Thursday 3 January 2019

Travelling by train makes people angry!

I haven't travelled by train for years and it was never for a long distance when I did. Over Christmas we travelled from Newcastle to Horsforth which is just outside of Leeds.

On the way there we left Newcastle, changed at York and got off at Horsforth. On the way back we went from Horsforth to Leeds, then Leeds to Newcastle. 


I don't know what it is about travelling on trains which makes people so rude and mean. From the second we stepped on our first train to York people annoyed me. I had train rage! People were shoving and pushing just to get to the luggage racks. Obviously with it being two days before Christmas people had more luggage than they usually would have but that's no excuse to be rude!

When we were on the train there was a space for a wheelchair and as there was no wheelchairs on board that was to be used for luggage but that couldn't happen because there was a drunk man on the floor sleeping! His group of friends were at one of the tables and were shouting just leave him there. It was intimidating. The train staff were walking past and despite complaints, they left him! Grr! 

Getting our 2nd train was fine. There was plenty of space and spare seats. Phew! On the way back on the 27th from Horsforth to Leeds was fine but from Leeds to Newcastle was a whole different story! 

We had reserved seats but apparently that didn't matter if the train is full. Stu argued with a man and his partner and what looked like adult children to claim our reserved seats. Becky and Ellie had sat down and we went to sort out the suitcases. A woman had sat in Stu's seat and as I approached the seats I heard Becky say "that is my dad's seat, you can't sit there" and she said to Becky to be quiet as she's just a child. What right did she have to say that? I said the same to her and she said "well he's not here so tough"! I said through gritted teeth "lady, I suggest you move, I am in no mood! She did and stood scowling at me until she got off the train. 

Just as Stu sat down a group of young lasses started effing and blinding behind me and a woman a few rows in front of me started shouting that you shouldn't be swearing in front of children. They argued backwards and forwards for a few minutes before they quietened down. Eek! I really thought they were going to come to blows. 

It seemed that there was way more people on the train than there were seats. There was people stood up and down the aisle. Yes it may have been the busiest day for travelling on the 27th but I think the train company shouldn't have sold so many tickets. It should have been first come first served and once they were gone they were gone!

After a couple of stops from Leeds a blind man and I think his wife got on with a guide dog. She marched onto the train like she owned it and barked at me. "Move your family you are in our seats". I said no I wasn't they were ours. She was putting her luggage away and shouted that I better had moved by the time she gets back! I didn't move, I knew I was in the right. She had a closer look at the seat numbers and realised she was in the wrong! There was no apology just a dirty look and scowl. She was in the wrong and couldn't own her mistake.

Shortly after a youngish lass got on and tried to put her bag into the overhead rack. There was no way the bag was going to stay put. I stood up to look for a member of staff to move it and I'm glad I did. It fell onto my seat. It would have been my head if I hadn't have moved. Instead it hit my seat and hit the poor guide dog. The poor animal. There was no apology from the young lass.

When we arrived at Newcastle silly people were trying to get onto the train before everyone getting off had got off. I shouted at a man to have some patience and another for pushing past me with his suitcase and I shouted at another for swinging his suitcase around and hitting me in the legs. I don't usually swear in public but I did then. All my patience had been used up!

I know travelling by train can be stressful but like Ellie said if everyone just chilled out a little and had a little patience it would make a happier journey for everyone!

4 comments :

  1. Oh dear! How did you not slap anyone? Hehe! What a journey. My last train ride was like this. Drunk people are the worst on public transport aren't they?! xx

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  2. OMG trains are awful when it's busy. I've had some nightmares in my wheelchair, particularly when a women refused to move her pushchair for me, and she was sitting in the seats reserved for my girls. I had to sit in the luggage compartment until the inspector came along and moved her. She spent the whole of the journey cursing me for having to move her pushchair. Her child was about 2 yrs old, I could have understood a little more if it had been a baby. In another world, I was sitting quietly on a train with my hubby when a group of loud football fans got on. We immediately thought the journey was going to be a nightmare, but they were lovely lads and we ended up chatting and sharing snacks with them. x

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  3. Using trains for 10 years to get to work was the reason I finally overcame my anxiety about learning to drive. Hate, hate, hate the poxy things. The worse the weather the less likely they are to turn up! Some people are just naturally bumholes but a lot of perfectly nice people loose their patience because of the massive expense, overcrowding, lack of help from train staff (if you're on a train that has any) and the uncertainty of actually reaching your destination! Not to even mention the "rail replacement bus" EVERY Sunday for years!
    Did I mention I'm not keen on trains?
    Tx

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  4. When it is quiet I enjoy going on the train, but can't stand it when it is busy. I once had a tummy bug and was on the train with my boys then 1 and 3 and puked everywhere and we stick with no sits in the corridor, oh it was horrific and nobody bothered helping X #mmbc

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