Why do folk insist on making a bee-line for these seats, despite not having a bicycle? I’m talking about the not particularly comfy fold down ones that are there for when the space isn’t being used for storage.

Then when a bike does get on, actively avoiding making eye contact so the cyclist is normally crippled with politeness and puts the bike somewhere else, usually blocking a doorway. Conductors mostly don’t GAS

In the last 3 months I’ve been doing a bike/train commute I’ve seen apocalyptic levels of rudeness, ingnorance and just being plain unaware of what other people are doing

Instances include:

Man is sat in normal part of train, a bike is stored in cycle section. Bike leaves. Man moves from seat to fold down seat in cycle area, meaning cyclist getting on at the same station stores bike in doorway.

Man gets on train most mornings. Every day he sits on the fold down bench seat in the cycle storage, his arse taking 2 of the 3 seats, his coffee taking the other. 5 bikes got on and squeezed around him before he thought to move this morning. Usually it’s 3, but same thing happens whenever he’s on the train.

Different man, in the evening this time, always aims for the cycle seats. Even if there is literally an empty train to go at. He’s even pushed past me (with bike) to be first on the train, and to go straight to the cycle section (this chap is of a similar build to the morning one, spotting a theme…)

It’s not just those two though. I have never seen someone just get up because they have seen a bike get on, even if there are dozens of empty seats (even when they wouldn’t have to sit next to someone else…) I always have to ask, usually to a tutting response

Chap man-spreading (google it) across a 3 seat, train pretty much empty when it arrives in station, fills up before I get on, so no seats left now. Other cycle but has 4 kids squashed into the 3 seat bench.

‘Excuse me chap, could I get the bike in there’
*grunts, moves 6 inches to the left*
‘Sorry, I need the whole area…’
*tuts, stands, but sit in the cycle area, I fit the bike in next to him.
10 mins into the journey
‘I’m not having a go… but is this the cycle storage bit?’
‘Yes’
‘How do you know’
‘There’s a massive sign on the window’
I open the window to show him, bit the angle means we can’t see it.
Chap gets off, to be fair, wishing me a good weekend, but still checks the sign on the window as he leaves the platform…

TL:DR train commuters oblivious.

Any similar experiences? I suspect this is only going to get worse as the weather picks up.

Your lucky to have cycle storage on a commuter train.

None on South Eastern and no full size bikes allowed at peak times.

I simply ask them to move if they are blocking the cycle bit when I want to get on with my bike. Politely and apologetically and I have had no issues with people not moving. Usually I find its luggage not people in the way despite the no luggage signs

Only my morning journey is at ‘peak’ time, but it’s well before it gets really busy, 714 from Leeds to Harrogate, off peak in the evening, 1807 back, then 1856 out to cottingley.

I know what you mean TJ, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the tiniest bit of awareness/brain power that would make the whole experience smoother for everyone, or lack thereof, that gets my goat

off peak in the evening, 1807 back, then 1856 out to cottingley

That would be peak time down here.

Not sure how your seats are laid out but there are advantages for the bike area seats on our trains for a typical british commuter who is scared to make eye contact with, or speak to fellow passengers:
– you can enter and leave the seat without having to ask anyone else to move
– you get more leg room than typical airline style seat
– you are less likely to get kicked by the person opposite than at a table

Conductors mostly don’t GAS

They should you know – its a safety critical role! Blocking doors is not good.

Chap gets off, to be fair, wishing me a good weekend, but still checks the sign on the window as he leaves the platform…

That sounds like he genuinely didn’t notice it before (and if you weren’t looking for it you may well not). Perhaps now you have educated him he will know to avoid it. His grunts and tuts seem entirely logical if he doesn’t know that he’s sitting in the bike area.

Your lucky to have cycle storage on a commuter train.
None on South Eastern and no full size bikes allowed at peak times.

I commute by train. I don’t take the bike at peak times because I am lucky to even get on the first train that comes along (boarding at an intermediate station). Whilst I am a big fan of using trains with bikes and cycle commuting in general, I do think people who take up three times the standing space for their free bike are perhaps a little selfish. Obviously the preferred solution would be enough/big enough trains for everyone and their bikes.

Always funny when I heave a filth-crusted bike on the Morecamble-Skipton train and find I have to prop it against various posh luggage that has been dumped in the well-signed cycle rack with no sign of its owner.

Always funny when I heave a filth-crusted bike on the Morecamble-Skipton train and find I have to prop it against various posh luggage that has been dumped in the well-signed cycle rack with no sign of its owner.

I’ll be getting that train later this year, looking forward to it immensely…

I should say, my gripe isn’t that I demand to be given space at the expense of someone else, it’s where there is plenty of space elsewhere in the train, but the non biker doesn’t use it, instead favouring the cycle storage bit. I’ve not got on trains before that have been too busy, and avoid getting trains I know will be busy if I have a bike. I could get a much later train in the morning, giving myself another hour in bed, but it’s full of people, and I really CBA with all that!

I should say, my gripe isn’t that I demand to be given space at the expense of someone else, it’s where there is plenty of space elsewhere in the train, but the non biker doesn’t use it,

I think you have a very valid complaint.

I wasn’t having a go just pointing out that your lucky to have it.

The commuter trains to London are so rammed down here that I suppose it’s impossible to cope with a number of full full size bikes.

It’s when you travel by train Europe and they have double decker trains and stuff, running on 1950’s infrastructure with cheap fares that the crapness of our Victorian system becomes all too apparent.

Hmm, there must be somewhere, but I just can’t think of anywhere else where ignorant, stupid and/or discourteous people do things which inconvenience others..! 😆

You need a brompton 😀

When I used to commute by train I loved the folk trying to get on the train before I could get my bike off, all crowded around the door. Some days I’d stand blocking the doorway for a while until it dawned on them that letting me off would actually make their lives easier. Other days I’d simply push towards them and see what happened. I reckon there were a few folk departing Milton Keynes with pedal marks on their shins.

SW trains are funny that way, between 7 and 8 am they make announcements that non folding bikes are note allowed on the trains. Yet when the train pulls into Guildford invariably the folding seat area is taken up by bike(s).. think common sense and courtesy works both ways.

They do also run the 2×2 seated carriages which have a special bike area which does not inconvenience anyone.