Young children on trains

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Or worse, a Voyager.

I'm incredibly weird and love voyagers! More than a 444! More than a 159!

 

[Sprinter153]

One thing that makes me reach for the Nurofen Max Strength even more than the complete works of Tchaikovsky through the tinny speakers of a five-year-old's tablet is, quite possibly, the school holidays on this august forum.

 

[Dhassell]

Just yesterday in the Bristol Temple Meads 'concourse', a parent with her i would say 5 year old kid walked in and was purchasing a ticket and the kid wanted his drink, when she said in a minute and she had to buy a ticket, the loudest most high pitched scream I had ever heard came out, It continued on and off for a minute and by that time I had taken myself outside, it was that loud...

 

[richieb1971]

Trains are long and usually there are spare seats elsewhere. That is my 1st point of call.

If thats not possible, I'll ask whomever in charge of the kids if they wouuldn't mind sorting it out.

If thats not possible i'll stick on my own headphones.


Nothing is worse that what I once saw. A fully grown man standing in the aisle listening to headphones really loud (even through the headphones). He was swaying with the train and a foot of snot was dangling from side to side from his nose. The closest 2 seats were vacant. I was in the adjacent seats waiting for the drop.

 

[341o2]

Agree on this, and it's not just on trains but everywhere. Some dog owners seem to feel it is their right to allow their dog to roam anywhere, including running up to and jumping up on other people and dogs. Needless to say if their dog approaches another dog and gets snapped at it somehow is the other dog's fault. Meanwhile, happened to read through the reviews section for several attractions in northern England, half the reviews were complaining that places weren't dog friendly. I say all this as owner of three dogs myself!

My dog didn't get a chance to misbehave. No sooner was I seated than she started up

 

[Skipness]

I don't have a massive issue with children being children within reason (e.g. crawling under the table by my seat would be a bit much).

However, with children these days seems to come a tablet computer with a film being played out loud, and I do object to that, it is not difficult to use headphones. It's also a Byelaw offence as it is guaranteed to be to my annoyance - some enforcement by traincrew would be nice.

You will often find that the parents are too engrossed with their own social media accounts to take any notice of their children!

 

[bramling]

Trains are long and usually there are spare seats elsewhere. That is my 1st point of call.

This is the problem. Trains have become noticeably busier in the last decade, so it simply isn't so easy to go and find somewhere else to sit. There may simply be no other seats available, or other available seats may have similar issues to the original location.

In the last few years I've noticed quite an escalation in conflict on trains. Squabbles over seats, behaviours, or arguments over windows being open or closed. What with issues over congestion and capacity, it's hard to escape the conclusion that population growth / density in this country has simply gone too far. This isn't just something unique to railways - it applies to roads, housing and public services in general.

 

[les.]

I had an incident traveling from Doncaster to Grimsby on Sunday.

I was in Coach C (on a TPE), this is the coach that has the first class compartment in it. All was fine until we left Scunthorpe when the first class doors opened and a Mum with 3 young daughters (all under 10 I'd say) came out of the 1st class area. I hadn't seen them before, so they must have been on the train before Doncaster.

They then proceded to sit down at the vacant table opposite where I was and began making a right racket with various toys and games. I did glance across a couple of times but after about 10 minutes of constant noise and to avoid any confrontation I just got up and moved through to the next carriage as the train was very quiet.

Not sure why they moved out of the 1st class part, if they did have tickets for there. All I can think of is someone else in there must have had a go at them.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Just yesterday in the Bristol Temple Meads 'concourse', a parent with her i would say 5 year old kid walked in and was purchasing a ticket and the kid wanted his drink, when she said in a minute and she had to buy a ticket, the loudest most high pitched scream I had ever heard came out, It continued on and off for a minute and by that time I had taken myself outside, it was that loud...

The next station is Bath Spa. Please forget the gap between the train and the platform edge.

Oh. Gosh sorry; did I say forget? Silly me...

 

[Starmill]

It is very unlikely that you will be in a position that the noise is loud and sustained enough that you can't bear it and there is absolutely no other area of the train you can move to. It's similar to sitting in the cinema, I always avoid the back because that's where the people who seem to like to talk go.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It is very unlikely that you will be in a position that the noise is loud and sustained enough that you can't bear it and there is absolutely no other area of the train you can move to. It's similar to sitting in the cinema, I always avoid the back because that's where the people who seem to like to talk go.

It maybe unlikely for you but for me it's very common!!

 

[Nonsense]

Right, well I am preparing myself to get slammed with angry comments. As I said, my slightly autistic traits (ASP SYND) do cause me to be intolerant to loud noises, my ears are too sharp, so go easy on me! But I am interested to know your opinions

Bit late in the thread and I'll confess I haven't read it all but picked up on the last paragraph. I can sympathise, definitely, I was once very much the same. The shrill whine of a child's voice in joy or distress was intolerable to me, physically painful, and many trips were spoiled, the well planned pleasure of a journey, destroyed, utterly, by children, being children, invading my space, twisting my melon, man.

