A mother has shared her rage after finding an elderly couple had taken her seats on the train and refused to move from them when she arrived.

Traveling can be stressful at the best of times, from lugging heavy suitcases on and off multiple forms of transport, to making sure you've left enough time to not miss your train or plane.

Many people opt to pay a little more to have a few extra comforts such a extra legroom or a pre-booked seat, assuming that everything afterward will go without a hitch.

However, one woman was left irate after she boarded a train with her three children, only to find two of their four seats were occupied by other people.

The mom, Amanda Mancino-Williams, shared the experience with her followers on Twitter, writing: "If a mum with 3 kids and bags has 4 reserved seats for a long train journey, and you're sitting in their seats on a full carriage, don't tell them that their tickets don't matter in a posh voice and then say you're not moving and refuse to make eye contact. Don't be these people."

She shared a photo of the elderly couple who were sat in her seats, before sharing another photo of her daughter glaring directly at them, adding: "My 12yo is just staring this woman down."

Mancino-Williams added that a man had offered her a seat, before she spoke to a conductor who was "calm, lovely, and apologetic," adding that he told her that "instead of engaging with them that he was going to move us to an empty table in first class. I grabbed our bags and turned to the couple and said, with a smile, 'enjoy your seats!'"

She added: "I would always give up a seat, reserved or not, for someone who needed it more. But for her to tell me that my tickets meant nothing and then refuse to acknowledge me? Do people just expect you to slink away?"

The mom praised the "lovely" staff member that had helped them, but asked: "I'd like to know what happens to those who remain in a spot that isn't there's. Are there no penalties?" (sic)

The woman had reserved seats for her journey but found they were occupied. Credit: Richard Fraser/Getty Images

After the post went viral, Mancino-Williams added: "This situation is not about my children not having manners enough to stand for the elderly. This is about a culture of bullying and entitlement.

"My kids and I were being fair and following rules and these two were not. They immediately switched into bully mode as they saw us approach, clearly aware that those seats were ours."

She clarified: "Given how easy it was for the conductor to move us to another carriage to diffuse the situation, had they been in real need, I'm sure they would have gotten moved as well. Instead they broke the rules and tried to make my children and I feel powerless. I don't have time for that."

Mancino-Williams added that she was also six and a half months pregnant at the time of the incident, which she says the pair were "well aware of when they decided to not allow me my seats".

A spokesman for CrossCountry trains, which the group had been traveling on at the time of the incident, told The Sun in a statement that it was a shame the family was "let down by others who ignore the labels" marking out reserved seats, but hoped they enjoyed the "extra space in First Class".

Featured image credit: Christoph Hetzmannseder/Getty Images

It would appear that arguing over seats on transportation is all the rage at the moment as yet another online debate has started over somebody being sat in the wrong place.

Usually, when we discuss people stealing seats, it occurs on a plane as one passenger is left annoyed that their pre-booked window seat has been taken by a toddler.

But what happens when the location is changed? Apparently, not a lot, as a recent interaction on a train has shown that nobody's seat is safe.

While traveling by train across the country isn't too common in the US, Europe is very well connected by rail and you can travel through multiple countries on the same day.

The latest viral clip shows TikToker (@mr_boris_becker) boarding the busy train to find a woman sitting in his seat and proceeds to explain to her that he pre-booked the seat.

The TikToker had paid for seat 103, but as he informed the woman of this she began pointing out other places in the carriage that he could go, but he remained adamant that he wanted this particular seat.

The woman gave in and with an awkward smile on her face, she gave him his seat after he explained that it would be very difficult to find another.

The conversation should end there, right? Well, another passenger took it upon herself to get involved and explain why she thinks the man is in the wrong, but he put an end to that by telling her to calm down.

As is always the way with these kinds of interactions, people flocked to the comments to share their thoughts and it would seem that the overwhelming consensus is that the TikToker was in the right.

"I'll NEVER understand why people don't sit in their assigned places," one person said, with a second adding: "No way they were getting upset at you asking for the place you bought."

Credit: TikTok Credit: TikTok

People were not happy with others chiming into the conversation, as another person said: "The other girl should've minded her own business".

