Trivia: unwritten etiquette as a railway passenger

[Wolfie]

How about one I just saw.

Don't urinate between the train and the platform edge.

Or indeed between carriages. A guy came a serious cropper on the tube last week doing that.

 

[JamieL]

Music and videos are fine as long as we can tell you are trying to be considerate (but airpods and headphones are preferred)

I don't agree with that at all. Headphones are not expensive, exclusive or uncomfortable. It strikes me as the upmost selfishness to inflict the noise of whatever your watching/listening to on others.

 

[Kite159]

I don't agree with that at all. Headphones are not expensive, exclusive or uncomfortable. It strikes me as the upmost selfishness to inflict the noise of whatever your watching/listening to on others.

Unless they are using cheap (or default apple) ones which leak the noise due to being poorly fitted.

 

[MCSHF007]

Whether or not head/earphones leak sound (as obviously many do) it doesn't negate the fact that to play audio etc. without even attempting to "personalise" the sound by their use is arrogant, ignorant and antisocial behaviour at its worst.

 

[railfan99]

In the name of satirising certain types of passenger I have often thought that a good skit would be for a chap to get on a train with a flask of hot water, a bowl and mirror and as soon as they sit down, get out the shaving kit. I'm actually surprised that no sketch artists have attempted this before!

Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage, Sir Leslie Colin Patterson of The Australian Cheese Board, Sandy Stone et al) did similar on a Frankston to Flinders Street suburban electric Tait train many years ago in Victioria Australia:

WHEN the City of Melbourne asked train commuters for their travel memories for the Southern Crossings arts project, you would expect an avalanche of narky gibes about late trains or the myki non-ticketing system running even later. But Rick Reynolds has a gem about Camberwell's favourite son Barry Humphries masterminding a breakfast delivery to himself on the way to school. Humphries, engaging in a spot of suburban theatre, instructed friends to stand at specific points on the platform, ready for his train to pull in. Reynolds recalled: ''As the doors opened, each one would then pass to him a certain aspect of his breakfast. At stop one he would be passed a teacup. Stop two, he would be poured the cup of tea. Stop three, he would be passed a plate; at four a piece of toast; five, butter; six, jam etc. So when he arrived at the final stop, he had consumed a complete breakfast.''

 

[TUC]

Haven't read rest of post yet. But if a solo traveller, don't sit at a table if the train is likely to be busy

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It depends if the airline seats have both drop down tables and power sockets. If they don't, and you need to do work on the journey, entirely understandable to use a table.

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In the case of flying though, how many of those journeys are essential? Why not holiday at home for a few years, rather than dragging babies around so that you can holiday like you did when you were childless?

Holidays are for enjoyment. Seeing other parts of the world enriches people, including children.Travel is not just about what is 'essential'. That would be a very utilitarian approach to life.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Sep 2022 ==

I am afraid it would bother me as I have an allergy to eggs. The smell of a boiled egg, in particular, is likely to make me retch. If someone takes out a boiled egg, I move away - fast.

Again though, one assumes people had food allergies 30 years ago and coped with other people eating. Having buffets that only sold food that containing nothing that anyone could be allergic to would have a very limited menu indeed.

 

[trainophile]

That reminds me, must hard boil a couple of eggs for my journey tomorrow .

Whether or not head/earphones leak sound (as obviously many do) it doesn't negate the fact that to play audio etc. without even attempting to "personalise" the sound by their use is arrogant, ignorant and antisocial behaviour at its worst.

Hear hear. Even leaky earphones only annoy people within a few feet of the user. None at all can *** off the whole carriage. Likewise the already discussed loud two-way phone conversations.

 

[XAM2175]

No I didn't, and for the same reason. I did glare at her, and even got a surreptitious photo (which I'm sure is highly illegal), but she had her earphones in and was oblivious to the world.

On the broad front, no, it wasn't illegal. In English law a person cannot have a reasonable expectation of privacy when in public (which includes public areas of private property), and it's much the same in other common law jurisdictions. It could however stray into areas covered by other offences if you were to do it repeatedly, or in such a way that it caused discomfort or distress, or if you were to publish the photograph for certain purposes such as in advertising.

