A train passenger has vented their frustration at a ‘self-entitled’ mother who only booked two seats despite travelling with three children. The mum expected other passengers to give up their seats so her family could sit together, but everyone refused to surrender their spots for the kids, forcing them all to squeeze onto two seats.
In a Reddit post from last year, the irate passenger wrote: “If you’re travelling with three children, book four seats, not two? I reserved my seat because I knew the train would be packed, a mum and her three kids rock up, she’s only booked seats for her eldest and herself with the expectation that others will give up their seats for her spawn. No one does so she squeezes them all into two seats.”
The passenger continued: “Now getting kicked by the child squished in the middle of two seats who is kicking their legs and taking up the whole table with their colouring – I’ve already said something but they’re not moving because the train is full. Mum has also ‘accidentally’ stood on my foot twice too. It’s just the entitlement more than anything.”
The passenger also claimed that the mother began breastfeeding her youngest child on the train. They had no issue with this, but they argued it was more difficult than necessary due to the lack of space caused by the children occupying the two seats she had reserved.
In a follow-up post, the passenger voiced further annoyance when the individual seated next to them surrendered their seat, allowing the mother to place one child in the now vacant spot.
They added: “The person next to me gave up their seat after repeated requests from the mum, and now I’m being kicked from both the front and side, PLUS the toddler is crying. I’ve never wanted to jump off a moving train more,” reports the Mirror.
Commenters on the post empathised with the passenger’s irritation, with many agreeing that parents travelling should not expect others to forfeit their seats for their children.
One commenter noted: “This is pretty much like parents travelling on airlines, purposely not booking seats together, and guilting everyone around them to move so they can sit together.”
In response to the incident, another wrote: “I had a similar situation last week for a two-hour train journey. Family of four booked three seats because one’s an infant. That’s great but you’re going to be taking up more than four seats worth with all their c**p and now I have to be elbowed in the ribs for two hours and listen to whatever your kids are listening to at full volume on their tablets.”
This story was first reported on April 17, 2023.
