Woman is praised for refusing to give up her reserved first class train seat for a ‘rude’ elderly passenger who ‘ordered’ her to move – with people branding the older traveller ‘entitled’
- Anonymous UK-based woman took to Reddit to ask people about train seats
- She revealed she’d booked an individual seat ahead of time and paid for it
- Once on the train, an older woman ‘rudely’ told her to move, but she refused
- People praised the poster, with one saying the older woman was ‘entitled’
A woman has been praised after refusing to give up her seat on a train to an elderly traveller, with people branding the older passenger ‘entitled’.
The anonymous UK-based poster took to Reddit’s Am I the A****** forum to share her story and ask for other people’s thoughts on what had happened.
In a lengthy post, the 32-year-old revealed that she had recently taken the train from London to Aberdeen, writing: ‘It’s a seven-hour journey so I booked myself a first-class seat well in advance. First-class seats on trains in the UK can be expensive, but I decided to treat myself because:
‘I was making the journey the day after returning from a two-week-long work trip abroad and I knew I’d be exhausted/ totally unable to function.
‘I knew I’d have work to do on the train, so I wanted to make sure I had space/ comfort to be able to work.
People have praised a woman for revealing that she refused to give up her seat on a train when asked for it by another, older lady (stock image)
A woman shared a lengthy post on Reddit (pictured) asking other forum users what they thought about her not giving up her seat to an elderly traveller
‘On certain trains in the UK, the first-class carriages have “individual seats” which means you’re not sitting next to or sitting opposite anyone. The space is entirely your own and you can spread out over the little table. I specifically booked one of those seats to enable me to work.’
She explained that she sat in her assigned seat, which was a ‘priority seat’, adding that these are ‘the ones at the end of carriages for people with mobility issues due to age or disability etc’.
The post continued: ‘A woman got on after me who was around sixty-years old and pointed at the sign above my head and, quite rudely, told me to move because she was elderly.
‘I told her I’d booked the seat and she’d need to speak to a member of staff to find her one. She pointed out that the train was full (even first class was full) and there were no other seats. I apologised but reiterated that I’d booked the seat and wasn’t going to move.’
Eventually, the poster explained, a train guard came over to try to help.
She wrote: ‘The lady had booked a return ticket, but she hadn’t reserved a specific seat. For those who don’t know how trains work in the UK, if you have an “open ticket” and haven’t also booked a seat reservation, it means you can travel on any train, but you aren’t guaranteed a seat unless there’s one available.
Many posters thought that the older woman may have been trying to get a free upgrade by asking for the first class seat
‘He asked if either of us would consider moving to standard class if he could find us a seat. I again refused, explaining I’d booked the seat well in advance and that I needed it. He asked if anyone in the rest of first class would mind changing and no one agreed. Eventually he took the woman to standard class and I assume found her a seat there.
‘I felt bad, but I also don’t think I needed to put myself in severe discomfort because someone else didn’t think ahead and reserve a seat.’
The poster was voted not to be the a****** by some 97 per cent of respondents, with many commenting on the post, calling out the older lady for being ‘entitled’ and an ‘absolute chancer’.
For many, the issue was that the older traveller tried to get a seat in a first class carriage, despite not appearing to have a first class ticket.
One wrote: ‘It’s a first class seat. This woman doesn’t sound like she booked a first class ticket – she was hoping for a free upgrade
Other posters noted that they too would be unwilling to give up their expensive seats to someone else
‘Personally I don’t think the train company is TA for selling all their first class seats since I imagine most priority seat people, like most passengers, book regular fare.’
Another added: ‘on trains in the UK there are always priority seats in every carriage, so there would also be priority seats in standard class. The woman could have just gone to standard class.’
And a third noted: ‘Every time I’ve travelled on a cross country train in the UK there has been a priority seat in every carriage, not just first class.
‘I have booked one such seat in the past and been asked to move which I was happy to do as it was in the same carriage and the same value as the one I’d paid for.
‘Why should someone who didn’t pay for first class automatically get first class when other priority seats are available.’
Others noted that the poster had paid a significant amount of money for their seat, and should not be forced out of it.
Meanwhile, other respondents pointed out that 60 is not that old, and that the older woman should have booked a seat, rather than relying on her age to get someone else’s
One wrote: ‘I’m sorry but he spent his hard earned money for what appears to be a well deserved and much needed seat with space and comfort. There is no way he should be expected to move to standard class. The train company should consider doing what airplanes do in such circumstances, offer anyone in first class a voucher for a high amount to entice them to switch over to standard class. NTA AT ALL.
‘I purchased a business class seat for myself when I flew overseas last month after my grandmother passed away, so I could have my space as I knew I’d be grieving and crying. It was a significant expense to me, and I would NOT AT ALL have been amused if someone told me to move to economy class.’
Another criticised the elderly lady, writing: ‘The woman was for thinking she was entitled to your reserved seat though. Elderly or not, you paid in advance and shouldn’t have to move just because she showed up.’
And a further respondent said: ‘NTA – Book a seat or take the consequences – I’ve been stood on the train from London to Preston and standing drags, but I would NEVER expect someone else to give up their seat because I hadn’t bothered reserving a seat.’
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