Woman praised for refusing to give seat to elderly passenger on train to Scotland
| Published date | 14 April 2024 |
| Author | Zahna Eklund |
| Publication title | EdinburghLive (Scotland) |
READ MORE - UK tourists in Venice hit out at '£257 daily rule' and say 'people shouldn't go'
READ MORE - Jet2, Ryanair, Easyjet and TUI passengers warned over swapping seat 'punishment'
According to The Mirror, the woman was travelling from London to Aberdeen on an unspecified rail service and had splurged on a first-class ticket to secure a solo seat, aiming for a quiet journey to focus on work without interruptions from fellow passengers.
Upon boarding, she realised her assigned seat was in fact the carriage's priority seat, typically earmarked for those with mobility issues. However, when a woman, estimated to be in her 60s, boarded and insisted on the seat, the passenger refused to budge.
Venting her frustration on Reddit, the woman recounted: "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".
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
The woman and the older passenger were eventually seen to by a member of...
To continue reading
Request your trial