Ways to get more personal space on a crowded train

[sprite]

What doesn't work is coding. Sat doing some work and people stood near and the person sat next to me kept leaning over to see what I was doing (programming work for uni, on linux, using nano on a full screen tty). One said, and I quote "'ere, jimmy, that lad's hackin' the train". Was a TPE from Edinburgh to Manchester, got a few looks for the rest of the trip.

 

[nedchester]

Get out a copy of 'Razzle' and start showing the pictures to your fellow passengers!!!

 

[Nym]

What doesn't work is coding. Sat doing some work and people stood near and the person sat next to me kept leaning over to see what I was doing (programming work for uni, on linux, using nano on a full screen tty). One said, and I quote "'ere, jimmy, that lad's hackin' the train". Was a TPE from Edinburgh to Manchester, got a few looks for the rest of the trip.

I had that when I was working on Eclipse on the way from Hull to Manchester, everyone assumes you're evil when you start typing code...

 

[Seacook]

Eat something disgustingly smelly - take a small tub of hummus, garlic olive oil and some pickled onions drenched in Balsamic vinegar and proceed to eat it (don't blame me if you end up being violently sick 2 minutes later tho

Far too elaborate. Try a small piece of Stinking Bishop cheese - you will empty the entire carriage in no time. Any cheese with its rind washed in alcohol is unpleasantly pungent, but Stinking Bishop is in a class of its own.

 

[Buffer68]

Plenty of sprouts at Christmas - the longer you cook them the worse the effect!!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Plenty of sprouts at Christmas - the longer you cook them the worse the effect!!

i hate sprouts. With a passion.

But on the theme of Xmas and traveling, you could always just take the Mother in law with you? If she doesnt find something to moan about encourage her to do the crossword or knit and the punters round you wil vannish in fear of being impailed on a needle or asked repeatedly what 14 across is!

 

[Nym]

Nothing wrong with asking about the crossword, I was asking customers about them when I was working in the remote units...

 

[Blindtraveler]

no nothing at all, once. Its when the same clue is asked for the 5th or 6th time that you find yourself longing for the cumforts of a voyager!

 

[Class172]

To be honest it's easier to get space on a train with 2+3 seating, as unless the train is completely rammed, people don't dare sit in the middle seat for fear of being crushed. hock:

 

[amcluesent]

I have a number of EC seat reservations cards in my bag and pop one of those onto the seat beside me. Most peeps looking for a seat won't (until the train is rammed) examine every reservation.

Also (leaving KGX) there's always 10-15 'last minuters' who walk through FC and then sit down in the 1st seat they see in standard. Best to avoid G/F and sit in D, which they rarely reach.

I find the 'quiet' coach B is often the least full, maybe peeps think you can't use iPods etc. and avoid. You can, with 'consideration'.

Sit in the aisle seat, leaving window seat free until the train is out the station. That obliges peeps to stop and ask you to move and encourages them to find a seat they can just drop into. If they do make you get up, make a point of pushing the armrest down between you.

Wear a comedic tartan tam-o-shanter and heap up cans of McEwans Export on the table (obviously this only works on services in England)

 

[Bald Rick]

A travelling companion with a particularly bad case of odourous feet is great for encouraging prospective travellers to seek alternative compartments on night trains on the continent, leaving you to stretch out across a few seats. Downside is that you have to put up with the olfactory bombardment yourself.

 

[LE Greys]

I find that a few hours of fish dissection in the labs tends to work, for people downwind of you anyway (especially if any of the specimens are fresh enough to bring home and eat).

Put a newspaper down on the seat next to you.

Only works if you read another one at the same time.

 

[Blindtraveler]

nice ideas there and if all those fail, upgrade to FC, take a bay of 2 seats and moan about having to make 1 (chilled) red wine last to EDB. Nobody wil want to know you!

 

[All Line Rover]

If they are, just say 'Well, I'm not. Perhaps you could iron out some inconsistencies in the Bible for me?' (Pull out list.) That should work.

If they're the "pushy, pushy" type, then they'll probably shut up. But if they are reasonable and do lots of research, that 4 hour journey could fly by depending on the length of that list.
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Eat something disgustingly smelly - take a small tub of hummus, garlic olive oil and some pickled onions drenched in Balsamic vinegar and proceed to eat it (don't blame me if you end up being violently sick 2 minutes later tho

I'll ignore the latter, but the former three are all contained in a delicious pot of humous, that does not make you violently sick! It's just gives you bad breath.

