Reply to: Removing a squatter from my reserved train seat

[d000hg]

Yeah, but then they don't want to get caught out finding they have sat in someone else's reserved seat.

[psychocandy]

If you travel on trains frequently you'll see reserved seats are frequently not used - you get to the station the reservation is from and nobody appears.

People buy multiple tickets in advance and don't use them, or get on and grab the first empty, unreserved seat. If the train is busy you might as well sit anywhere until asked to move, rather than stand the whole journey.

Train I catch every day has half the carriage reserved normally. I'd say about 5% of those reservations seem to be used - the train is half empty.

One thing that pisses me off. Carriage has got 5 people in it. I get a nice 4 seater table to myself. Someone gets on and is determined to have their reserved seat next to me and squashes in. FFS the trains empty. In the past I have got up and moved to an empty seat.

[kal]

If I remember correctly in the circumstances where the seat reservations are not showing then, according to their own staff, its a free for all.

Thats if there is a problem with the system, quite a few times they just haven't downloaded before they start letting people on, I just always sit in the unreserved coach now regardless.

[AtW]

Your airplane seat doesn't tell you who it's reserved for, you rely on your ticket.

You're lucky that most people are too British to do much. One day some burly fat drunk will be delighted to have a reason to lift you out of the seat when invited to do so... MarillionFan for instance

FTFY

[DaveB]

I think you can expect a visit from the church police.

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANI........ Oops, sorry, wrong Church.

As you were.

[SpontaneousOrder]

So you did give up the seat?

When there was empty space, yes. It's only when there is no space that there's a problem.

[Bunk]

In that case the train company has let you down. I wouldnt give up the seat if it wasn't ticketed, as I could have found one which wasn't ticketed if it had been done.

The only time it's happened to me before there was space in first class, so I went there and when the ticket guy kicked off I explained the situation, plainly refused and said that he's more than welcome to invite a police officer on board. None showed up. Train company got 2 fares and 1 happy customer and one slightly irritated customer.
The only way it could have been better is if they got 2 fares, and two happy customers.

So you did give up the seat?

[Spacecadet]

Indeed, virgin trains are the worst for this, half the time when I get on at euston the seat reservations haven't downloaded and one has no idea whether the seat is reserved or not, should be first come first served IMO.

Oh and if he was a bishop why wasn't he in first class, with the tens of billions the catholic church is sitting on surely that's standard?

If I remember correctly in the circumstances where the seat reservations are not showing then, according to their own staff, its a free for all.

[MyUserName]

Another elegant solution.

It's a Welsh valley negotiating strategy ... pretty much the only one.

[d000hg]

Your airplane seat doesn't tell you who it's reserved for, you rely on your ticket.

You're lucky that most people are too British to do much. One day some burly overworked chap will be delighted to have a reason to lift you out of the seat when invited to do so... Mich for instance

[SpontaneousOrder]

The reservation is not a piece of paper stuck to your seat. The reservation has been made but they haven't made it obvious... if someone is on the right train with a reservation on their ticket, how can you say the reservation hasn't been made?

It's definitely arguable that it has been made, but as far as I'm concerned it's a two part process. Just like driving without displaying a tax disc is an offence, even if you actually have a tax disc.

When it comes to giving the benefit of the doubt, I tend to give it to myself.

The only time it's happened to me before there was space in first class, so I went there and when the ticket guy kicked off I explained the situation, plainly refused and said that he's more than welcome to invite a police officer on board. None showed up. Train company got 2 fares and 1 happy customer and one slightly irritated customer.
The only way it could have been better is if they got 2 fares, and two happy customers.

[SpontaneousOrder]

There was an ancient Greek philosophical riddle about what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object. The answer is that the force stops and the object moves. If we apply this wisdom to this situation, then we understand that SO will indeed vacate the seat, but that GW is not going to take it.

Because as I'm forced to vacate the seat I'd do a tactical wee so that GW wouldn't want it anyway.

[MicrosoftBob]

to punch you and then sit down again?

Seen that happen in Kent, which in turn held everyone up as the train stopped at the next station until the police arrived

[CoolCat]

I sat opposite my MP on a train out of the smoke recently. She had a reserved seat in standard class. She was way more foxy than she looks in publicity pics.

yes the expenses rule change has forced MP's into standard class when on expenses

although MEP's and European commissioners still get to travel 1st, including Eurostar to Brussels which is full of them

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I sat opposite my MP on a train out of the smoke recently. She had a reserved seat in standard class. She was way more foxy than she looks in publicity pics.