Overcrowed Train, No free seats, Elderly person sat in your reserved seat.

[Darandio]

It's ok to suggest an elderly or infirm person look for a priority seat, but what about those who have been given the priority seats as a normal reserved seat? This has happened to me a couple of times with East Coast recently. In this case would I be required to give up my seat?

Same here the last twice I have travelled.

 

[Nym]

um, what's sexuality got do with the issue of elderly people and seat reservations? "friend of Dorothy" is a phrase with a long established meaning...
It may well be that there aren't many gay conductors, but that's rather neither here nor there!

jopsuk, "Friend of Dorethy" doesn't just mean homosexual. If we wanted to start this argument again it would be in general discussion.

I've had many an occation where I've had difficulty walking or even standing for long periods of time (and somtimes still do), and have on many occations been abused by older pepole thinking priority seat is only for old pepole. One even trying to swing a walking stick at me, (that was duely ripped from his hand), then pointed out, (If you're able to do that, you're able to go to the next seat behind me.

Even better is those on consessionary travel passes trying to travel before 9:30 on buses or trains. I'm paying (Now £95/month) to use the 'wonderful' buses and trains in Greater Manchester, rarely able to get a seat, and they come on for free, subsidised by my ticket, when the're on more money than me on a pention? (At the time was on JSA, then nothing waiting for first wage to come through)

Hats off to the First Manchester driver that refused somone onto the bus at 9:29, it was still completly rammed and refused her boarding.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . . Remember, old people have nothing to do during the day. . . . .

whaaat??

 

[matchmaker]

About 4 years ago my sons (14 & 16 at the time) were going to visit their grandparents in Inverness. I got a good deal fron GNER and booked them both reserved 1st class seats on the Chieftain. They are both sensible lads so we trusted them to travel without us.

As the train pulled into the station I saw that their seats (they'd been allocated two single window seats) were occupied by a couple - not elderly - probably in their 40's. I watched through the window as my older son went up and asked if he and his brother could have their seats!

The train departed at that point, but my sons later told me that the couple refused to move so my older son called the conductor who proceeded to turf the couple out to other (non-reserved) seats!

 

[mullin]

I've booked an eldery (early 80's) auntie and uncle of mine onto trains, probably around this time last year. Part of the leg was from Banbury to Birmingham from memory. Seat reservations for them both next to each other on XC. Train arrived, it was busy and the people occupying their seats (they said they looked mid 30's) refused to move for them....!

 

[350401]

I regularly go between Manchester and Leeds, which is nearly always jammed, even at off-peak. Thus I usually book a seat, as I'm usually carrying luggage and the idea of standing with a suitcase in the vestibule for an hour doesn't fill me with great joy. My policy regarding elderley people is that I look at them to see if they need the seat, and if they do, I will offer it. What I won't do is offer it to someone who assumes that just because they are "old" they "deserve" the seat more than me. I'll list three scenarios, each with different outcomes -

1. Get on at Leeds, 17.40 train to Manchester on Friday. Rammed obviously, but had reservation in Coach B. Woman in mid 60s comes along, carrying tonnes of shopping bags, I let her on in front of me, being polite. She moves down the carriage, sees my reserved seat empty (miracle!), looks at it, and decides to sit down. I'm behind her, and say politely, excuse me, I've reserved that seat. Reply: "I'm elderley, I need it, you can stand". I refuse that justification, and threaten to get the guard. She moves reluctantly, denouncing all youth. I think I made a reasonable call - she clearly wasn't in need of it, being able to carry 4 large shopping bags, and she saw the reservation, and decided to ignore it, simply because she felt she had a "right" to it as an OAP.

2. Sat down on train from Manchester, arrive Huddersfield 8.30am Monday AM - obviously tonnes get on there. Again, "fit" elderley person in early 70s gets on, and as she fancies a table seat, asks me to move in a very "One Foot in the Grave" style manner - pretty much, oi boy, move, I want to sit there. Taking offence at her tone, I refuse to move. She ends up standing - the Hudds commuters clearly thought her attitude was out of line too.