 

[trainophile]

On the broad front, no, it wasn't illegal. In English law a person cannot have a reasonable expectation of privacy when in public (which includes public areas of private property), and it's much the same in other common law jurisdictions. It could however stray into areas covered by other offences if you were to do it repeatedly, or in such a way that it caused discomfort or distress, or if you were to publish the photograph for certain purposes such as in advertising.

How about publishing the photo for the purpose of shaming the culprit? There should be a dedicated Facebook page for doing just that, it would soon fill up.

 

[Mikey C]

Holidays are for enjoyment. Seeing other parts of the world enriches people, including children.Travel is not just about what is 'essential'. That would be a very utilitarian approach to life.

I was talking about babies and toddlers on planes, they don't appreciate being dragged half way around the world or exotic cultures and cuisines. At that age a bucket and spade holiday at Margate or Blackpool beach would be more enjoyable.

 

[AY1975]

We cant even design trains to have enough luggage storage space, let alone family areas. Until we can get away from the 'cheapest possible even if its horrible' approach ideas like this will never fly in the UK. Obviously on local trains there is no need, but long distance services would benefit from some flexible family areas, maybe as a compartment(s) so that the children can be children without upsetting other passengers. Parents, children and other passengers would all be less stressed, and it would be another positive for rail travel by families instead of car.

Agreed, this thread on travelling with young children may also be of interest: https://railforums.co.uk/threads/your-experiences-of-travelling-by-train-with-young-children.233109/

 

[Dai Corner]

Not dropping litter, especially on the track litter on the track where it can't be retrieved without a line block (presumably) and accumulates into an ever-worsening eyesore.

 

[ServerHoster]

If you have to manually open a hinged door in order to get between two separate carriages, please shut it after you've gone through!

 

[XAM2175]

How about publishing the photo for the purpose of shaming the culprit? There should be a dedicated Facebook page for doing just that, it would soon fill up.

Usually fair game, as long as it's not defamatory.

 

[Huntergreed]

Do not open the windows in winter, do not close the windows in summer (older BR stock).

Do not delay in hitting the door open button upon door release, especially if there’s a queue!

Minimise trips to the bathroom when sitting in the table with a stranger in the aisle seat.

It really should be common practice to have to use the vestibule for calls, and I agree that noise pollution should be treated more harshly.

If you are in not the first to sit at a window, do not adjust the position of the blinds without obtaining verbal permission from the other affected parties to do so.

Do not choose 5-10 minutes before a departure (at a quieter station) to visit the ticket office with a lengthy, complex query.

Leave the tray-table up after leaving.

Always have your tickets ready/nearby for inspection (never understand why some people have theirs at the bottom of their bag/wallet and then take 10 minutes trying to convince an increasingly doubtful RPI “I swear it’s in here!)”

 

[BJames]

If you have to manually open a hinged door in order to get between two separate carriages, please shut it after you've gone through!

Absolutely - I was sat next to one Friday in SWR-land towards the rear of the train departing Waterloo, so had a lot of people going through as the departure time neared and immediately after - more people left it open than closed it.

I found it amusing a while back when someone had their Airpods in to watch a film but the Airpods ran out of charge, so they put them in the charging case for 15 or so minutes, with the video playing loudly, before putting the airpods back in after they'd had some charge. A strange sense of being fully aware that they should be using headphones but putting the desire to watch the film first.

 

[anamyd]

Do not delay in hitting the door open button upon door release, especially if there’s a queue!

On trains that it works on, if I'm at a door as the first person to get off, I hold down the open button so when the doors are released, they open straight away. It does only work on some trains though (e.g. Sprinters and 175s but not Turbostars).

 

[anamyd]

What is the harm in pressing the button before it lights up. Saves as much as 200mS

Pressing the button before it lights up actually does nothing. Would probably have more of a chance of something happening if it was held down.

 

[anamyd]

Whether or not head/earphones leak sound (as obviously many do) it doesn't negate the fact that to play audio etc. without even attempting to "personalise" the sound by their use is arrogant, ignorant and antisocial behaviour at its worst.

I don't even understand why anyone wouldn't want to actually listen to their sound / music properly anyway, as on a train I'd be listening to music with my stereo earphones with triple-flange tips giving good noise cancellation and bass response well into the sub-bass, and none of the sound leaking to other passengers!

