How to get a seat on a train

[GodAtum]

According to Dr Michael Mosley just asking a person to give up their seat works half the time!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00xhgkd/The_Brain_A_Secret_History_Mind_Control/#recommendSource=tv_episode_page

 

[Fincra5]

Clearly this guy has never been on a commuter train...

Most people will give up their seat for someone who might need it more than themeselves such as a pregnant lady, disabled or eldery person.

 

[Mojo]

Where abouts in the video can we see this?

 

[moggie]

shouldn't this be in the Railway Myths thread??????

 

[GodAtum]

where abouts in the video can we see this?

40:45

And nice to see him spending taxpayers money on a 1st class ticket! (at 01:24)

 

[thelem]

This doesn't surprise me. I think a lot of people won't want to make a fuss, or will assume that there is some reason that you're not saying. Giving up your seat makes you look generous, refusing to for someone who then turns out to have a good reason to ask for you seat makes you look rude. Given that you're not losing much by giving up your seat, I probabaly would.

In the film a couple of the people asked "why?". I'd be interested to know what percentage of people who initally refused to give up their seat, or asked a question (other than a genuine "sorry, I didn't hear you") the proceeded to give up their seat. I suspect that once the person sitting down has challenged the legitimacy of the request that they will normally stick to their guns (and seat).

 

[O L Leigh]

Become a driver.

O L Leigh

 

[ralphchadkirk]

40:45

And nice to see him spending taxpayers money on a 1st class ticket! (at 01:24)

Presumably because they wanted to do some filming which is better done in a quieter environment with less people :roll:
And it's not the taxpayer's money, it's the license payer's money. Unlike tax you can choose whether or not to pay it. If you want to watch the TV; pay, if you don't; don't pay.

 

[wibble]

Most people will give up their seat for someone who might need it more than themeselves such as a pregnant lady, disabled or eldery person.

You'd think that but a pregnant friend of mine could never get a seat! She gave up asking in the end.

 

[Flamingo]

Usually on a HSE to or from Paddington at peak time, the way to get a seat is to walk up to coach A.

Even with a crowded train following disruption last night (no trains for an hour, fatality), there was about a dozen seats in coach A after I pushed my way through everybody standing in coach E complaining about the overcrowding. (And don't talk to me about last Tuesday - Coach E looked like the black hole of Calcutta, with all the STD class I kicked out of First complaining about Elf & Safety. When I got to B and A, there were 80 empty seats.)

 

[Greenback]

'Oh it's such a long walk to the front of the train from the lawn at Padd, and then we've got to walk all the way back at Reading/Swindon/Bristol' - there's a reason why coach A out of London is full of Welsh people, after all, we can be first off at Swansea and straight in a taxi! Or we get first go at finding a seat on a crowded 153 to Llanelli!

 

[Flamingo]

'Oh it's such a long walk to the front of the train from the lawn at Padd, and then we've got to walk all the way back at Reading/Swindon/Bristol'

Fine, but why do they then whinge at me about the train being "dangerously overcrowded", even when I am making announcements saying where the seats are!

(Cardiff is as bad, BTW!)

 

[Greenback]

Don't ask me, I'm always in coach A for a quick exit! After three years at Reading station though, I know how the commuters there think!

Perhaps coaches should be labelled for particular stations? We could have E for Reading, D for Swindon and C for Bristol Parkway (before the station refurbishment Parkway passengers liked coach A!). B could be for Cardiff and Newport and A for Swansea and West Wales. It wouldn't be much different to what happens now!

 

[Flamingo]

Nice idea - logical as well. Pity it would never work!

(Neath could have a separate carriage, behind the rear power-car, that could be slipped when approaching Neath, to avoid stopping there!)

 

[Greenback]

That is a great idea! All trains to set down only at Neath, no return tickets available - once you get there you can never leave!