3. Get on train at Leeds, sit in reserved seat. Person in 70s asks to sit down, asks politely, and has a walking stick. Obviously, I let her sit down as she clearly needs it, and has the common decency to ask in a nice way.

Conclusion - OAPS have no "right" to a seat unless they reserve one, but if they ask in a nice way, I'll give it up. However, if they assume they have a right to the seat, and are rude, then they wont get it. Simple human decency at play.

 

[chris89]

On the railways i've never really come across what others have said. Only times i have when an elderly woman was sitting in the asle seat and i politely asked her if i could get to my reserved seat which she did.

I have in the past offered my seat for the elderly and they say no thank you or just ignore me. If they ask you nicely and don't think they have automatic right to seats i will give them up. But if they are rude to me and demand me to move i will not as i don't expect to be spoken to like that since i am young.

But on buses it's completly different though, quite often on my local services they sit in the ailse seat and refuse to move over to allow others to sit down, which frequently leaves people to stand up which isn't nice on a bus going from Kidderminster along bendy roads with pretty much suicidal bus drivers.

Overal i will offer to give up my seat and quite oftern am told no need to and so on, if i am treated rudely i will honestly refuse to offer as i don't expect that from someone. But often goes both ways if people sit in ailse sits i at least find it common decency to move across if the form of public transport is busy and not put their Suitcases, bags etc on the sit as to 'reserve' it.

Chris

 

[trainophile]

But on buses it's completly different though, quite often on my local services they sit in the ailse seat and refuse to move over to allow others to sit down, which frequently leaves people to stand up which isn't nice on a bus going from Kidderminster along bendy roads with pretty much suicidal bus drivers.


Chris

I wouldn't move over either, but I would stand up to allow the person to sit in the window seat themselves. I hate being boxed in and always try to get an aisle seat.

 

[island]

I would generally ask the person to move, irrespective of who they were (and duly did on a HST last Saturday to CDF). Obvious common sense exceptions apply.

 

[chris89]

I wouldn't move over either, but I would stand up to allow the person to sit in the window seat themselves. I hate being boxed in and always try to get an aisle seat.

That is fair. But then they refuse to even stand up and look at you like your from a another planet sadly :/

Chris

 

[SS4]

That is fair. But then they refuse to even stand up and look at you like your from a another planet sadly :/

Chris

Alternatively you get the ones that move their legs (this is not just the elderly I sadly add) and expect you to get past that way.

 

[amcluesent]

Maybe the ToCs should extend the 'baby on board' badge they give to pregnant women with a 'doddery old codger' badge to secure priority seating?

 

[imagination]

It really depends on the situation. If I was just going a shortish distance with little baggage and not much of a journey at either end of the train I wouldn't hesitate to give up my seat. In fact I may not even try to take it in the first place.

On the other hand if it was for my journey from or (especially) to university then I wouldn't hesitate to turf them out, however old or infirm they were.

 

[Helvellyn]

I like the way a lot of you assume the elderly person needs the seat and wouldn't ask them to move. But I saw last year someone politely point out to an elderly person that he was sat in her seat. The man said, oh I'm sorry - my seat is the one next to this but this person (points to left) is sat in it! This was a young lad, early twenties. So the girl said he'd need to move so either the elderly man could have his reserved seat, or she could sit there (he'd keep her seat). The lad didn't want to move, but did in the end after she had a go at him.

This is something I've seen before - someone has a reserved seat that is occuppied, so goes and sits in another seat (sometimes also reserved).

As to what I'd do, I would ask the person to move if the journey was over half an hour (and with a reserved seat I'm going to be travelling long distance). I broke my leg two years ago, and if I stand for over half an hour my ankle starts to swell. Standing still for too long and it becomes painful. That's why I reserve a seat when I can. A lot of it comes down to how you approach the situation. Also, never judge a book by its cover - as some as said, many people - young or old - can't stand for long periods.

 

[Flamingo]

Don't forget, a nasty young person eventually becomes a nasty old person, and just because somebody is old does not mean they are nice person.

(This was pointed out to me by an elderly lady on a hospital ward, when I tried to make excuses for a selfish old bat who was causing disruption)