When she boarded the train, she discovered the seat she had been allocated was the first-class carriage’s priority seat (Image: No credit)
A woman has sparked a debate on travel etiquette after she refused to relinquish her seat to an elderly lady during a train journey to Scotland.
While it is generally considered polite to offer seats to the elderly, disabled or pregnant passengers, this traveller held firm to her reserved priority seat.
As reported by The Mirror, the woman was travelling from London to Aberdeen on an unspecified rail service and had splurged on a first-class ticket to ensure a private, undisturbed workspace.
Upon boarding, she discovered that her assigned seat was designated as a priority seat but remained resolute when a woman in her 60s insisted on taking the seat.
Recounting her experience on , the passenger said: “I recently got a train across the UK from London to Aberdeen. It’s a seven-hour journey so I booked myself a first-class seat well in advance.” Opting for first-class train seats in the UK can be a costly affair, but the passenger chose to indulge for a couple of reasons.
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She explained: “First-class seats on trains in the UK can be expensive, but I decided to treat myself because 1), 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, and 2), certain trains in the ‘individual seats’ which means you’re not sitting next to or sitting opposite anyone. I specifically booked one of those seats to enable me to work.”
The ordeal began without a hitch as the traveller hopped onto the train in London, securing a designated priority seat, which they elaborated: “I got on the train in London and sat in my seat. The seat they’d assigned me was also the ‘priority seat’. Priority seats are the ones at the end of carriages for people with mobility issues due to age or disability,” reports .
However, things took a turn when an older woman, around 60 years of age insisted on taking the seat on grounds of her seniority. “A woman got on after me who was around 60 years old and pointed at the sign above my head and, quite rudely, told me to move because she was elderly.”
The traveller didn’t budge, countering firmly, “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 and there were no other seats. I apologised but reiterated that I’d booked the seat and wasn’t going to move.”
A staff member stepped in eventually but discerned that the woman, despite owning a first-class ticket, had not secured a specific seat.
In spite of the guard’s efforts to mediate and suggest one party switch to standard class, the passenger with the prior booking adamantly stood their ground, refusing to vacate.
The narrating passenger recollected the event, stating, “Eventually, a train guard came over to try to help. The lady had booked a return ticket, but she hadn’t reserved a specific seat.”
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The train passenger provided further insight for those without train travel experience, stating: “For those who don’t know how trains work, if you have a ticket but haven’t also booked a seat reservation, it means you can travel on a train, but you aren’t guaranteed a seat unless there’s one available.”
The incident took another turn as she recounted the guard’s suggestion: “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. Eventually, he took the woman to standard class and I assume found her a seat there.”
The woman voiced her mixed emotions on the encounter, explaining, “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 incident sparked a heated exchange of opinions among internet users. One commentator weighed in, shifting the blame to the train company: “The train company are the a**holes here. They sold the disability seats as the most expensive seats on the train. Those seats should never be sold unless the occupier is disabled. That’s on the train operator. It’s not on you.”
Meanwhile, another vocal respondent echoed similar sentiments, saying, “If it was a first-class seat on a plane and someone asked you to move to economy, you’d tell them to f**k right off. Same applies here, in my mind.”
A further commenter chimed in, stating: “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.”