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Sitting in the vestibule when seats are available

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All Line Rover

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Currently on a very quiet intercity train. There are hundreds of seats available, but there are still people sitting in the vestibules, obstructing access between carriages.

What is wrong with these people? Do they have a phobia of seats?
 
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SPADTrap

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Currently on a very quiet intercity train. There are hundreds of seats available, but there are still people sitting in the vestibules, obstructing access between carriages.

What is wrong with these people? Do they have a phobia of seats?

Probably a phobia of you? Unless they're seriously and dangerously obstructing the carriage access then why does it matter? Bask in the emptiness, look out the window, gawp into your phone?
 
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PaxVobiscum

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I can remember having to step over hikers cooking their breakfast on a primus stove in the vestibule on a Glasgow - Mallaig train in the early 1970s. That was potentially more of an issue, but nobody seemd to mind, including the guard. There was probably a much greater risk of fire from the locomotive :lol:
 

SpacePhoenix

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How many of them have got luggage that's too big to fit into the overhead racks?
 

All Line Rover

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How many of them have got luggage that's too big to fit into the overhead racks?

No substantial luggage. Just a rucksack. And there are multiple empty tables of four available in the same carriage.

They're not using a mobile phone, either (which would be different, although sitting on the floor is still rather odd).
 
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IKB

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If anyone gets up to have a pee, do let us know ;) On the edge of my seat here!
 

Jonfun

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It's when people choose to stand/sit/lie down/cram into the vestibules/aisles/luggage racks/bike areas despite seats being available then complain about "having to stand" that is the really strange bit.
 

me123

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It is amazing that, once someone decides to stand (for whatever reason), then everyone else who boards after them will simply assume that there are no seats so will just stand there too. Even if there are clearly dozens of seats. I wonder if it's risk-averse behaviour - they have a relatively good standing space, and don't want to risk it looking for a seat which may not exist leaving them standing in the middle of the aisle? It is quite fascinating watching this happen on a commuter train - all it takes is one person to actually go and find a seat and quite a few of the others will follow!

These will likely be the people complaining of overcrowding, of course :roll:
 

najaB

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It also happens when there are lots of empty seats with reservation cards on them.
Many people won't even look at the card to see where it is from/to. I wonder if they don't realise you can sit in the seat for the portion of the journey for which it isn't reserved.
 

Pacerpilot

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I've done it numerous times on XC. Fed up of getting turfed out of previously available seats when the seat is booked as the train is en route.
 

All Line Rover

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I've done it numerous times on XC. Fed up of getting turfed out of previously available seats when the seat is booked as the train is en route.

It's EMT. XC is abysmal for a range of reasons. I haven't travelled with them in years.

The passengers are sitting in the vestibule of the first class carriage, come to think of it. The standard class carriage (with all of two people inside!) is adjacent. I'm sure Flamingo would have turfed them out straight away. ;)
 

GarethJohn

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Currently on a very quiet intercity train. There are hundreds of seats available, but there are still people sitting in the vestibules, obstructing access between carriages.

What is wrong with these people? Do they have a phobia of seats?

They might be travelling between two close together stops. They may also have had experiences of walking through numerous carriages to see numerous Reserved seats and cannot be bothered to do so again. Why are so many reserved seats not taken during the Weekend anyway? You often see lines of passengers walking up & down the whole train, through carriages that are two thirds empty and reserved.
 

GB

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I often choose to stand in the vestibule area if my journey is less than half hour. Providing they move when requested whats the issue?
 

ag51ruk

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It's EMT. XC is abysmal for a range of reasons. I haven't travelled with them in years.

The passengers are sitting in the vestibule of the first class carriage, come to think of it. The standard class carriage (with all of two people inside!) is adjacent. I'm sure Flamingo would have turfed them out straight away. ;)

They are probably using the free Wi-Fi, then. Happens on Virgin all the time (albeit standing rather than sitting down)
 

PHILIPE

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Approx 20 years ago now I boarded an HST at Bristol Parkway and, on opening the door from the outside, some character who had obviously been sitting propped up against the door, fell out and got trapped between train and platform. Needless to say, there were plenty of empty seats on the train.
 

