Has the Evening Standard been reading this?

It seems they may have been judging by this article! 

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/18-of-the-worst-things-you-do-on-the-tube-that-make-people-hate-you-a3507161.html

Feet on seats

Apologies for the lack of posts - everyone has been really good recently with keeping the rules!

I realised yesterday that I don’t have a rule about feet on seats. What prompted me to realise this? A video shared on the Dartford Rail Travellers Group on Facebook. 

Although, as is the case with these things, the cause of the argument between the two travellers hasn’t been caught on camera. But from the comments, it would appear that the woman (I can’t call her a lady for reasons which will become obvious) has her legs crossed and was touching the gentleman opposite her with her foot. Now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be happy with someone’s dirty shoe touching me, whether I was dressed smartly for work or in myweekend attire of jeans and jumper.  It’s not clear whether the gentleman asked her to move her foot or just moved it himself but it sent the woman into a frenzy of abuse.   The gentleman was wonderful - he didn’t get into a slanging match with her, he just laughed at her - which probably made her worse. 

She then decided to step up a gear. Not content with trying to belittle him on a crowded London bound train, she decided to place her foot on his seat, between his legs and taunt him that she was touching his balls. And still he kept calm. I’m sure at this point most men would have finally flipped. After all, he was just sitting there minding his own business and keeping Rule 15 when this all started!

I will work out a proper rule to deal with this type of situation over the next few days and post it so that we know how to respond to feet on seats. In the meantime, the story was been picked up by the Metro so you can see the video for yourselves - and see exactly why I couldn’t call her a lady!

http://metro.co.uk/2017/12/07/woman-refuses-take-feet-off-seat-keeps-foot-mans-legs-7141781/

Feet

Now we all know that the best way to ensure that you have enough space around you is to place your bag on the seat. But what do you do if you don't have a bag (handbag, shopping, briefcase etc)?

In this instance the proper commuter etiquette is to place your feet on the seat. Most people will accomplish this be stretching their legs out and putting their feet on the seat opposite. But it can also work if you turn your body sideways and stretch out along the bench. Tonight, this gentleman demonstrates the correct position when you are in the double as opposed to triple seat. 

Beauty and the train

While staring at my computer screen earlier today at work, I saw a headline on the BBC news site that caught my attention as it appeared to relate to Rule 18 (ladies applying make up on the train).   Curious I clicked on it.  The article is about how a Japanese train company is trying to persuade ladies to not do their make up on the train and is causing some controversy it seems.

The video is one in a series designed to educate passengers on train etiquette and features two female commuters applying mascara and lipstick.  A fellow passenger watching them whispers "ugly to see" and then tells them off (strangely this involves some form of dancing in front of them). 

Some passengers are not happy about being dictated to in this way.  Personally I can't see the problem:  I love being elbowed by women applying their mascara and getting their powder blown all over me.  But what do you think? (You will probably need to read the article as well as watching the video, unless of course you can speak Japanese!)

Move down the carriage please

This article in the Daily Mash made me smile. It's just a variation of Rule 1. But I would also point them in the direction of Rule 22

http://m.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/people-who-want-to-get-on-train-angry-at-people-who-want-to-get-off-it-20160413107973

Rule 10 - cold weather

"On a cold day, wear as many layers as possible and insist on opening all the windows rather than take your coat/jumper etc off."

I am making an exception to this rule for the time being. Passengers on Southeastern services only are allowed to open windows and strip down to their indoor clothes (but only that far!) on any service that resembles an oven. Once this train company see fit to regulate their heating so that passengers are not made to feel faint, are not being cooked and are not having to worry about their food being cooked, then this rule will be reinstated in its entirety. 

Rule 4 - Disabled seats

As I walked through the train lookin for a seat this morning, I was a little annoyed that two people were seating in my favourite place. I love the fold down seats on the DLR that is the priority area for wheelchair users. But I have to admire them for refusing the give up even one of those seats for the guy that got on that was in a wheelchair. I'm sure he wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone by making them move.