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Train Etiquette
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Striker
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Really? Exactly how did that conversation go?
CNash
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I place my bag on the seat next to me. I don't feel bad for doing so; there are always plenty of other seats available on the routes I take, as I travel exclusively off-peak. If the train starts to fill up (usually at London Bridge; the train will then empty out at Lewisham), then I will move it.
Or, if someone wants to sit there and either sits down on the seat or asks me to move my bag, I will happily move it. It's the people who don't say anything and just shoot you a dirty look as they move down the carriage that I can't stand. If you want to sit, then have the courage to either sit or ask me to move it, and I'll oblige.
Or, if someone wants to sit there and either sits down on the seat or asks me to move my bag, I will happily move it. It's the people who don't say anything and just shoot you a dirty look as they move down the carriage that I can't stand. If you want to sit, then have the courage to either sit or ask me to move it, and I'll oblige.
Throughout the journey he asked quite a few people if he was on the train to Sheffield, he showed them his ticket and his mobile.
As we pulled into Sheffield he started talking to me.
Him- excuse me, this Sheffield?
Me- yes
Him- Sheffield? (shows me his ticket & mobile which has a text saying Sheffield)
Me- yes, everyone gets off here
Him- taxi?
Me- yes, up the steps, turn left, across the bridge to the front of the station
Him- ah, ok, sorry my English not good, I from China, this Sheffield yes?
Me- yes you're at Sheffield
By now we have arrived and people are getting off, so he thanks me and off he goes.
As we pulled into Sheffield he started talking to me.
Him- excuse me, this Sheffield?
Me- yes
Him- Sheffield? (shows me his ticket & mobile which has a text saying Sheffield)
Me- yes, everyone gets off here
Him- taxi?
Me- yes, up the steps, turn left, across the bridge to the front of the station
Him- ah, ok, sorry my English not good, I from China, this Sheffield yes?
Me- yes you're at Sheffield
By now we have arrived and people are getting off, so he thanks me and off he goes.
Striker
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Amazing story. Thanks for sharing. I just thought you were hedging your bets he was Chinese seeing as you had roughly a one in four chance of being right.
Striker
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I think you're doing yourself a disservice. The way you told it, the picture it painted whilst I read it, was truly remarkable. It was almost like I was there myself.
trickyvegas
Member
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I do this if travelling just one stop, saves someone sitting next to me and unpacking snacks and drinks onto their tray only to have to shift all again to let me out 15 minutes later.
I sometimes tell people I'm getting off at the next stop and offer them a seat by the window.
martindwilson
Member
Peeves..
Having failed to get on the last overcrowded train from Clapham junction to waterloo The next train comes along and stops with the door 2m to the right or left so I cant get on that one either.
The inability of people to know who is in front of them (well its called queuing and seems to be a lost art) . You just miss a connection and are the only one on the platform Ha Ill be first on the next one then you foolishly think. Nope 500 people suddenly arrive from nowhere every one of them pushing to be first on
(I have actually had someone come and stand in front of me when I was waiting behind the yellow line, well he wasnt for long ,idiot)
As others have mentioned the I couldnt possibly move down the train mob who insist on crowding near the doors.
Now the one that really gets to me.
Imagine yourself standing in a relatively busy pub waiting to get the attention of the barman. Some idiot walks up behind you pushes you to one side quite forcible and tries to get served ,now you wouldnt stand for it and a fight would be the most likely outcome. So this sort of thing rarely happens as everyone sort of knows the etiquette.
But put some people on a crowded platform and hey ho they push shove ,in other words assault you ,but this is seen as perfectly acceptable,
NO IT IS NOT.
1 Get the next train ,I dont care if you are late ,get up earlier!
2 Think oh Im behind that chap and wait patiently
3, dont be surprised if you get pushed back , shouted at or worse!
And thats the problem as I said above queuing seems to be lost from our memory. This is definitely down to lack of education from the parents(who probably push in anyway). It should be a compulsory subject at school!
Oh and finally, kids. Kids should never occupy a seat when an adult needs it. London transport used to state that children should give up their seats to full fare paying passengers quite right too. And why are you travelling with your brood during the rush hour anyway!
Having failed to get on the last overcrowded train from Clapham junction to waterloo The next train comes along and stops with the door 2m to the right or left so I cant get on that one either.
The inability of people to know who is in front of them (well its called queuing and seems to be a lost art) . You just miss a connection and are the only one on the platform Ha Ill be first on the next one then you foolishly think. Nope 500 people suddenly arrive from nowhere every one of them pushing to be first on
(I have actually had someone come and stand in front of me when I was waiting behind the yellow line, well he wasnt for long ,idiot)
As others have mentioned the I couldnt possibly move down the train mob who insist on crowding near the doors.