 

[Zoe]

I saw this done on a program about 10 years ago. In this case there were two experiments, the first involved a person asking for a seat on a train and after some questioning the person did indeed vacate the seat. The second involved the same person asking for a seat but with a security guard standing next to him, in this case the seat was vacated more quickly even though so security guard didn't say anything.

 

[Hydro]

Usually on a HSE to or from Paddington at peak time, the way to get a seat is to walk up to coach A.

Strategy noted. I usually tend to hang about at the extremes of stations as people do bunch around stairs, entrances, ticket offices. It's barely understandable why people queue and crowd the nearest coach when there are doors free further up the train.

 

[fairysdad]

Usually on a HSE to or from Paddington at peak time, the way to get a seat is to walk up to coach A.

Even with a crowded train following disruption last night (no trains for an hour, fatality), there was about a dozen seats in coach A after I pushed my way through everybody standing in coach E complaining about the overcrowding. (And don't talk to me about last Tuesday - Coach E looked like the black hole of Calcutta, with all the STD class I kicked out of First complaining about Elf & Safety. When I got to B and A, there were 80 empty seats.)

Done that myself... been on an evening train from Padd in coach A to find myself and one other person in it. Amusingly, the announcements were saying that the train was overcrowded (again, down to service disruption IIRC) so could passengers not put bags on seats, let people sit next to them etc. Given that this was yet another journey where my ticket wasn't checked (does happen quite a bit I find on FGW) I can only assume the TM didn't know that her train was empty at the front!

(Reminds me of a Richard Scarry story... "Everybody move to the back of the bus please...")

 

[jon0844]

I do think some commuters are silly, and even think to tell them to move down, but then I think to myself, let them all crowd in the first two carriages so I can get a seat!

The 1752 from King's Cross to Cambridge is an 8-car service, and I can get this at Finsbury Park. Without any exaggeration, the front car has rows of empty seats and generally speaking the whole front set is pretty empty. At the other end, especially the first set of doors, people are packed in the vestibule and along the carriage. No doubt they moan about how bad First Capital Connect is and why don't they put on 12 or 16 carriage trains so they can sit.

Erm, no. You use those things called your legs to WALK down.. even if it means walking back later on!

But, sod it, as long as they stand there then I'll get my choice of seats along with the others who board at FPK and must wonder why FCC is running it as an 8-car!!

 

[Talent Search]

Memorise where the train doors reach the platform and also at which people who regularly get the same train leave. Then quickly jump in and take that seat!

 

[Pumbaa]

Euston commuters are quite savvy, particularly helped as the exits for Northampton line local runs are all at different points. The very front of the train is quietest if its in P9 or P10, but theres no difference if its in P8 or P11. At peak times, assuming a 12-car Desiro...

H+W - 6, 7, 8, 9
Bushey - 1, 2, 3
Watford - 5, 6, 7, 8
Kings L - 8, 9, 10
Apsley - 7, 8, 9
Hemel - 7, 8, 9, 10
Berko - 10, 11, 12
Tring - 1, 2, 3
Cheddington - 4, 5, 6
Leighton Buzzard - 9, 10, 11
Bletchley - 8, 9, 10
MK - 6, 7, 8, 9
Wolverton - 8, 9, 10
Northampton - 10, 11, 12

 

[jon0844]

Memorise where the train doors reach the platform and also at which people who regularly get the same train leave. Then quickly jump in and take that seat!

Oh I do! I'm pretty clued up on a number of different trains, and can even identify by the pantograph which way round a 317 is to be able to move to the right door to get into first class (when declassified) quickly.

I know many commuters are clever (indeed, I see the same people regularly doing as I do) but some are crazy.. like all the same faces that wait on platform 1 at Finsbury Park for the 0926 to Moorgate in the morning that was 3-cars yesterday, 3-cars today and will be 3-cars tomorrow. So why do they EVERY DAY stand where the train will go flying by and stop further down? Seriously, don't they ever twig that the train won't stop there and they'll have to run forward to join a huge scrum to get on a single set of doors at the rear of the train?!

