Seat hogs

[D.P. Roberts]

This has been a problem on the Pacific Surfliners for some time. When I last rode, the conductors refused to ask any of the passengers to give up the seat next to them. Put a really bad taste in my mouth...

If the seats are leaving a bad taste in your mouth, you are not sitting in them correctly.

 

[SarahZ]

Sorcha -
Because the seats are not assigned on Amtrak, I don't think you'll be able to convince the crew that buying two seats means you get two together - even if they are both for you.

Rats. That would be a good option for some people, whether they are heavy and want more room or if they are riding in Coach and want to spread out across both seats. Amtrak would still get the revenue, so it would be nice if they had some kind of work-around.

When I used to buy two seats on an airplane, they simply put my name on both seats in their system. For Southwest, which does not have assigned seating, there was an official slip of paper with some verbage about the seat being reserved, and I'd put it on the seat next to me so nobody would sit there. Those of us who purchased two seats were allowed to pre-board so we could ensure we had two seats together.

I think it would be easy enough for the LD routes to do two seats together, as the car attendant assigns seats when you arrive. I can see how it would be a pain in the butt on regional routes with unassigned seating, though. Blargh.

 

[TimePeace]

If I have offended anyone with my sarcasm, I sincerely apologize. To those of you wanting to pick a fight with me, go back and read again. If you still want a fight, there are lots of others here on the forum that troll for controversy. I am not one.

I will never even suggest that the seat next to me is not available, nor have I ever done so. But if I want to put my stuff on it when no one needs a seat, I will. End of story, over and out.

 

[BCL]

As a larger man in the 300 lb range, I can relate to wanting both seats. When sitting with somebody, I can't relax because I am trying to keep myself outside their space. When boarding on a train that is over half full where there are no seat pairs available, I try to find a smaller person to sit with. When having both seats, I will offer as people push by to sit, but most people don't want to sit with me. My theory is I am a larger man and they want to find a smaller person as well so they have more room. Or I am not the best looking guy so they keep walking by.

I've flown 1st class and business class air, and the coach seats on Amtrak are actually larger. I would have thought that someone about 500 lbs could fit in one of these seats with the armrests down.

Still - the issue on my ride was that nobody with a bag on the next seat or spreading out stuff on two trays really seemed to need any of that. Everyone on the train was well-sized for the seats, but it was an obvious sign that nearly everyone wanted two seats to themselves.

Don't even start me on BART, where people are standing and some won't even think to remove a bag.

 

[user 1215]

As a larger man in the 300 lb range, I can relate to wanting both seats. When sitting with somebody, I can't relax because I am trying to keep myself outside their space. When boarding on a train that is over half full where there are no seat pairs available, I try to find a smaller person to sit with. When having both seats, I will offer as people push by to sit, but most people don't want to sit with me. My theory is I am a larger man and they want to find a smaller person as well so they have more room. Or I am not the best looking guy so they keep walking by.

I've flown 1st class and business class air, and the coach seats on Amtrak are actually larger. I would have thought that someone about 500 lbs could fit in one of these seats with the armrests down.

Amtrak doesn't have armrests on the Superliners or Amfleets. I don't know about Talgos and Acela.

Just 'cause WE are NITPICKERs

 

[chakk]

Sorcha -
Because the seats are not assigned on Amtrak, I don't think you'll be able to convince the crew that buying two seats means you get two together - even if they are both for you.

However, I have seen single passengers in coach who purchased two tickets expressly for the purpose of having two seats to themselves, once they found such an unoccupied seat on the train. They are even given a seat check with a "2" written on it by the coach attendant when the two tickets are lifted. (although I would probably ask for two seat checks with a "1" written on it if I were doing this, in order to put one check over an empty seat next to a single passenger getting off at a "soon to be" stop; then move myself and my other seat check into that departing passengers location when he/she departed.)

 

[rusty spike]

I don't care how many tattoos or peircings my seatmate has, or how much he/she weighs. My only problem is with a person who is unaquainted with soap!

After a 66 hour ride on the TE from CHI to LAX, a coach pax would really be unaquainted with soap! :help:

 

[AlanB]

My wife and I experienced a similar problem as well on the PS back in December. In our case we started travel in Fullerton heading to Los Angeles. There were no vacant two seaters available in the first car we entered. We could not find any vacant two seaters in the second car until we got to the opposite end. The four seaters on either side of the car displayed the infamous "Reserved For Crew members" sign. There was however a vacant two seater that displayed a "Reserved" sign. We decided to sit in those two seats and if necessary explain to the Conductor that this pair of seats was the only vacant one we came across. We were getting off at the next stop anyway and since the seats were empty we figured it would be permissible to sit there for one stop.

