'A train passenger has sparked a discussion about travel etiquette after refusing to exchange his carefully selected seats with a family that wanted to sit together. The man said he had booked the seats in advance and did not believe he should be expected to give them up simply because another group wanted adjoining seats.
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Sharing the incident on Reddit, the passenger explained that he follows a simple personal rule when faced with requests he does not wish to accept.
“I have a personal rule: if I don't want to do something, I'll say no. No fake smiles, no guilt, just a polite ‘no’,” he wrote.
Family asks passenger to exchange seats
The man said he and his companion had booked seats in the train’s AC Chair Car in advance because they specifically wanted seats facing each other, along with a window seat.
“We had booked our AC Chair Car seats in advance because we specifically wanted seats facing each other, along with a window seat. We planned it that way,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“We had booked our AC Chair Car seats in advance because we specifically wanted seats facing each other, along with a window seat. We planned it that way,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}During the journey, a woman approached them and requested that they move to another set of seats so her family could travel together.
“A lady came over and said, ‘Can you move to our seats? Our whole family wants to sit together.’ I replied, ‘Sorry, no. We booked these seats on purpose,’” the passenger recalled.
According to him, the woman continued to insist and said, “Come on, it's only for a few hours.”
The man then asked whether the family was travelling for a holiday or returning home. When the woman said they were going home, he responded, “Then you'll have all the family time you want once you get home. You can sit together however you like there. For now, we'd like to keep the seats we specifically booked.”
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Passenger questions expectation to give up reserved seats
The Reddit user said the woman appeared unhappy with his refusal, but he remained firm about keeping the seats he had deliberately selected.
“She wasn't happy, but I genuinely don't understand why people assume someone else should give up the seats they carefully selected just because they're travelling as a family,” he wrote.
The post was shared under the title, “Train etiquette: Am I expected to swap my reserved seat for a family?” and drew several reactions.
Internet reacts
One user wrote, “You booked and paid for those seats, so you had every right to keep them.” Another said, “Families should plan their bookings instead of pressuring other passengers.” A third commented, “Saying no politely does not make you rude.” Another added, “You can always ask for a seat swap, but nobody is obligated to agree.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)