Now the one that really gets to me.
Imagine yourself standing in a relatively busy pub waiting to get the attention of the barman. Some idiot walks up behind you pushes you to one side quite forcible and tries to get served ,now you wouldnt stand for it and a fight would be the most likely outcome. So this sort of thing rarely happens as everyone sort of knows the etiquette.
But put some people on a crowded platform and hey ho they push shove ,in other words assault you ,but this is seen as perfectly acceptable,
NO IT IS NOT.
1 Get the next train ,I dont care if you are late ,get up earlier!
2 Think oh Im behind that chap and wait patiently
3, dont be surprised if you get pushed back , shouted at or worse!
And thats the problem as I said above queuing seems to be lost from our memory. This is definitely down to lack of education from the parents(who probably push in anyway). It should be a compulsory subject at school!
Oh and finally, kids. Kids should never occupy a seat when an adult needs it. London transport used to state that children should give up their seats to full fare paying passengers quite right too. And why are you travelling with your brood during the rush hour anyway!
Striker
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You should go to Japan. They have lines marked very clearly on the platforms to show where to queue, and everybody without fail respects the lines and queues diligently.
Japan is incredible for this, though. Walking through Shinjuku station at rush hour is like being part of some giant piece of elaborate choreography.
It is a beautifully well-ordered and charming place. But there is a downside to this, as with everything.
ralphchadkirk
Established Member
Pushing people is not assault. It would be battery.
martindwilson
Member
either way i dont like it!
90019
Established Member
I'm curious though, how do you define 'need' in this case?
Or is it a case of "I want this seat, I'm an adult and therefore superior to you".
SWT_USER
Member
More likely "I'm an adult paying through the nose for this ticket, I deserve a seat in place of a kid who isn't."
Obviously deferent for elderly people..
Obviously deferent for elderly people..
martindwilson
Member
yep i'm an adult and more important, when the little darling grows up so will it be and can have their turn. My wife was asked to get up so someone elses kid(who could have easily sat on her lap as i had to when i was small) could sit. bloody cheek.
Yep agreed, its the education. The same education that lets people believe that the behaviour of others gives them the right to retaliate in kind or, in your words, do something worse. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A polite request to someone who has pushed in can often work wonders. Retaliating with further aggression is likely to see you in more trouble than the person who has pushed in. Also, you can just turn the other cheek and not treat your commute as a battleground. You'll be less stressed and consequently less likely to make your first post on an internet forum such an unfettered rant.
And yes, lets have kids separated from their parent/guardian because they have to give up a seat for an adult (excepting the elderly/infirm) shall we? Sitting down next to you minding their own business is preferable to having your child/children standing, possibly out of sight, surely?
As for parents travelling with their 'brood' in the rush hour: Why not? It's called PUBLIC transport you know. It's not an exclusive conveyance just for you. If you want that, get a car or get on yer bike!
Now I'm stressed. :-x
Sorry but i have to strongly disagree on Childern 'having' to give up their seats.
It is best to have them with their parents then running up and down the coaches, getting in the way etc? When i was younger and used to take the Bus into Yeovil a lot of people expected my mum to make me or my brother move from our seat to make way for them.
As traveling during X times people can't help it, Perhaps they have to get to places at certian times and need to go during Rush Hour.
As for people pushing etc happens everywere no matter where you go sadly. Yes some of it may be down to the parents but other influnces are as well though
It is best to have them with their parents then running up and down the coaches, getting in the way etc? When i was younger and used to take the Bus into Yeovil a lot of people expected my mum to make me or my brother move from our seat to make way for them.
As traveling during X times people can't help it, Perhaps they have to get to places at certian times and need to go during Rush Hour.
As for people pushing etc happens everywere no matter where you go sadly. Yes some of it may be down to the parents but other influnces are as well though
trickyvegas
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Likewise, I'm not special enough to warrant two seats to myself, but if get there first I reserve the right to pick which of the two I would prefer to sit in.
You can be put in a dry cell for that, you know.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ooh, excellent. Does that mean I can turf Advance ticket holders out of a seat if I've got an Anytime?
martindwilson
Member
er it's a bit late for that! I may be new on this forum but i have been commuting in London by train since i started secondary school in 1968,some 42+ years. I think those who don't share the daily London commuting experience really understand how frustrating the whole thing is.
during the recent snow debacle fights broke out on clapham junction, i saw at least 3 and retired to the pub to wait for things to calm down before trying again later. so i am calm usually, i just wont put up with pushing in or being pushed whats so wrong with that?, if more people stuck up for themselve and felt they could be supported by their fellow commuters then things would go better for everyone.
oh and
(p.s if i could have a smoke while i'm waiting i'd be a lot calmer, but the stupid no smoking rule imposed on stations stops that!)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
no need they are rammed to the gills and toc seemingly charge as much as they can
during the recent snow debacle fights broke out on clapham junction, i saw at least 3 and retired to the pub to wait for things to calm down before trying again later. so i am calm usually, i just wont put up with pushing in or being pushed whats so wrong with that?, if more people stuck up for themselve and felt they could be supported by their fellow commuters then things would go better for everyone.
oh and
so what?