So if I'm reading that correctly, between the two conductors they were holding 8 seats. Is that correct?

If so, that is against the rules. Granted arguing with them could get very interesting, but still they are not allowed to do that. I've seen it myself, so I do believe it. Saw it once on the Hiawatha a few years ago.

After the trip I contacted Amtrak Customer Relations about my displeasure with the Conductor. The rep I spoke to agreed with me that my request to sit in the empty two seater should have been granted. It was not an unreasonable request and the Conductor should have been accommodating. The rep apologized on behalf of Amtrak for falling short of services provided. He would contact the District Manager of the Pacific Surfliner route and discuss the situation with the Conductor. I hope this Conductor will think twice when this situation comes up again.

Good for you!

 

[AlanB]

Don't even start me on BART, where people are standing and some won't even think to remove a bag.

Not saying that it still doesn't happen a some here in NYC, but by and large NY fixed that problem with a new law that saw hefty fines for just putting your bag on the seat period. Didn't matter if you were the only person in the car, if a cop saw your bag on the seat, you'd get a ticket for it.

The city made some extra money and a lot of people learned the hard way that they aren't entitled to 2 seats.

 

[JayPea]

When I travel by coach, I try to find a window seat and sit by myself. I will put things on the aisle seat, but remove them prior to the next stop, so if any new passenger wishes to sit in that seat, they can. Other than instances where I have had to board coach seating in which assigned seats are the rule of the day, I usually end up by myself. I am in the largish range, 250+ pounds, but on the occasions where I have had someone in the seat next to me it has been no problem. On one occasion, last year, while returning to Spokane from Glacier Park, I had boarded at East Glacier and grabbed my customary window seat. At Whitefish, a large amount of passengers got on, and a young girls (in her 20's) took the seat next to me. Unfortunately for me, she proceeded to stretch her legs out on the footrest, and sleep the entire way to Spokane. I say unfortunately because it wasn't very long before I had to use the restroom. But with her stretched out and my being a klutz in the best of circumstances, I elected to stay put, hoping I didn't have an "accident". I managed to "hold it" (sorry for the potty references!) until Spokane, when I made a break for the bathroom at such a sprint that I doubt Usain Bolt could have beaten me. :lol: That's the downside of my window seat habit.

And when I returned to Spokane from the Seattle gathering a couple of years ago, there was an announcement made to the effect that there would be a large amount of passengers boarding at Everett, and that every seat in the coach would be filled. The conductor went on to say that no single passenger was entitled to two seats together and that if anyone wanted to sit by themselves, they could purchase an additional seat. I must look uninviting (those who met me at the Gathering feel free to use your own judgement on that ) because no one occupied the seat next to me during the trip to Spokane, despite a "full" train.

And, finally, my airlines story: A few years ago, while flying to Seattle, I was at the waiting area for our gate in Spokane, and amongst the passengers was a rather large woman. She was larger than a woman I knew from my hometown who weighed in excess of 500 pounds. As I said earlier, I'm not exactly skinny myself. I know this sounds awful, because it is, but I found myself telling the Lord that I would do anything. I would go to Zimbabwe to serve as a missionary, anything, so I wouldn't have to sit by that large a woman. He answered my prayer! I still haven't packed for Zimbabwe, though.

Bottom line to all this: I prefer a window seat and prefer to sit by myself. If that isn't possible, so be it. Like Trainman's Daughter said, I need any passenger next to me to be aquainted with soap (and Right-Guard). Other than that, I don't care, at least on a train.

 

[Dovecote]

My wife and I experienced a similar problem as well on the PS back in December. In our case we started travel in Fullerton heading to Los Angeles. There were no vacant two seaters available in the first car we entered. We could not find any vacant two seaters in the second car until we got to the opposite end. The four seaters on either side of the car displayed the infamous "Reserved For Crew members" sign. There was however a vacant two seater that displayed a "Reserved" sign. We decided to sit in those two seats and if necessary explain to the Conductor that this pair of seats was the only vacant one we came across. We were getting off at the next stop anyway and since the seats were empty we figured it would be permissible to sit there for one stop.

So if I'm reading that correctly, between the two conductors they were holding 8 seats. Is that correct?

If so, that is against the rules. Granted arguing with them could get very interesting, but still they are not allowed to do that. I've seen it myself, so I do believe it. Saw it once on the Hiawatha a few years ago.

