tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087283544997030082.post4358785474560998452..comments2024-02-14T20:17:15.115+00:00Comments on Chertsey: An observationSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01759448161130667128noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087283544997030082.post-43771141671339237932015-03-05T22:24:43.238+00:002015-03-05T22:24:43.238+00:00I'm the awkward sod who likes to make people m...I'm the awkward sod who likes to make people move their bags & free up the seat, rather than take a seat a less confrontational person can take... ;-)<br /><br />Neil - I think it was Stephen Fry who said that. So someone sitting in the seat on a train next to me, told me, anyway. ;-)Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06098938874477314472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087283544997030082.post-87788861512085681822015-03-04T12:23:29.805+00:002015-03-04T12:23:29.805+00:00I liked what someone said on telly (can't reme...I liked what someone said on telly (can't remember who), but apparently Derren Brown told him that the best way to preserve an empty seat next to you on a train is this: When a person looking for a seat enters the area, look them in the eye and smile and pat the empty seat next to you. They'll sit elsewhere.Herbie Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16159526146136750929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087283544997030082.post-39546270160187003442015-03-03T10:32:55.051+00:002015-03-03T10:32:55.051+00:00Bags left on a seat probably belong to the person ...Bags left on a seat probably belong to the person sitting next to them but might just belong to someone who has gone to the buffet or toilet or somewhere. An "empty" seat is more obviously unoccupied.<br /><br />Although some people do genuinely prefer aisle seats I think there are others who sit in the aisle seat in the hope and expectation that no one will then sit next to them. I prefer a window seat myself - although only if you can actually see out of the window - and make a point of asking if I can have the window seat rather than taking a free aisle place. Most people are happy to move, but sometimes I get the impression that the person I've asked to move feels I'm infringing on his or her personal space.<br />The same thing happens on buses. There is definitely an etiquette that ensures that all double seats must have at least one passenger in them before a second person can take the other seat and also that single travellers should take a seat next to a person of the same sex wherever possible. A passenger occupying the aisle seat next to a stranger will usually move to a window seat if one becomes free. I've also noticed that many young people will stand rather than ask the occupant of an aisle seat to move so that they can sit down. Fascinating!Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14502754753792780008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087283544997030082.post-77462499372946809172015-03-03T09:25:57.845+00:002015-03-03T09:25:57.845+00:00There's a PhD in sociology/psychology to be go...There's a PhD in sociology/psychology to be got out of that.Herbie Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16159526146136750929noreply@blogger.com