Credit: TikTok

Despite some people attempting to defend the woman on the train, it appears that the general feeling is that the man was fully entitled to ask for his seat.

Featured image credit: Bill Miller / Alamy

In a society where we cling to the comforting thought that rules ensure fairness and apply to everybody (just me?), one train passenger's recent experience shatters the illusion that you always get what you pay for.

Picture this: You've masterfully booked a coveted forward-facing table seat with a plug socket on the train. You're all set to unwind on your journey on the rails. You step onto carriage F, expecting a sigh of relief as you see your comfy seat waiting for you —  only to find that life, as it often does, has other plans.

One traveler took to Reddit to narrate their plight, which begins like most train stories do: "I was travelling from Edinburgh to London by train and had a booked window seat with a table."

The Redditor boards the train only to find a group of four men sitting at the table seats - one of whom was sat in their pre-booked seat. "The one in my seat that was clearly marked as booked, refused to move as he was with his friends and the train was packed," the post recalls.

If I booked a seat, I'm getting a seat. Credit: Alex Walker / Getty

As somebody who has experienced this classic usurping of someone else's right for one's convenience, I can sympathize.

Here's where things go from unfortunate to unbelievable. According to the passenger: "The ticket collector passed and I asked him to help. He asked the guy to move but he refused and somehow that was that." Yes, you read that right. The authority figure, whose job it is to make sure things run smoothly, said: "'You can find another seat but I have no power to move him, only the police can move him and they will not turn up just to move someone out of a seat.'"

Faced with a full carriage and the prospect of standing all the way to London, the passenger took matters into their own hands. If you can't beat them, join them. Only, he didn't join the four mean, he told the ticket inspector that he was going to join those sitting in first class.

The passenger had no choice but to enjoy first class. Credit: Credit: Alex Walker / Getty

In their Reddit post, they highlighted how first class was so much more appealing due to its "better surroundings, power sockets, and free tea and coffee".

The ticket inspector, of course, then told them: "You can't sit there, you don't have a booking." Ah, but here's where our hero had the last word. "Well, you could call the police to move me, but apparently they won't turn out to move someone out of a seat," they told the ticket inspector.

"I had a lovely trip with power for my laptop and a wide comfy seat," the post concluded.

Credit: Richard Fraser / Getty

The post clearly hit a nerve with the Reddit community, as it has since received more than 60,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments praising the OP.

"Revenge AND free tea?! This is what dreams are made of," one person commented, with another Redditor adding: "Thanks for educating me that I can juts sit in first class any time and nobody can force me to move."

Featured image credit: Richard Fraser / Getty

A train passenger has taken to Reddit to question whether they were right to not give up their seat for an elderly woman.

We all know that offering the elderly and vulnerable a seat on public transport is a nice thing to do. But in some circumstances, it's also important to make sure you are getting what you paid for.

One Redditor found themselves in a moral conundrum while traveling from London to Scotland on a seven-hour train journey.

Despite booking her seat in advance, the 32-year-old Redditor was asked "rudely" if she would give up her chair to an older passenger.

In a lengthy post on Reddit's "Am I The A**hole" forum, the woman explained: "I booked myself a first-class seat well in advance."

She went on to say that - while the ticket was expensive - she decided to "treat" herself because she was returning from a tiring work trip and she needed space to work during the journey.

However, it was only when she boarded the train in London that the woman realized she had been assigned a "priority seat".

"'Priority seats' are the ones at the end of carriages for people with mobility issues due to age or disability etc," she explained, before recalling what happened next.

"A woman got on after me who was around sixty-years old and pointed at the sign above my head and, quite rudely, told me to move because she was elderly," the Redditor wrote.

"I told her I'd booked the seat and she'd need to speak to a member of staff to find her one. She pointed out that the train was full (even first class was full) and there were no other seats. I apologized but reiterated that I'd booked the seat and wasn't going to move," she continued.

When a train guard came over, it came to light that the old woman's ticket entitled her to travel on the train - but did not guarantee her a seat.

"[The guard] asked if either of us would consider moving to standard class if he could find us a seat. I again refused, explaining I'd booked the seat well in advance and that I needed it. He asked if anyone in the rest of first class would mind changing and no one agreed. Eventually he took the woman to standard class and I assume found her a seat there," she wrote.

