Bags on seat riddle

[GodAtum]

"At what level of busyness should you remove your bag from the seat?"

If I'm the only person in the carriage I will usually keep my bag on a seat, as soon as the seats start to fill I will put my bag under me. I would say this is polite.

 

[455driver]

Your bag shouldnt be on the seat in the first place so boarding passengers have the full choice of where to sit.

 

[cf111]

I always put my bag up in the luggage rack, assuming there is one. I don't see a problem with people putting them on seats on a quiet train myself but I don't bother.

 

[transmanche]

Your bag shouldnt be on the seat in the first place so boarding passengers have the full choice of where to sit.

IN the real world, I'd move my bag once there were no longer any free double seats available.

This, of course, only refers to small bags which have items required for the journey. Anything else goes in the luggage rack

 

[LowLevel]

Your bag shouldnt be on the seat in the first place so boarding passengers have the full choice of where to sit.

Mine stays on the seat till most of the remaining clear pairs of seats have gone - got no time or desire for the usual vile smelling stoat who wants to talk to you unless strictly necessary!! I would never attempt to deprive someone without the confidence to speak up a seat though.

 

[455driver]

Mine stays on the seat till most of the remaining clear pairs of seats have gone - got no time or desire for the usual vile smelling stoat who wants to talk to you unless strictly necessary!! I would never attempt to deprive someone without the confidence to speak up a seat though.

Travel 1st class then!

That is simply an selfish/ ignorant attitude!

 

[GatwickDepress]

Since most of my rail travel occurs on routes that stay wholly quiet, my bag usually stays on my seat until the carriage is at least 1/3rd full or I pre-emptively remove it while the train approaches a station I know will be busy.

If anybody wants me to move it before then, I certainly will. I know it's selfish, but I'm not a big fan of being sat next to when the rest of the carriage is virtually empty.* It creeps me out.

I'd to think it isn't selfish to keep my bag on my seat for the two minutes between Ore and Hastings on the 0622 service whose passengers then comprise myself, the conductor, the driver, and a fly.


*Reservations, I understand.

 

[parkender102]

If boarding a train with limited seating I actually make a point of asking people to remove bags so I can sit down rather than sit next to a person who has thoughtfully left the seat next to them free to sit down on! Especially if it’s someone with a laptop and all the other paraphenelia spread out over 2 seats in a ‘no-one is going to sit next to me’ manner!

 

[headshot119]

It depends on the particular service I'm traveling on, I regularly get the 07:32 Wrexham General - Cardiff Central on a Monday morning, and I know I'm almost guaranteed a bay of four around a table to myself, in which case I leave my "carry on" bag next to me on the seat, with everything else in the over head, or luggage racks.

Conversely I have the (mis)fortune to get the 18:28 Chester - Cardiff Central on a Friday, I know it will be full and standing on departure so ensure everything is in the rack, or under my seat before departure so people can get a seat next to me.

 

[t_star2001uk]

Mine stays on the seat till most of the remaining clear pairs of seats have gone - got no time or desire for the usual vile smelling stoat who wants to talk to you unless strictly necessary!! I would never attempt to deprive someone without the confidence to speak up a seat though.

So if a Revenue Inspector came through and charged you the full standard single fare for your bag, would you object then.......

 

[telstarbox]

If it's a quiet service with spare double seats I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to give each other some space, reservations notwithstanding.

 

[DarloRich]

Bags go in the rack, bums go on seats. End of issue.

 

[Tomnick]

If I'm travelling with a small rucksack or similar, especially on a short journey, it usually perches on the seat next to me if the train's quiet. If it's getting busy, I'll pop it on my lap whilst people are boarding (or at any time if someone asks to sit there!), where it can happily remain - doesn't take a moment, so I can't see the problem with that approach!

