Absolutely true. The last time I overnighted in coach, my seat mate was a young woman, a college student, and she kept sliding over and resting her head on my shoulder. I didn't mind that too much but when she awoke and realized she was cuddling up to a strange old man she recoiled in dismay and blamed me for the situation. Sheesh. Also, I am now 82 and quite incapable of sleeping sitting up, let alone with a stranger.
On Western trains only.
When this happens to me I jerk my shoulder to wake them up or get up and leave. These days it's easier for a guy to defend rudeness than explain kindness or indifference. It's absurd to me that Amtrak still has no dividers between seats. They should have arm wrests and foldable headrests at a minimum. Their outdated loveseat contraption has no place in this era and there is no excuse for keeping it this long.
Absolutely true. My last trip overnight in coach was quite a few years back, but my seatmate's hands and thighs kept wandering over to my legs all night, despite my complaints to him. ("Sorry, I was sleeping and just drifted over...") Which explains why it was my last overnight trip in coach.
Look at Delta's A321neo F/J seat and tell me this is not a fixable problem. Amtrak's implementation does not need to be identical but it's clear there are options and solutions available today. The first step is getting Amtrak to admit that there's a problem to be solved.
I've flown in these seats and there is NO chance for accidental snuggling.The combination of Amtrak's outdated loveseats and their steadfast refusal to sell two seats to one person makes coach a nonstarter for many.
They were comfortable for a tall guy (if a little claustrophobic) but the point was not that Amtrak should choose these specific seats. I was simply demonstrating how armrests, seat dividers, and/or curved headrests can provide vastly improved privacy between strangers.
Wonder what the Amtrak crew will think of it
I agree that there is no perfect solution but in my view what Amtrak sells now is a product more appropriate for the 1970's than the 2020's.
Train seats are getting narrower due to our increasingly rigid all-or-nothing ADA rules rather than improved privacy or separation.
To me the issue is not whether your neighbor sees you so much as touches you or leans against you. I'm not sure how a curtain solves that problem.
The current seat is an unnecessary risk in both directions, for people who don't want to be touched by strangers and for people who don't want to be accused of touching strangers. I would expect more people to consider a lack of physical privacy a deal breaker than would refuse to book because they cannot spend the entire trip joined at the hip. That's what bedrooms are for IMO.
These days I would expect any deviation to be more of a generational split more than a gender split.
It sounds claustrophobic. Also, what about air circulation? I do not think I would like it.
That’s what your elbows are for.