(p.s if i could have a smoke while i'm waiting i'd be a lot calmer, but the stupid no smoking rule imposed on stations stops that!)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
utopia! where is this mythical train with space for kids to roam free and wild? I'm lucky if i get space to read a folded newspaper while standing on one leg!
my trains have 2 types of ticket standard single/return or season/oyster no super advanced/anytime/saver or things of that ilk
no need they are rammed to the gills and toc seemingly charge as much as they can
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I try to be considerate. For example when we went to New York for a holiday I did not travel during rush hour to make sure commuters would have enough space. Although i'm not sure how this would effect space in reality, it would be interesting to know the usage statistics of people travelling (ie commuters, tourists, shoppers etc).
Broken Viking
On Moderation
The centre and rear doors are only for exiting? That's a new one on me, I have to say! Having used the Hamburg Hochbahn network many times over the past 15 years, I've become used to the idea that any door may be used for entry/exit so long as the passenger already holds a valid ticket (Or Oyster card) for their journey. Also, the last time I travelled on an LT Citaro there was a number of Oyster readers dotted around the bus, meaning I could jump on anywhere and just tap on to the nearest reader as soon as I'd found my standing space!
People talking loudly on their mobiles is a major pet hate of mine...Such a hate in fact that I have actually been tempted to carry a mobile signal jammer on my person and use it to blackspot the entire carriage!
With the number of Jehovas' Witnesses and LDS Christians knocking around here, that approach is generally one that isn't worth risking. Instead, I have two approaches for dealing with the annoying evangelists that try blabbing to me during a peaceful journey...
- Whip out the biro and a new page from the notepad, making sure they can see the latter. Stare out of the window as if in thought whilst idily jotting down notes on the page. Make sure to include at least one inverted Pentagram and several instances of the word "Satanus". Verbatim quotes from the LeVey Bible of Satanism written in Latin work very well.
- Place a video/DVD player on the table in a way that they can see the screen. Play any suitable movie that includes a crucifixion scene (The Bloodier, the better). When said scene comes on, show overt and obvious enjoyment at the scene thus depicted.
In that case, those with the Single/Return tickets should be allowed to turf out any seated Season ticket holders; the holder of a Single/Return has paid more, pro rata, for their journey.
For the majority of ticket types, a train ticket entitles you to be conveyed from A to B, nothing more. The price paid has no correlation whatsoever to who is entitled to a seat.
As for what the TOCs charge; what's that to do with train etiquette?
martindwilson
Member
you are missing the point children should give up their seats for adults, adults give up theirs for mothers with babes in arms,pregnant , elderly or infirm. and men for women it was always the rule and eveyone queued -all around much nicer.
People talking loudly on their mobiles is a major pet hate of mine...Such a hate in fact that I have actually been tempted to carry a mobile signal jammer on my person and use it to blackspot the entire carriage!
And possibly blackspot crucial GSM-R/CSR communication to the driver. Imagine if you blocked out an 'ALL STOP' emergency message from a signalman. Not clever. That's one reason why the use of jamming devices is illegal without an Ofcom license. A license that is only issued for very limited and specific reasons. I'm certain they won't issue licenses to people who get annoyed on trains.:roll:
Use of a jamming device is an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. It is an indictable offence that on conviction in Crown Court carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.
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Agree with a lot of that but "men for women" - you are having a laugh! I MIGHT (but doubt it!) give up my seat for a LADY but the foul mouthed, ignorant female harridans who commute into London - no way Jose!
If a woman is disabled, pregnant or carrying a child she should be offered a seat, otherwise she is equally capable of standing as a man of the same age. I still remember one precious dear who thought she should be given a seat because her new six inch heels were hurting her feet......
Oh, and add women putting their make-up on on trains and expecting arcres of space to do so to the hate list.....
Or hairspray! Used to be an all too common feature of the Friday night trains out of the Cruz del Rey. Naturally, you could get your own back by opening the window and watching their good work ruined
Also, hot food. I wouldn't dream of eating, say, a pasty in an enclosed space like a train (in extremis, I'd stay in the vestibule), but that, and worse smelling still, seems to be commonplance now.
Can I not return to my seat after purchasing a hot Ginsters from a FGW buffet?
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