 

[westv]

Minimise trips to the bathroom when sitting in the table with a stranger in the aisle seat.

Bathroom?!

 

[py_megapixel]

Leave the tray-table up after leaving.

Excellent point. There seems to be one or two TOCs where the cleaning staff come through periodically and fold them down at unoccupied seats, for some reason.

I found it amusing a while back when someone had their Airpods in to watch a film but the Airpods ran out of charge, so they put them in the charging case for 15 or so minutes, with the video playing loudly, before putting the airpods back in after they'd had some charge. A strange sense of being fully aware that they should be using headphones but putting the desire to watch the film first.

I saw someone a few weeks ago watching a film wearing Airpods but with the audio playing out loud! It turned out his Airpods hadn't paired properly with his iPhone, and he hadn't noticed.

 

[Neo9320]

Excellent point. There seems to be one or two TOCs where the cleaning staff come through periodically and fold them down at unoccupied seats, for some reason.

Possibly to air dry after cleaning? Could be wrong, but seems like a sensible idea.

 

[py_megapixel]

Possibly to air dry after cleaning? Could be wrong, but seems like a sensible idea.

Maybe - though they don't always clean them at the same time. (Possibly they only clean if they appear dirty, and then simply don't fold them up out of habit).

None of this is to be taken as a dig at the cleaning staff by the way - they have quite an unpleasant job to do and probably aren't paid enough to do it. It's just a curiosity.

 

[route101]

Maybe - though they don't always clean them at the same time. (Possibly they only clean if they appear dirty, and then simply don't fold them up out of habit).

None of this is to be taken as a dig at the cleaning staff by the way - they have quite an unpleasant job to do and probably aren't paid enough to do it. It's just a curiosity.

I notice this on Scotrail 156s, all the tables on the back of the airline seats are down. I thought it was to do with social distancing at first but it still prevails.

 

[trainophile]

Open tray tables don't bother me, it's when you, having sat down and got yourself organised, open one to find the remains of someone else's lunch, or worse.

 

[greyman42]

I am not a fan when someone is diagonally behind me, for example me in window and person behind on aisle. Feels like they can see what eating watching and doing on my phone etc.

Perhaps public transport is not for you.

 

[Mikey C]

I am not a fan when someone is diagonally behind me, for example me in window and person behind on aisle. Feels like they can see what eating watching and doing on my phone etc.

Going to an away (football) game last season, I found myself behind one of our coaches! He was watching clips of our opponents, and their set pieces on his laptop, which I was able to see from the row behind

 

[drb61]

Do not use the wider ticket gates if you don't have a cycle, pram, wheelchair or bulky luggage! Was travelling back from Dunkeld with my bike a couple of months ago and on disembarking at Queen Street found a small queue of maybe 3 or 4 people faffing at the wide gate (probably searching their wallets for their tickets). With a connection to make at Glasgow Central, I decided to chance using a standard gate, only to be mildly chided by a member of gate line staff as they came to release my bike when my saddle got 'caught in its jaws'!

 

[Ediswan]

With a connection to make at Glasgow Central, I decided to chance using a standard gate, only to be mildly chided by a member of gate line staff as they came to release my bike when my saddle got 'caught in its jaws'!

Barbarella had a similar problem.

 

[Arthington]

Etiquette:
Basically how to act in a civil manner in public, how to engage with others in social situations, without causing embarrassment to others. forgot to mention those middle-class children who have cultivated trendy "drop the 'aitches" , "glottal stop" , Estuary English accents.

1. The practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority
2. Conventional requirement or custom in regard to social behavior or observance; prescriptive usage, especially in polite society or for ceremonial intercourse; propriety of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion; good manners; polite behavior.

To come back to your point regarding etiquette and judging peoples appearance on how this affects their ability to be a respectable member of society. I definitely fit into your character assassination of young people with "public dress of shorts T-shirts and flip-flops".

I'm a Chartered Civil Engineer with a thriving career in the railway. I can assure you the way I dress doesn't affect how I act on a train or in any other way. It's very comfortable dress!

Maybe check your own sense of entitlement and how your "etiquette" may affect those other unruly passengers' expereince of trying to enjoy their life without your small minded judgement