The story of the seat blocker

Look at how busy this train is!

by Jenn H.

Dear CJ, Last night I rode the 4:53 train home to Whitby. The train was full when I got on so I climbed over the stair pigs (see my second email to you) and went and stood on the mid-level section, near the door to the next train. I'm also six months pregnant but it's hard to tell and I don't mind standing for the first half of the trip because I can usually get a seat after Pickering.

However, this guy gave me his seat and he went to stand where I was standing. Just outside of Pickering, this woman sitting in the outside seat of the quad next to mine stands up. She then puts her two purses on the seat. I think, ok, she's getting off at Pickering and so all the people on the stairs and also the guy who gave me his seat can sit. The train leaves Pickering and this woman is STILL standing! But her purses have a seat!

I've seen this kind of behaviour before and I think it's rude and inconsiderate. If you're only going to sit until Pickering and there's people traveling to Oshawa or Whitby, how about you leave a seat for them? So I poked her in the back and asked her if she could leave the seat free for someone who wants to sit. She said she was getting off at Ajax. I said not right now you're not. But she continued to hog the seat and began talking to the woman sitting (her friend I think, as they were chatting when we were still at Union) as if to ignore me. Unbelievable.

The guy standing tells me not to worry about it. But it's not right! It's just plain rude. What has happened to just plain courtesy? I've been riding the train for 11 years and I find the inconsideration of some people just keeps getting worse.

Do you see feet opposite the lady in the gray pants? The lady standing in the camel-coloured coat hogged this seat for her purses from outside Pickering to Ajax.