 

[Be3G]

Judging from responses so far in this thread there're going to be lots of people rolling their eyes at me: I used to sometimes put my bag on the seat next to me on a busy train. I was a student (meaning first class travel wasn't an option!) with a 2-hours-each-way commute to/from university, so being productive on my commute was pretty important to me. Juggling books, photocopies, and a laptop in the space of just one narrow seat on a 3+2 layout train was quite difficult, so as I saw it, I might as well make use of an otherwise empty seat. However, if anyone asked to sit in it, I happily let them use it and moved my stuff – I didn't just glower and grunt at them.

The trains in question were those that were just about full-and-standing – you know, when technically there're enough seats for everyone but some people choose to stand anyway, leaving a few seats spare. If the train had been sardine-packed with every seat in use and lots standing like a tube train I probably would have changed my approach, but otherwise, I didn't see it causing anyone any harm.

 

[khib70]

Bags go in the rack, bums go on seats. End of issue.

This, with huge clanging bells on. Very few things hack me off more than this. And very few things give me warmer feelings about rail staff than guards/TM's who proactively deal with these selfish gits.

 

[WelshBluebird]

This, with huge clanging bells on. Very few things hack me off more than this. And very few things give me warmer feelings about rail staff than guards/TM's who proactively deal with these selfish gits.

Seriously? Even when the train is quiet? I seriously doubt the vast majority of people would have a problem with a bag being on a seat when the train is quiet. When a train is busy, now that is a different story.

Here is a question for people who are so against it. What about trains that do not have luggage areas? Like the ATW 150's and pacers. Sure they have the overhead storage areas, but very often they are not adequate (someone may be too short or too weak to lift their bag that high).

 

[GatwickDepress]

Seriously? Even when the train is quiet? I seriously doubt the vast majority of people would have a problem with a bag being on a seat when the train is quiet. When a train is busy, now that is a different story.

Here is a question for people who are so against it. What about trains that do not have luggage areas? Like the ATW 150's and pacers. Sure they have the overhead storage areas, but very often they are not adequate (someone may be too short or too weak to lift their bag that high).

Likewise, under the pantograph well in an Electrostar, which lack luggage racks.

 

[mad_rich]

The trouble is "I'll move if it gets busy"

becomes

"I'll move if someone asks me"

becomes

"I'll stick my headphones in and bury myself in a book while I defend my space vigorously and generally look unapproachable"

I too take a perverse pleasure in choosing to sit next to the space hogs rather than the more public-spirited passengers.

(Same on easyJet, recently. I boarded a busy flight early to get my favourite extra leg-room seat of 1B or 1C by the door. I found a couple had picked 1A and 1C, and dumped their belongings in the middle seat, 1B. After trying to ignore me, they accepted that the seat was free. After five minutes, they decided they'd rather like to sit next to each other after all, so offered me the cramped 1A. I said I'd happily swap for 1C but I didn't want 1A. We all stayed where we were. That was a rather frosty two hours, but it amused me no end.)

 

[GatwickDepress]

The trouble is "I'll move if it gets busy"

becomes

"I'll move if someone asks me"

becomes

"I'll stick my headphones in and bury myself in a book while I defend my space vigorously and generally look unapproachable"

I too take a perverse pleasure in choosing to sit next to the space hogs rather than the more public-spirited passengers.

Ah, so that must mean you're the weird smelly bloke wearing a bomber jacket who always sits next to me on the bus.

But seriously, it doesn't progress to that, at least not for me. I rigidly adhere to the "I'll move my bag before we reach X" stratagem.

 

[chorleyjeff]

Mine stays on the seat till most of the remaining clear pairs of seats have gone - got no time or desire for the usual vile smelling stoat who wants to talk to you unless strictly necessary!! I would never attempt to deprive someone without the confidence to speak up a seat though.

Are most people on trains a "vile smeling stoat"?
That's not my experience.
Also it is not my experience that the person in the seat next to mine talks to me.
Perhaps you should travel the Preston to Manchester routes to travel with a non smelly non talking person in the seat next to yours. However they often shout into mobile telephone devices for prolonged periods.