Fast forward xx years and I got a pair of somewhat ASD grief monkeys of my own and they adore trains. I'm hesitant to take them on too many journeys because your space is their space, and I (seriously) can't stop them crawling under your seat, and I do sympathise, but you could always drive and avoid the problem altogether. Do spare a thought for the likes of me though, whether i drive or take the train, the kids are always there!

Inconveniently for me, being the first to express distain at the presence of children on public transport, how dare they, my own performances as a child, apparently, screaming and gripping head rests as I was torn from a carriage at our station, make my kids at their worst appear placid, not that I remember that.

Swings and roundabouts. In it. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[richieb1971]

Perhaps if kids are this much of a problem that a review is done to accommodate a kids coach with play area. At least that means all the problems are in one coach. Is this much different from planes where the babies cry in one area designated for this type of thing?

I know in most cases its likely to be unrealistic, but to be fair to other passengers I think its worth at least reviewing the situation for different TOC's to see if they can accommodate this type of service.

 

[MCSHF007]

.... and I (seriously) can't stop them crawling under your seat, and I do sympathise, but you could always drive and avoid the problem altogether. Do spare a thought for the likes of me though, whether i drive or take the train, the kids are always there!

No, if (by your own admission) you can't control your kids in what is a public space, then you're the one who ought to be driving them in private space - none of this "you" (as in anyone else) could always drive.

Any brats crawling under my seat may not be entirely comfortable with the fact that I suffer from 'restless leg'.

 

[jon0844]

Any brats crawling under my seat may not be entirely comfortable with the fact that I suffer from 'restless leg'.

I am sure if you started kicking said 'brats' then you'd certainly not be entirely comfortable for long either.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I am sure if you started kicking said 'brats' then you'd certainly not be entirely comfortable for long either.

Ha ha

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Bit late in the thread and I'll confess I haven't read it all but picked up on the last paragraph. I can sympathise, definitely, I was once very much the same. The shrill whine of a child's voice in joy or distress was intolerable to me, physically painful, and many trips were spoiled, the well planned pleasure of a journey, destroyed, utterly, by children, being children, invading my space, twisting my melon, man.

Fast forward xx years and I got a pair of somewhat ASD grief monkeys of my own and they adore trains. I'm hesitant to take them on too many journeys because your space is their space, and I (seriously) can't stop them crawling under your seat, and I do sympathise, but you could always drive and avoid the problem altogether. Do spare a thought for the likes of me though, whether i drive or take the train, the kids are always there!

Inconveniently for me, being the first to express distain at the presence of children on public transport, how dare they, my own performances as a child, apparently, screaming and gripping head rests as I was torn from a carriage at our station, make my kids at their worst appear placid, not that I remember that.

Swings and roundabouts. In it. Swings and roundabouts.

Can't drive, not 17!

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm hesitant to take them on too many journeys because your space is their space, and I (seriously) can't stop them crawling under your seat, and I do sympathise, but you could always drive and avoid the problem altogether. Do spare a thought for the likes of me though, whether i drive or take the train, the kids are always there!

I know I am repeating myself but...

While I don't agree with some of the anti-children sentiments in this thread, yes you definitely can educate children not to be brats in public. Neither my sister nor I would ever have left our seat as children, nor would we have been intolerably loud, nor would we have gone around bothering any other passengers.

My parents believed in old fashioned discipline, some aspects of which could do with making a comeback for the benefit of everyone. We were told in no uncertain terms that it was a treat and a privilege to be taken out of the house and to be on best behaviour every time. We would not act up because we were told it was embarrassing to our parents whom we respected tremendously. Serious misbehaviour would be punished by a clipped ear, or worse, a wooden spoon to the backside.

It is still legal to smack children in most cases, though the wooden spoon is not advised! (Even I wouldn't subject my kids to an implement)

 

[londonbridge]

Talking is fine, shouting is not that bad, but as others have said, I CANNOT STAND IT WHEN THEY WATCH FILMS WITHOUT HEADPHONES. It always seems to happen at the worst times though, there are never noisy people if I am going the short journey from Lichfield to Tamworth but then if I get that exact train to London I'm so unlucky and have to listen to Pirates of the Caribbean for the best part of 100 minutes. :roll: Headphones can be purchased for £1 at most pound shops, but at the very least why don't parents lower the volume down so when I am sitting 4 seats away I don't hear it.

Not just kids, adults are guilty of watching a video or playing music without headphones as well. Was on the bus home from work the other night, sat about three rows behind some guy watching something on his phone, couldn't see exactly what but the soundtrack was just high-pitched squeaking and jabbering in a foreign language. Anyway, as a woman went to get off the bus she tapped the bloke on the shoulder and said "next time use some headphones, we don't all want to listen to your rubbish". Bloke didn't bat an eyelid, unfortunately.

 

[Peter0124]

I always feel the same, but I'd rather have this than on a flight even a short-haul one