Inconsiderate Commuters

[Tim]

Could I suggest that we could maybe tolerate the shortcomings of SE Trains a little more if us commuters are a more considerate to each other.
My big bugbear is people who insist on sitting in the seat next to the aisle when there is an empty seat by the window. When everyone is trying to get on the train at the same time it then blocks everything up while they stand up to let someone else in.
I can maybe see that if you are extremely tall then there may be more leg room, but on my usual train from Tunbridge Wells to Cannon St this is happening in the majority of cases.
Why do people do this?

[Richard Trevithick]

Well said Tim.

Also, it may be worth people considering using more of the available doors on the side of the train rather than the 2 closest to the exit. This will help reduce delays, which is another common complaint.

There is nothing more frustrating for my Medium than when her crowded 12 car train stops at Sevenoaks and is then delayed there for several minutes because out of the 24 fitted and working doors on the side of the train, only the 2 closest to the stairs are used by the majority (who are then happy to stand on the platform for ages waiting to waddle up the stairs)! And she thought the Sheeple of Sevenoaks were supposed to be educated!

RT


P.S. It's not just Sevenoaks where this happens, it is pretty much every location. She reports it is also bad on metro routes too. For the sake of an extra few yards exercise along the platform, a lot of delay minutes are lost each day due to this selfish activity.

[barrygillingham]

Tim, you're sooo right. I've moaned about this on this forum on and off over the years. It's so annoying if you're trying to walk up the train corridor.

[garyw]

I'm guilty of sitting on the aisle, I'll move if someone wants the window seat. I'm 6'3 and have a lot of difficulties being cramped up in a corner either with a table in front of me or another chair. My left knee doesn't thank me for it so I sit in the aisle so I can stretch it a bit.

[Neil]

Jan 20, 2011 21:35:35 GMT garyw said:

I'm guilty of sitting on the aisle, I'll move if someone wants the window seat. I'm 6'3 and have a lot of difficulties being cramped up in a corner either with a table in front of me or another chair. My left knee doesn't thank me for it so I sit in the aisle so I can stretch it a bit.

A me too here Gary

My knees aren't so good and being able to stretch out helps them a lot

I don't commute now but used to from Ramsgate to London and that's a long time for the old knees to suffer

[barrygillingham]

Jan 21, 2011 8:15:42 GMT Neil said:

A me too here Gary

My knees aren't so good and being able to stretch out helps them a lot

I don't commute now but used to from Ramsgate to London and that's a long time for the old knees to suffer

But the point for me is when the train arrives at, say, Gillingham it can cause a fair degree of chaos for us all to have to wait for folk to be asked to move, await the move, prise in (perhaps removing coats), original occupant to resit; repeat many times. As a London Bridge user, I inevitably had to then ask the occupant to move again when alighting.

Thus it would be helpful for people to move over when the train gets packed at Medway.

[paolo]

Guilty of it here too, but that's because I don't like sitting by the window.

[chapelwood]

It would help if people who prefer an aisle seat would choose one where the window seat is already occupied, on a train that is going to be full, rather than blocking access to an empty window seat.

[celestine]

Well, I prefer the window seat because I like to look at the view. Pair up with one of you?

[Neil]

Jan 21, 2011 11:18:24 GMT barrygillingham said:

Jan 21, 2011 8:15:42 GMT Neil said:

A me too here Gary

My knees aren't so good and being able to stretch out helps them a lot

I don't commute now but used to from Ramsgate to London and that's a long time for the old knees to suffer

But the point for me is when the train arrives at, say, Gillingham it can cause a fair degree of chaos for us all to have to wait for folk to be asked to move, await the move, prise in (perhaps removing coats), original occupant to resit; repeat many times. As a London Bridge user, I inevitably had to then ask the occupant to move again when alighting.

Thus it would be helpful for people to move over when the train gets packed at Medway.

]]

Yep I do get your point Barry and. as long as there wan't too far to go I'd move over. But I do know the effect on my kness of being in a window seat for too long

The other thing I'd say is that I've got the weakest bladder in Christendom and there is a fair bet I'm going to have to go on the journey at some time, It's less disruptive then if I am on the aisle seat

One of two things that irritate me.

Those who think that the tables are their personal office space and spread papers/computers/phones etc all over them and get huffy if you ask for your bit of space to read your newspaper

And, to an extent, what you are saying. people who use one seat for them and another seat for their bags etc and aren't too happy when you ask them to move them

[Tim]

Moving on from this slightly, can anyone explain to me why, when you've negotiated your way past the aisle hogger you can then have someone sitting opposite with their feet stretched out over to your side? They've obviously seen that your about to get into the seat but refuse to move, so get their shoes trodden all over and then get all indignant when you ask them to move (I'm talking about the seats with tables here by the way).
Also, going back to my original point, someone rightly points out - if you want to sit in the aisle seat wait until everyone has got on. There are people on my train who rush on to the train at Cannon St - pushing past women and children - to sit themselves in an aisle seat, and then block everything up as they have to stand up to let the rest of us on.

[heofgreatwisdom]

Wow! Has commuting got that bad? Must tell a story then of years ago on a slam door EPB single compartment. Packed, and sitting each side of the door are two irks. Feet all over the place, loud and very unhelpful. Many had got on at LB for a journey down the Hayes Line. The train stopped at Lewisham where two gentlemen got up to alight and as they got to the door the irks started again. The two gentlmen getting off must have been members of the armed forces for having alighted the two irks each side of the door cried out in pain, lifted their trousers to find two very large and bloody weals down their shins where the two gentlemen had accidentally scraped their boots in their efforts to get off. From Lewisham on silence reigned over the carriage and two very quiet irks tried to hide themselves away. I can only suggest that those requiring a window seat should perhaps try out a pair of heavy duty, steel capped, walking boots!!
A good weekend to all.

HOGW

[Duvel]

There is insufficient legroom on Southeastern's 'classic' multiple units, except in the limited number of 'priority seating' designated seats.

The 'high speed' units have, in my opinion at least, got what should be the standard legroom provided all round.

I'm not tall, and don't have long legs, but even I find travelling by 375 or 465/466 very uncomfortable with my knees against the seat in front.

I try to avoid the seats around a table unless I'm travelling off-peak or with people I know for the reason that Tim has commented on in reply #10 above.

[Cosmo Bonsor]

I really don't see a problem with people taking aisle seats first, it's the way trains fill up, the first person generally takes the window seat, and the second person takes the aisle seat on the opposite side, usually to have more legroom if no one takes the place facing them. If someone wants to get in, fine, I've never seen it cause that much hassle. There could be all sorts of reasons why an aisle seat is preferable; leg injury, not wanting to be 'trapped' etc. Another reason may be the poor design of some of the seats - there is no space in some areas for your arm/shoulder closer to the window because the wall, rather than the glass, is next to you.
A bigger bugbear for me is people who put bags on seats on rush hour trains, hog the arm rest and stretch their legs onto your side.

[kevin]

Duval has a new take on the 'classic' multiple units. I tend to think about the now withdrawn slam door stock as classic and the replacements as being 'plastic'. Without doubt the Electrostars have far less legroom than the the classic 4Cep and 4Cig emus. I can understand why many people avoid the window seats in an Electrostar as there is that very annoying protrusion for the heating. To add injury to insult the seats are very hard and uncomfortable.

By the way one of my pet hates is women who insist in putting their bags in front of their legs thereby unnecessarily taking up foot space.