

Once the flight started they opened a bag, which had a whole loaf of cold toast and then a jam jar which they had filled with some kind of smelly fish concoction. They ate it for most of the flight and the SMELL. My sister was laughing at me initially as I was like a lunatic, but then the smell infected the whole area and the laughing stopped.

Worst flight of my life.

The SMELL.

bitofabind

anewme wrote: »

I flew to Greece with my sister in May. We booked 2 aisle seats opposite each other. I arrived to my seat and there was a very large couple there. ( non English speaking) She was in my seat, he was in the window and they both had crap on the middle seat. I stood beside my seat and was double checking the ticket. The woman in my seat pointed to the middle seat and I pointed to my aisle seat. She moved into it reluctantly was spilling over in top of me.

Once the flight started they opened a bag, which had a loaf whole of cold toast and then a jam jar which they had filled with some kind of smelly fish concoction. They ate it for most of the flight and the SMELL. My sister was laughing at me initially as I was like a lunatic, but then the smell infected the whole area and the laughing stopped.

Worst flight of my life.

The SMELL.

How do people get away with this kind of carry-on? Surely a flight attendant should've intervened.

anewme

I laugh at it now. Sods law that I got landed right beside them.