 

[Blindtraveler]

and my first Q would be, where in the bible does it say that the Lords humble servants have the write to ring my bell at 9am on a saturday and when asked nicely to leave do it again 10 mins later?

No offence ment to anyone here

 

[BrummyBoy]

Put on an excessive amount of weight and sit in the aisle seat.

 

[All Line Rover]

and my first Q would be, where in the bible does it say that the Lords humble servants have the write to ring my bell at 9am on a saturday and when asked nicely to leave do it again 10 mins later?

No offence ment to anyone here

Nowhere. It's quite obvious that many people make up their own "passages!"

I am simply surprised that many people criticize the Bible (a book) when they are actually criticizing people who claim to base their beliefs on the Bible. A slight difference, there!

 

[Class172]

I could wear my white scholars surplus; people will either think I'm a bit potty, or very important and will leave me alone (I have no intention of trying this).

Maybe I should take a bible along… :roll:

 

[Nym]

Nah, you should make a collar out of a Fairy Liquid bottle...

 

[table38]

Once thing I've seen a few people do on XC services is to put one of those wheely suitcase on the floor in the window seat and then sit in the aisle seat.

As the train fills up, people naturally gravitate to the remaining empty seats.

Once the train is full, usually by now with people standing in the aisle, if asked to move the case, they just reply that they can't as there is nowhere else to put it.


Window or aisle Sir?
Window or you'll what?

 

[LE Greys]

Once thing I've seen a few people do on XC services is to put one of those wheely suitcase on the floor in the window seat and then sit in the aisle seat.

As the train fills up, people naturally gravitate to the remaining empty seats.

Once the train is full, usually by now with people standing in the aisle, if asked to move the case, they just reply that they can't as there is nowhere else to put it.


Window or aisle Sir?
Window or you'll what?

I just sit on the case, but then mine is closer to trunk proportions.

 

[iphone76]

Get out a copy of the Daily Mail and start reading the headlines out loud.

This one made me laugh as a bunch of older ladies used to do that on the morning Southminster to Liverpool Street train. Once they had wound themselves up (usual by Romford) they would then do the quiz section out loud.

Thankfully after the Dec 10 TT change I couldn't get that train anymore - happy days!

 

[LE Greys]

This one made me laugh as a bunch of older ladies used to do that on the morning Southminster to Liverpool Street train. Once they had wound themselves up (usual by Romford) they would then do the quiz section out loud.

Thankfully after the Dec 10 TT change I couldn't get that train anymore - happy days!

Vast improvement on people's music players.

Which makes me wonder if playing the Ring Cycle from beginning to end on a very long journey might have some effect.

 

[asylumxl]

Foreplay or intercourse with your partner will work. Guaranteed way to make people leave you well alone.

 

[AlterEgo]

Foreplay or intercourse with your partner will work. Guaranteed way to make people leave you well alone.

Not if Stan Collymore is on the same train.

 

[WelshBluebird]

What doesn't work is coding. Sat doing some work and people stood near and the person sat next to me kept leaning over to see what I was doing (programming work for uni, on linux, using nano on a full screen tty). One said, and I quote "'ere, jimmy, that lad's hackin' the train". Was a TPE from Edinburgh to Manchester, got a few looks for the rest of the trip.

I am guessing you had a little more room than I did on one occasion!
Trying to do a bit of programming on a crammed pacer (with the bus seats!) on the Barnstaple line is not a fun experience!

 

[35B]

Vast improvement on people's music players.

Which makes me wonder if playing the Ring Cycle from beginning to end on a very long journey might have some effect.

No chance. There's a difference between real music & the regurgitated pap that those with incontinent iPods inflict on all around. But if you started to discuss the plots of some operas, you should get some space. I find Salome's always good for a reaction

 

[Michael.Y]

discuss your bosses sex life at high volume. It made me get off

Whatever floats your boat like.

 

[krus_aragon]

Sit in the luggage rack...

A favourite seat of mine on 158s.

175s' luggage racks aren't as comfortable, though.

 

[GarethW]

Could backfire spectacularly if they turn to you and say ooooh yes isn't it wonderful. Imagine 4 hours on a Voyager trapped in an airline seat next to a god botherer

If a woman is looking like she is going to sit next to you just wink and pat the seat. Then again this could also backfire spectacularly. Or it could end up with a win !!

Mormon missionaries on the way back from Reading to Winchester - nice chaps but I was glad to get off.