Greenback

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I sometimes sit in the vestibule when I'm not going far. It tend to be quieter and cooler there, but I always get out of the way at a station stop.
 

the101

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Currently on a very quiet intercity train. There are hundreds of seats available, but there are still people sitting in the vestibules, obstructing access between carriages.

What is wrong with these people? Do they have a phobia of seats?
And it affects you how, exactly? Don't worry about what other people are doing.
 

ComUtoR

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I sometimes sit in the vestibule when I'm not going far. It tend to be quieter and cooler there

Ooooh yeah.

I stood in a vestibule the other day. It was right under the air con blower. Boiling hot day and I was sublimely cool
 

Greenback

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I find it can also be more comfortable for me int he winter, when I'm all wrapped up and the heating in the carriage itself is blazing!
 

LowLevel

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I had a train earlier with 4 carriages. Most people chose to get in one carriage, a group of younger travellers set up camp in front of the bog door blocking it and the rest stood down the aisle looking fed up. I forced my way past, counted 40 odd seats in the rest of the train, told them all to move down the train on the PA and went and mopped up any stragglers in person. I then sent the trolley to mow down any people who had decided to remain in the way. It's a train. Camping on the vomit/rainwater/old drinks/dog poo/whatever else ridden floor is for disruption only. This seemed to work a treat.

My other least favorite people are those who try and occupy a vestibule tip up seat while I'm clearly stood in the way of it at the door panel. They get my backside and Avantix parked an inch off their nose and the odd whack in the shoulder with extreme prejudice.

Tip up seats, especially in bike spaces, should be removed - our trains that are full of standees invariably are also full of bikes as well, this leads to arguments between cyclists and seated persons about who has the right to the space, which I then have to go and resolve in the cyclist's favour.
 

All Line Rover

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They might be travelling between two close together stops.

They were on the train for at least two hours, so not in this case.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
They are probably using the free Wi-Fi, then. Happens on Virgin all the time (albeit standing rather than sitting down)

That must be it. I'm surprised EMT/VT/etc don't instruct their guards to charge a first class upgrade in such cases.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And it affects you how, exactly? Don't worry about what other people are doing.

It obstructs those with mobility problems or heavy luggage. It is a trip hazard. And fundamentally it is not pleasant to navigate an otherwise empty train with people slumped across the floor in front of vestibule doors - which explains why the majority of passengers (except those after free Wi-Fi) don't do it.
 
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Flamingo

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It's EMT. XC is abysmal for a range of reasons. I haven't travelled with them in years.

The passengers are sitting in the vestibule of the first class carriage, come to think of it. The standard class carriage (with all of two people inside!) is adjacent. I'm sure Flamingo would have turfed them out straight away. ;)

Damn right! <D

Best one I had recently was "So I can't stand beside a First Class toilet?"
"No sir, but we have eight Standard Class toilets you can stand beside, and I would recommend seeing a Dr if it's that much of a problem"...
 
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47271

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So they stand up in the hopes of using hopelessly unreliable train wifi free of charge. They can knock themselves out as far as I'm concerned... :)
 

Doctor Fegg

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I chose to sit in the vestibule of a Voyager a couple of weeks ago; having travelled to Birmingham and failed to do any work on my laptop due to the narrow seats and tiny tables, I figured it would be more comfortable to sit on the floor, lean my back against the door, and give my elbows room to move when typing. It was.

On my next journey I bought a 'via Worcester' ticket and enjoyed a much more spacious HST+170 journey.
 

Master29

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I often do on a Voyager if no window seats are available as it`s often claustrophobic in the seats. I suppose no harm if it doesn`t (or they don`t) obstruct anyone like bags or pushchairs across toilet doors etc.
 
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