Woman sparks debate after refusing to give up train seat for elderly woman on a seven-hour journey

Sometimes, even being prepared might not keep us from unnecessary troubles. This is often the case for passengers who always book their seats on trains or airplanes in advance, as there's always someone who lacks planning and demands others' seats. A 32-year-old woman from the UK who goes by u/Optimal_Promotion879 on Reddit was caught in one such troublesome situation while traveling on a train from London to Aberdeen. She knew how tiring the seven-hour journey would be and pre-booked her first-class seats only to be asked by an elderly woman to give it up.

The woman stated three reasons for needing a first-class seat: to be less exhausted, to have a comfortable space to work and to have some privacy while working. She was assigned a "priority seat" and when she boarded the train, she occupied the seat. "'Priority seats' are the ones at the end of carriages for people with mobility issues due to age or disability etc.," the passenger explained. That's when a woman in her 60s rudely demanded that the 32-year-old give up the "priority" seat because the train was full. The old woman had an "open ticket" without a booked seat, which meant she could travel on any train but wasn't guaranteed a seat unless there was one available.  

The young passenger explained to the elderly woman that she had pre-booked her seat. Then, a train guard arrived and tried to convince either of the women to move to "standard class," but the passenger who wanted the private first-class seat refused to give up. "I again refused, explaining I'd booked the seat well in advance and that I needed it. He asked if anyone in the rest of the first class would mind changing and no one agreed," she wrote. With no possible solution, the train guard had to take the older woman to the standard class. "I felt bad, but I also don't think I needed to put myself in severe discomfort because someone else didn't think ahead and reserve a seat," the passenger concluded. This post sparked a debate.

Some Reddit users argued that the old woman was at fault for not being prepared. "Either she (the old woman) was unaware due to just not paying attention or she was relying on being old to force someone to move. Either way, it's not your problem. She was at fault and had zero right to expect you to give up your pre-booked seat due to her poor planning," said u/Hoplite68. "60 is not that old and if she has special needs, then she needs to plan just like you do. It sounds like she pulls this trick every time she travels. My husband and I are 65 and travel all over the world and do not use our age or health to ask others to accommodate us," chimed in u/International_Win375.

Others blamed the transport system for their ineffective booking policies. "You can book a first-class ticket and not be guaranteed a seat? The first class is meaningless if you have to stand the whole time. The only real problem is the train company for playing these games and overbooking," said u/Sut3k. "It was the train company's fault for booking those seats in the first place. If they have those seats like that then they should not book them. Do not feel bad about it. No one else gave up their seat either," added u/SMM71.