Euston commuters are quite savvy, particularly helped as the exits for Northampton line local runs are all at different points. The very front of the train is quietest if its in P9 or P10, but theres no difference if its in P8 or P11. At peak times, assuming a 12-car Desiro...

At King's Cross, it seems people just board as early as possible and don't even walk through the carriages they can (let alone the rear sets that they'd have to walk further down to board). I can understand wanting to be nearest the exit of the destination station, to a certain extent, but not to stand in a cramped vestibule to do so. On the trains I get, people are getting off all the way along - and few boarding (besides Finsbury Park) so by the time I'm approaching Hatfield I can happily walk down from the country end to the London end, nearest the steps over the bridge, because the train will have emptied out.

Why suffer (and no doubt moan constantly about overcrowded trains) for the sake of saving a few seconds? If you stand in the first carriage, squashed up, on an 8-car train where 2-3 carriages are virtually empty when departing then don't moan AT ALL. Nobody forced you to be there! It's not as if the train was only at King's Cross for a few seconds and you had to run and jump on the first set of doors - it was probably there for a good 10 minutes or so. Plenty of time to walk down. At worst, only a few people who were genuinely late should be jumping on - and even they could walk through the train.

 

[GodAtum]

I always see the first few carriages on Gatwick Express full but the rear empty!

 

[Talent Search]

Oh I do! I'm pretty clued up on a number of different trains, and can even identify by the pantograph which way round a 317 is to be able to move to the right door to get into first class (when declassified) quickly.

I know many commuters are clever (indeed, I see the same people regularly doing as I do) but some are crazy.. like all the same faces that wait on platform 1 at Finsbury Park for the 0926 to Moorgate in the morning that was 3-cars yesterday, 3-cars today and will be 3-cars tomorrow. So why do they EVERY DAY stand where the train will go flying by and stop further down? Seriously, don't they ever twig that the train won't stop there and they'll have to run forward to join a huge scrum to get on a single set of doors at the rear of the train?!

I don't understand it either, but always silently laugh. Maybe it's just force of habit or routine.

 

[colpepper]

The late, great Viv Stanshall reckoned the way to keep a compartment to yourself (that dates it) was to stare out at people in the corridor and beckon them slowly in.

 

[MCR247]

Some one said to me grin wildly and pat the seat next to you

 

[jon0844]

When I had a bad cough recently, I did find that coughing at the right time seemed to keep people away! If you can make the cough sound like you're about to be sick, you might just get half the carriage!!

Both are less likely to see you beaten up, arrested - or find that someone rather weird takes you up on the offer.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I found the same thing happened last year on FCC: trains on the GN were terminating from kings Cross at Royston due to engineering works between Royston and Cambridge, and amazingly it was a 12 car set (quite understandable, as there were only two departures from Cambridge instead of the usual three). Dreading how busy it was going to be, I was stunned. The front train set (I think it was one 4-car set and one 8-car set coupled up), was full and standing, you could hardly get in the door, but as you walked down the platform towards Cambridge, it became quieter and quieter and quieter, and as such i got the whole of the final coach to myself (first stop Kings Cross was nice too!). If people could be bothered to WALK a bit, it would save a lot of aggro over seats being available, and the staff quite lot of hassle... the same happens everywhere, on VT stuff off Euston, all First passengers get in K or J, sit down, and leave H or G empty, and the same goes for Standard from D, down to B... I often find at Leeds and Preston, if you walk to thee quieter set of doors, you can often get a seat, or table, all to yourself... Nice.

 

[Greenback]

When Inter-Railing in the 1980's, we always made sure an odd looking friend sat neaeest the door to the compartment on overnight trains. We were never disturbed by anyone coming in during the night, even customs, and we always got some good sleep on the German trains with the pull down seats as a result!