Travelling on busy trains can be very stressful, especially when there aren't enough seats to go around. In most cases, people will move to allow an elderly person to sit down but the decision grows more difficult when you are asked to give up your seat to allow groups to sit together.
One train passenger shared her experience after a mother asked her to move so she could sit with her three kids. The woman explained she had recently undergone surgery and told the parent she would struggle to switch seats.
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But the parent then gave her a stare that could 'kill' and repeated that she had three kids and they all wanted to sit around the same table together.
Posting on Mumsnet, the passenger said: "I've recently had shoulder surgery but I am now out of a sling so I guess I don't look injured. I'm sat at a table seat on the train to get back to my work area after visiting my dad. I've got my backpack on the table and my big bag was put up on the top by a lovely man who offered to put it up.
"We get to the next station and it's absolutely heaving and a mother with 3 kids gets on. Everyone files into seats and someone sits opposite me. She then approaches and asks if the other 2 seats are reserved. I said no and she could have them and sat the kids down. She then looks and me and say says 'I've got 3 children who need a seat please can they have yours' I said no I've recently had shoulder surgery and still recovering so standing on a packed train would be too painful."
Instead of accepting to the empty seats, the mum reportedly repeated herself, pointing out that she was travelling with several children.
The passenger then told the mum: "I'm not particularly bothered by the amount of kids you have but I will be staying in this seat as I need it too if you have any issues please go speak to the train conductor."
This was met with a look that could 'kill' and left the woman feeling terrible about the whole ordeal. But lots of people on social media agreed with the woman and confirmed they would have not given up their seat in that situation.
One person wrote: "You were absolutely in the right. Really cheeky to ask you to move." Another said: "You were there first, her number of kids is not your problem. I assume you couldn't book? If you could, she should have done."
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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