 

[ECML180]

This, with huge clanging bells on. Very few things hack me off more than this. And very few things give me warmer feelings about rail staff than guards/TM's who proactively deal with these selfish gits.

On a busy train, it would be selfish to take up space with your luggage on a seat(assuming there is a better place for it).
But on a quiet train, if there's double seats free then I see no reason to put clean, non-damaging luggage on a seat. By insisting someone else moves their luggage so you can sit next to them, you're going out of your way to irritate them...which in my books is selfish.

 

[Mojo]

If my bag is on the seat then I'd agree with those above; move it when there aren't many pairs of seats left. Normally though if on pulling into a station the platform looks busy I'd move it before the train comes to a stand.

 

[G0ORC]

Bags are annoying, irritating and should go in the spaces provided.

Don't get me started with feet on seats............

 

[DynamicSpirit]

The trouble is "I'll move if it gets busy"

becomes

"I'll move if someone asks me"

becomes

"I'll stick my headphones in and bury myself in a book while I defend my space vigorously and generally look unapproachable"

I agree, what you've described would be a problem on those occasions that it happens. But in my experience, what you've described is very rare. The vast majority of people who put bags on seats when it's quiet do remove them, either when the train starts to get busy, or when it's obvious someone needs the seat. That doesn't seem a problem at all to me.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So if a Revenue Inspector came through and charged you the full standard single fare for your bag, would you object then.......

I didn't realize the fare was specifically for use of a single seat - I was always under the impression the fare was for a single person to travel. Does that mean if I have to stand (or choose to stand), I can claim back the full price of my fare?

 

[DiscoStu]

Your bag shouldnt be on the seat in the first place so boarding passengers have the full choice of where to sit.

Why does it matter if the carriage is practically empty anyway?

If there are a hundred other empty seats, it's highly unlikely that anybody will choose the one right next to you anyway. A certain level of common sense can be applied here, I think.

I'd usually move my bag or coat when it appears all other "double" seats have been taken, because like I say, most, if not all people would choose the double seat ahead of sitting next to a stranger.

In my experience anyway.

 

[LowLevel]

I was perhaps unnecessarily facetious in my original posting. The more full reasoning behind the manner in which I sit is that I'm 6 ft 2 and broad shouldered which regrettably means on some types of train I encroach into two seats. I'd rather avoid sharing as a result, but as I say I do move my belongings if seat choice reduces or if specifically asked as I wouldn't want to do anyone shy out of a seat altogether. I'm also afraid I'm a train guard so should know better but there ya go.

 

[LBSCR Times]

"At what level of busyness should you remove your bag from the seat?"

If I'm the only person in the carriage I will usually keep my bag on a seat, as soon as the seats start to fill I will put my bag under me. I would say this is polite.

I sit in the airline style aisle seat, and put my briefcase (carrier bag!) on the drop down table. With my size it covers part of the window seat, so only a small person can sit next to me.......

 

[Tetchytyke]

On quiet trains I'll have my bag next to me.

On busy trains I'll move it, probably around the time most double seats have one person in them.

As for taking seats, if there's some grumpy person pointedly not moving their bags, I'll sit next to them. I'm six foot and sixteen stone, they love me for it, as I also am slightly wider than the narrow seats you get on 3+2 trains. It gives me great pleasure to annoy them like that.

If I don't want someone to sit next to me, I normally move my bag and grin at them. It seems to scare most people away.

 

[RPM]

What a storm in a teacup. What possible objection could there be to people placing a small bag on an empty seat and then pre-emptively moving it before the seat is required? I can't believe some of the attitudes on here, especially from staff. This is the sort of thing that gives the railway a bad name. Get over yourselves!

 

[DiscoStu]

What a storm in a teacup. What possible objection could there be to people placing a small bag on an empty seat and then pre-emptively moving it before the seat is required? I can't believe some of the attitudes on here, especially from staff. This is the sort of thing that gives the railway a bad name. Get over yourselves!

Isn't it.

So many nit-picking jobsworths on here.