A total hero told an inspirational story about removing someone else’s bag from a seat on a packed train – 19 well-deserved standing ovations

Travelling on public transport is the UK can be a stressful experience. Trains and buses aren often late or don’t turn up at all, and can be crowded to the point that people are packed in like very irritated sardines.

But what makes it much worse and way more annoying is when your fellow passengers are thoughtless and selfish.

Luckily, some people are happy to stand up to bad behaviour. Over on the British Success subreddit, user YupItWasMeMate told a story of that will gladden the heart of any traveller…

‘I was on the train yesterday and it was full. There were people standing. It was one of the trains without tables so there are just rows and clusters of seats. In one of the clusters of four there was a guy with a bag on the seat next him. He was messing on his phone.

‘I walked up to him and gestured to the seat. He ignored me. I tapped him on the arm and gestured firmly at the seat. He rolled his eyes and ignored me. So… I picked the bag up and put it on his lap and sat down.

‘I’m living for the next 100 years for the expression on his face. He started saying something and I just held my hand up Arnie style. “Not interested,” I said.

‘His voice tailed off and, before he could come up with something else, I very deliberately put my headphones in and started messing on my own phone.

I’’m a bit of a stickler for getting antsy when people are hogging seats etc. This was one of my better moments…’

Not all heroes wear capes. And it turns out there are some other travel-based champions out there too, as the replies showed…

1.

‘This is perfect! A good few years ago I got on a train in Liverpool and it was chocka. I asked a lady to move her bag so I could sit down and she said ‘It’s very heavy’. My response was ‘So am I but one of us is getting on your lap’. Honesty it’s the best comeback I’ve ever made.’
–Rozzyb2011

2.

‘I had this once. A Scottish lady was sat in my reserved seat, and her luggage was in HER seat. I asked her to move along so I could sit down, and she shouted at me saying ‘I’ve had a shite day already, two hour delays because someone threw themselves on the tracks’.

‘I just picked up her luggage, put it on the floor and said ‘well, sorry to say, the guy who threw himself on the tracks probably had a shittier day than you’ and then sat down.’
–VeryThicknLong

3.

‘A few years ago I got on a packed train to go home where all of the seats were taken and there were lots of people standing. I turned around to see a maybe 12/13yo boy sat by himself at a table with 4 seats. Curious as to why no-one was using the other 3 seats I edged closer and discovered he had put a bag on each of them!

‘Being British, I smiled and said “sorry!” as I picked up the 2 bags from the seats opposite him, dumped them on the table and sat down in the window seat, swiftly followed by someone else sitting in the aisle seat.’
–EquivalentNo5465

4.

‘Similar situation on a bus a while ago. Packed bus, bag on seat. Ask her to move it, she refused so I sat on it. She didn’t seem to like that.’
–PointandStare

5.

‘I remember sitting on someone’s dry cleaning bag with their suit in it as they wouldn’t move it on a packed train. His face was a picture. I can still see it 10+ years on!

‘Think I had an adrenaline rush for about 7 business days afterwards! Good for you!’
–lookhereisay

6.

‘I usually booked seats for me and my children. Often kicked people out of our seats. The last time I thought I’d really cracked it.

‘Asked nicely that my children could sit in their seats, got a nasty look, then quickly moved after looking up. It took me days to realise it was because my children were now 6ft tall and staring intently at him.’
–cherrycoke3000

7.

‘I rarely use public transport nowadays but I have used a similar approach back when I was using the train all the time. It’s worked 100% of the time and so far I have remained stab free.

‘I say in a bit too loud and forced jokey voice, “Mind your bag mate, I’m sitting there”, as I go to sit there and give them a BIG grin.

‘The sitting is happening whether they move the bag or not, the sitting is happening whether they are male or female. I just try to time it so they have just enough time to move the bag before I flop down on to it.’
–Miserable_Pea271

8.

‘Packed bus outside Gunnersbury station, upper deck, tosspot sitting on aisle seat refusing to move over or swing legs out to let people in to window seat… I watch this guy move in to the window seat behind then CLIMB OVER in to the window seat next to tosspot.

‘Tosspot visibly upset by this approach said something but was completely ignored. The shock on his face will be in my memory for ever more.’
–Bright-Ad9305

9.

‘When I used to travel in London, I’d just pick up the bag, say ‘Thank you!’ emphatically but with a smile, while handing the bag back to them. Their instinct was almost always to reach out and take their bag – because who wants a stranger picking up their property?

‘Once it was off the seat I’d sit down, thanking them again. People didn’t seem to want to argue when they were being thanked and handed back their own bag, haha.’
–free-the-imps

10.

‘Years ago on a train with 4 seats round a table. Some guy was sitting in the isle seat with his legs out in front of him basically blocking anyone using any of the 3 remaining seats he was by himself too. My mate literally climbed over his legs to sit down in the window seat.

‘I sat down in the seat opposite the bloke expecting him to move his legs he didn’t. So I booted them out the way. He was smartly dressed in a suit and obviously had a superiority complex with some shoe marks on his suit trousers now. I didn’t say a word, neither did he.’
–Pumpytums

11.

‘I once asked a guy to move his bag out of my seat and he had a full on meltdown. Yelled something, stood up, stormed off with said bag, barging people out of the way. Like the weirdest, biggest overreaction ever. I sat down and someone else took the seat he was originally in, lol. Never came back.’
–morrowsong

12.

‘Good work. I personally shoo at the bag with my hand on the tube. If the train is busy and they have a bag on the seat there is no need to be polite, they have already set the tone.’
–Visual-Economist5479