Brit baffled by train inspector not being able to do anything about passenger sitting in his booked seat
If you love knowing that your seat has been booked on the train, meaning you won't have to worry about finding anywhere to sit during busy periods, this experience will make you furious.
And since seating etiquette has been such a debated topic online recently, particularly on planes, this passenger's experience on a train is truly mind-blowing.
A passenger opened up about an incident which saw his train seat taken and the ticket collector refused to remove the seat hijacker.
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You may think by getting in there quickly and booking yourself a forward-facing table seat with a plug socket you'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief, but oh how wrong you are.
One traveller has revealed – after learning the hard way – that just because you've pre-booked a seat on a train, doesn't mean you get to sit in it or that the ticket collector has any authority to help rescue you either.
It's always awkward when you find someone in your pre-booked seat and have to perform the whole, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I actually think this may be my seat,' when you know full well that it most definitely is yours.
However, this Redditor explained that when they came to their table seat, they were met with four guys who 'refused to move' because the train was 'packed' and they wanted to remain sat together.
The passenger continued: "The ticket collected passed and I asked him to help.
"He asked the guy to move but he refused and somehow that was that.
"'So what now?' I asked. 'You can find another seat but I have no power to move him, only the police and move him and they will not turn up just to move someone out of a seat,' [the ticket collector said]." [sic]
The passenger explained how he looked around and saw the carriage was indeed completely full, meaning he was faced with the possibility of having to stand all the way to London.
Rather than battling against the four seat hijackers or crying and standing in the corner, he decided to hack the system too.
If you can't beat them then join them, right?
"I'm going to take a seat in first class," they told the ticket inspector.
In the post he noted how the idea of first class appealed because of the 'better surroundings, power sockets and free tea and coffee'.
The ticket inspector responded: "You can't sit there, you don't have a booking."
Alas, the inspector's words were rendered useless by the earlier incident.
"Well, you could call the police to move me but apparently they won't turn out to move someone out of a seat," the traveller told the member of staff.
They victoriously concluded: "I had a lovely trip with power for my laptop and a wide comfy seat."
Brits have – as would be expected – leapt to the comments in absolute outrage over the scenario.
"How do the staff not have the authority though? You agree to follow their instructions when you buy a ticket. Doesn't seem like they should require police to enforce basic rules," one questioned.
Another revealed how differently train conflict is dealt with in Ireland. "I used to work on the train from Belfast to Dublin. The conductor would not let the train leave if someone was breaking the rules, aka walk into first class, harass staff etc. Many times the police would be waiting at the next stop. It sucks for other passengers but that makes their walk of shame even more enjoyable," they said.
Although, a third clarified: "You agree to their terms buying a ticket, but the staff don't have any more legal power over you.
"If you don't move or leave when asked, the only people that can force you to comply are the police because individual citizens do not have the right to apply physical force to one another.
"Reasonable force is a right that all citizens have, including rail workers, but rail workers don't have any more right to use physical force than that provision.
"Therefore, if physical force is required to enforce rail regulations, rail workers will call for police assistance."
LADbible has contacted Network Rail and the British Transport Police for comment.
Poppy Bilderbeck