After the trip I contacted Amtrak Customer Relations about my displeasure with the Conductor. The rep I spoke to agreed with me that my request to sit in the empty two seater should have been granted. It was not an unreasonable request and the Conductor should have been accommodating. The rep apologized on behalf of Amtrak for falling short of services provided. He would contact the District Manager of the Pacific Surfliner route and discuss the situation with the Conductor. I hope this Conductor will think twice when this situation comes up again.

Good for you!

There was a total of ten seats blocked for public use. Four seats facing each other on both side of the aisle (totaling eight) next to the exit door displayed signs stating "Reserved For Crew Members". Two seats directly behind one four seater displayed a sign stating "Reserved". I have never seen a sign simply stating "Reserved" before and still would like to to know who it is reserved for. I have seen the Crew Member reserved sign before as well as a sign stating reserved for groups traveling together.

I should add during the short trip on this train I went upstairs on two occasions to check and see if any of the seats were utilized between Fullerton and Los Angeles. On each occasion only the power hungry Conductor was seated in any of the ten seats.

I sure hope the call to Customer Relations was fruitful. Obviously riding the Surfliner once or twice a year makes it difficult for me to ascertain.

 

[oldtimer]

Hey JayPea, I agree about the soap and "Right Guard" but what do they do on the left side?

:giggle: :help: :wacko:

Bottom line to all this: I prefer a window seat and prefer to sit by myself. If that isn't possible, so be it. Like Trainman's Daughter said, I need any passenger next to me to be aquainted with soap (and Right-Guard). Other than that, I don't care, at least on a train.

 

[Shanghai]

Hey JayPea, I agree about the soap and "Right Guard" but what do they do on the left side?

:giggle: :help: :wacko:

Bottom line to all this: I prefer a window seat and prefer to sit by myself. If that isn't possible, so be it. Like Trainman's Daughter said, I need any passenger next to me to be aquainted with soap (and Right-Guard). Other than that, I don't care, at least on a train.

Maybe Amtrak should put the showers in coach??

 

[jis]

Or at least supply free sticks of Right-Guard for emergency use?

 

[boston mike]

I'm on Capitol Corridor 523 this morning and it's the most crowded I've ever seen it. At Richmond it's typically about 3-4 people boarding and today it was about 8.
Even so, about 75% of the passengers are blocking off seats with bags and/or using two trays. I'm wondering if its going to get to the point where the conductors start laying down the law. It's pretty obvious why people are doing this.

One of my favorite things to do is go up to someone with bags occupying a seat on a crowded train and simply tell them to move their bags I want to sit there. "you gotta move your bags" is all i say. No "please" or "do you mind" Have never had an argument - Even better, waking up the guy sleeping across a row in a crowded train. It irritates them, but that makes it all the more enjoyable to ruin a selfish persons day.

I keep my bags off of a seat in a crowded train. I've even moved from a single seat to one with someone in it when i see a couple searching for a pair. I've had enough trips with the family that we all end up in different seats and no one seems to care a dad and his nine-year old are separated when all they need to do is move across the aisle.

 

[greatcats]

I did the same on a flight out of Seattle some years ago. The parents and little kids ended up separated from each other and the flight crew had blank faces and would not do anything about it. So I volunteered to move. Not a problem. I would not mind using Boston Mike's approach under some circumstances. Then there are the people who leave a pile of trash on the Sightseer car floor when a garbage can is right across the aisle. I nearly picked it up and gave it back to that sloppy woman.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

I don't care how many tattoos or peircings my seatmate has, or how much he/she weighs. My only problem is with a person who is unaquainted with soap!

After a 66 hour ride on the TE from CHI to LAX, a coach pax would really be unaquainted with soap! :help:

I have taken the 66 hour ride, have you heard of sponge baths. I am disabled and even when I am home, there are days it is too painful to take a shower, so I take sponge baths. You can get as clean with a sponge bath as you can with a shower. I use dry shampoo and clean my hair that way. True there may be some passangers who do not bath, but the last time I took the TE it was not the case, everyone took their turns in the bathroom cleaning up.

 

[rusty spike]

I don't care how many tattoos or peircings my seatmate has, or how much he/she weighs. My only problem is with a person who is unaquainted with soap!

After a 66 hour ride on the TE from CHI to LAX, a coach pax would really be unaquainted with soap! :help:

I have taken the 66 hour ride, have you heard of sponge baths. I am disabled and even when I am home, there are days it is too painful to take a shower, so I take sponge baths. You can get as clean with a sponge bath as you can with a shower. I use dry shampoo and clean my hair that way. True there may be some passangers who do not bath, but the last time I took the TE it was not the case, everyone took their turns in the bathroom cleaning up.

