commuting by train

ScottDougall

I come up to London each day on the train with my Brompton...

this is not strictly a cycling post - but...

what is that thing where when you sit down on your seat on the train and the bloke next to you has his elbow on and in fact over the arm rest encroaching on your space but he resolutely refuses to move

if you touch him he tenses and is utterly inflexible - spends the whole hour with his elbow in exactly the same position, even between sections in his newspaper !!

you, or at least I, then enter an internal debate with yourself - do I move away - do I let the fat woman sit down instead - do I move him out the way and tell him he is a knob - or do I enter battle and resolutely sit with my elbow stiffly and silently doing battle with the stiff and resolute elbow next door and pretend nothing is happening

I ended up doing the later and left the train feeling tense and uptight

in the past I have confronted others doing the same thing - and felt equally tense and uptight - I feel that I was territorially foolish too...

my sense is that it was an archetypal square up - each of us testing the other to see who would back down -

obviously we each need to get out more

how do you cope if you come across the same scenario ??

iclestu

The solution is simple.

Look round, wink at him and gently hold his hand in yours.

Watch the fecker move then!

Harry182

iclestu wrote:

The solution is simple.

Look round, wink at him and gently hold his hand in yours.

Watch the fecker move then!

and if he doesn't - then maybe he'll buy you a coffee.

secretsam

Been here too many times

Once ended up playing foot fights with silly cow opposite, I won by putting my full weight (13st +) on her foot as I got up to leave... :twisted:

Have done the elbow thing as well, I levered my elbow under his and gradually pushed it out of the way - like a really slow arm wrestle!!!

options:
1: say out loud "Sorry, do you mind taking your elbow out of my side please?"
2: Simply shove his elbow out of your way - he knows he's doing it
3: smack him in the face with your Brompton. This may be a little excessive, however.

Remember, above all else, he's a tw@t

iclestu

SecretSam wrote:

options:
1: say out loud "Sorry, do you mind taking your elbow out of my side please?"
2: Simply shove his elbow out of your way - he knows he's doing it
3: smack him in the face with your Brompton. This may be a little excessive, however.

Ack - far to confrontational.

If you dont want to go for the 'holding hands' approach, just start a conversation with him. Anyone with thier elbow out and newspaper splayed is really saying "don't come into my space please'. You gotta fight dirty. Look at him. Smile at him. Talk to him. Force him into the position where he has to either decide between being rude or exchanging pleasantaries. Whatever his choice his his body language and the distraction WILL move the elbow. I guarantee it. Try it next time. Just start talking about the weather or something. Tell him about your bike. anything!

ScottDougall

@iclestu

very clever - I like that - and will have a go the next time...

thanks

it is annoying in that really tiring sad sort of neighborly dispute sort of a way though isn't it...

iclestu

ScottDougall wrote:

very clever - I like that - and will have a go the next time...

Cool! A social experiment. I hope you will report back your findings!?

Porgy

I haven't had experiences like this since I gave up travelling by train regularly back in the early 90s.

Being a young male at the time I nearly got into several punch ups with people who wouldn;t shift their elbow stuck in my side - or the ones holding their newspapers out wide and preventing me from reading my book, and one guy who stuck his rucksack in my face and wouldn;t shift it, even when I asked and finally I pushed it away and we nearly ended up in a fight!

I am much calmer these days, but cycling is so much less stressful than travelling by tube.

will3

The solution is simple
MTFU and ride the whole distance.

will3

Alternatively sneeze loudly and get the tamiflu box out

Headhuunter

ScottDougall wrote:

I come up to London each day on the train with my Brompton...

this is not strictly a cycling post - but...

what is that thing where when you sit down on your seat on the train and the bloke next to you has his elbow on and in fact over the arm rest encroaching on your space but he resolutely refuses to move

if you touch him he tenses and is utterly inflexible - spends the whole hour with his elbow in exactly the same position, even between sections in his newspaper !!

you, or at least I, then enter an internal debate with yourself - do I move away - do I let the fat woman sit down instead - do I move him out the way and tell him he is a knob - or do I enter battle and resolutely sit with my elbow stiffly and silently doing battle with the stiff and resolute elbow next door and pretend nothing is happening

I ended up doing the later and left the train feeling tense and uptight

in the past I have confronted others doing the same thing - and felt equally tense and uptight - I feel that I was territorially foolish too...

my sense is that it was an archetypal square up - each of us testing the other to see who would back down -

obviously we each need to get out more

how do you cope if you come across the same scenario ??

God, give me the daily battle with drivers and idiot peds any day over a ride on a train in peak time.

roger_merriman

iclestu wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

options:
1: say out loud "Sorry, do you mind taking your elbow out of my side please?"
2: Simply shove his elbow out of your way - he knows he's doing it
3: smack him in the face with your Brompton. This may be a little excessive, however.

Ack - far to confrontational.

If you dont want to go for the 'holding hands' approach, just start a conversation with him. Anyone with thier elbow out and newspaper splayed is really saying "don't come into my space please'. You gotta fight dirty. Look at him. Smile at him. Talk to him. Force him into the position where he has to either decide between being rude or exchanging pleasantaries. Whatever his choice his his body language and the distraction WILL move the elbow. I guarantee it. Try it next time. Just start talking about the weather or something. Tell him about your bike. anything!

my wife does that too bored teens at weddings ie keeps asking them questions that can't be answered yes/no...

Mikelyons

Hi Scott

I used to commute by Train + Brompton as well .

I never used to have a problem with being crowded out by fellow passengers.
In fact , i could often seeing some passengers desperately trying to get as far away from me.

It probably had something to do with the fact that I was often running late & would be
perspiring heavily by the time I got to the train ;-) .

By the time I'd put my bag on the rack & unzipped my day-glo yellow jacket, somehow there was always enough room ;-)

My commute was also only 20 minutes; I notice yours is an hour long , would it help if you left a few minutes earlier?

I found that if I got on near the back of the train, there was normally a better chance of getting a seat. Of course it helps if you know where to stand if possible to increase yr chances of getting on the train befgore your fellow passengers.

I now have a diifferent commmute & different bike & don't miss the train !.

Mike

dilemna

Say "Excuse me old boy I feel an immense bottom burp coming on and it really isn't helping me trying to keep it in with your elbow in my side. Would you mind awfully taking it elsewhere for the sake of the ladies?"

Take some garlic out of your bag and start to peel a clove. Then breath on him.