That's great. I guess I was just unlucky because I boarded the TE/SL at MRC for the last 8 hours of its run to LAX and I can assure you that a neighboring seat-mate had not indulged in any kind of bath, sponge or otherwise, since boarding. The train was full or I would have changed seats. :hi:

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Well I am hoping that the coach passenger that does not bath for th whole trip is the exception and not the rule. The people around me are all I can speak of and everyone in the area I could see was up and in the bathroom and changed clothes and washed up every day.

 

[pennyk]

Hey JayPea, I agree about the soap and "Right Guard" but what do they do on the left side?

:giggle: :help: :wacko:

Bottom line to all this: I prefer a window seat and prefer to sit by myself. If that isn't possible, so be it. Like Trainman's Daughter said, I need any passenger next to me to be aquainted with soap (and Right-Guard). Other than that, I don't care, at least on a train.

Maybe Amtrak should put the showers in coach??

Dick, some of the sleeper passengers I have encountered do not shower as much as some of us would like.

We, Americans, should keep in mind that our everyday bathing custom is not the custom around the world. I learned that the day I ran the Paris Marathon. I was surrounded by approximately 13,000 Europeans, most of whom were a head taller than I am and most of whom did not wash their running clothes that week. I am sure some of my "American" customs offended the Europeans. Although I am not always successful, I try to be tolerant of others' habits and customs, and look for equanimity in life.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

People who can't bathe during a 66 hour train ride don't bother me. It's the people who haven't bathed for the weeks PRIOR to the trip that I hope not to sit beside.

 

[mulveyr]

I'm on Capitol Corridor 523 this morning and it's the most crowded I've ever seen it. At Richmond it's typically about 3-4 people boarding and today it was about 8.
Even so, about 75% of the passengers are blocking off seats with bags and/or using two trays. I'm wondering if its going to get to the point where the conductors start laying down the law. It's pretty obvious why people are doing this.

One of my favorite things to do is go up to someone with bags occupying a seat on a crowded train and simply tell them to move their bags I want to sit there. "you gotta move your bags" is all i say. No "please" or "do you mind" Have never had an argument - Even better, waking up the guy sleeping across a row in a crowded train. It irritates them, but that makes it all the more enjoyable to ruin a selfish persons day.

I keep my bags off of a seat in a crowded train. I've even moved from a single seat to one with someone in it when i see a couple searching for a pair. I've had enough trips with the family that we all end up in different seats and no one seems to care a dad and his nine-year old are separated when all they need to do is move across the aisle.

Interesting - of all the times I've ridden Empire Service trains in NY and the LSL and had no pairs of seats available for me and my kids ( one or two, depending on the trip ), one of the staff would *always* be proactive about getting us seats together when they see me surveying the car. Heck, even the time my son and I got seats across the aisle from each other, the guy next to me offered to move over right off the bat.

 

[21135Traveler]

I was on a NE regional this past summer that was sold out. Yet there were people who were hogging multiple seats. I asked a couple of them if they could please move their stuff, but the typical response was that the seat was occupy by someone "in the bathroom". That's funny because there isn't even a seat check for this invisible person.

This is where assigned seating would eliminate that "bathroom" person. If I had a ticket with that seat number identifed, then I guess that passenger in the bathroom better stay there on that seat, cause he ain't gettin' mine. :giggle:

If someone told me their seatmate was "in the bathroom," I would say, "Well I'm tired so I'll just sit here and rest until they get back." And then proceed to scoot stuff over to make room. I'm new to riding coach -- would that cross any boundaries?

 

[crescent2]

I'm still going to say that the train crew should enforce the seating policies whenever needed. Some of us don't like to be confrontational and do not enjoy having to ask someone to move their things. It's the crew's responsibility. If they don't do it, I'm glad there are passengers who enjoy enforcing the policies; I'm just not one of them myself.

I also think it's simply common courtesy to others to bathe often enough that you don't stink. Btw, when I spent two weeks with a German family some years back, they bathed and wore clean clothes daily, just as I did. Some of their customs were different from ours, but personal hygiene wasn't one. Just my experience on that.

 

[Amtrak George]

The trains that require reservations run with a pretty standard consist. A couple, family or small group of friends should be able to reserve numbered seats together, and a single passenger should also be able to choose a seat assignment in advance. Those seats that are not sold (if any) would be known to the crew and could be used to take care of a passenger who happened to get a "bad luck of the draw" (problem seatmate).

A diagram could be available showing the seat numbers and their location, when reservations are made.

The 'mad dash" to get a seat at the initial terminal, and the frustrating search for a seat for those boarding at intermediate stops, are not a fun part of the trip. It is one reason that my wife and I often get a roomette for day trips.