Before putting the question to the forum, the woman added that she did feel guilty - but that "I also don't think I needed to put myself in severe discomfort because someone else didn't think ahead and reserve a seat."

Many people agreed with her and even praised her for not being bullied out of her chair.

Credit: Reddit Credit: Reddit Credit: Reddit

"NTA [Not the a**hole]," one wrote, adding: "The woman was for thinking she was entitled to your reserved seat though. Elderly or not, you paid in advance and shouldn't have to move just because she showed up."

"The train company is definitely TA here for allowing this situation to happen," another agreed.

"It’s up to train staff to sort it out at that stage. Plus she could have booked a seat herself. And 60 isn’t exactly ancient," commented a third.

Featured Image Credit: Big Cheese Photo / Alamy

There's nothing worse than being on your feet all day, only to hop on public transport on your way home and find that there's nowhere to rest your weary legs. Let's face it: it sucks. Your legs are swelling, feet burning, back aching... it's a nightmare.

Well, this was the case for a man who sparked a debate on Reddit, after revealing he didn't want to give up his bus seat for a heavily pregnant woman. Yikes...

Posting his experience on the aptly-named Reddit subforum, Am I The A**hole?, the man explained that his feet were sore after he'd completed a ten-hour shift at work, so when a pregnant woman asked him to give up his seat, he flat-out refused.

Titling the controversial thread: "AITA for not giving up my seat to a pregnant woman?" the Redditor explained that as he was riding a bus, a heavily pregnant woman came aboard. She immediately looked for a seat, but there were none left, and because he was closest, she looked at him imploringly.

He wrote: "I just told her no, I've had a long day and my feet are sore. I don't want to give up my seat. She started crying about how she's a pregnant single mom, and I told her I'm sorry, but that was her personal choice and she can't expect other people to accommodate her life choices."

He then explained that he shouldn't have to make concessions to her because she can't afford a car to drive. It was at this point that an elderly man on the bus interjected, and berated the original poster for refusing to give up his seat to the woman. He then offered to give the woman his seat, but as the exchange took place, the pair fell over.

"They started yelling at me, calling me all sorts of nasty names, but I just looked the other way and ignored it," he wrote.

Credit: Pexels / João Jesus

Unsurprisingly, this was a particularly controversial revelation, and many Reddit users took to the comments section to slam the man for his actions.

One wrote: "The whole giving up seats for the pregnant and the elderly thing isn't because they're pregnant/elderly, it's because these particular groups are more likely to fall and suffer serious injuries when they do.

"OP, being tired sucks, but being tired and sore doesn't make you more vulnerable to bad falls, being pregnant does. That's why you're supposed to give up your seat. YTA and a massive one at that (because of the rant)."

Credit: Reddit / Akamekitty

A second added: "Yeah - [you're the a**hole]

"Did you know that being heavily pregnant really alters your balance, let alone the tired thing?

"No - you didn't ask her to be pregnant, but you can, as an able-bodied otherwise healthy person just choose to be nice."

Credit: Reddit / banjo_fandango

Meanwhile, a third Reddit user criticized the other bus patrons for not offering up their seats either.

Credit: Reddit / Fishinwild-Bootswfur

However, some people agreed with the original poster and said he had every right to say no to the pregnant woman.

One wrote: "NTA. She asked and you said no, you aren't obligated to give up your seat, that's why there are sections in buses for pregnant and old people, she could've gone to those seats. I've had days where my feet were so sore from standing all day they would swell, and in those days I for sure wouldn't give up my seat."

Credit: Reddit / cheetothechameleon

A second chimed: "OK, first - who gets to decide that she needs the seat more than OP? Were you in OP's shoes? I can imagine the answer is no.

"Second - if the lady had taken no as an answer and moved along (apparently common sense is not so common anymore) she could likely get a seat from someone else.

"Third - if the elderly guy wasn't 'enjoying' the spectacle and offered his seat earlier (as apparently he didn't need it that much) - they wouldn't have fallen.

"So I'll say it again - NTA."

Credit: Reddit / DoomMachineII

A third agreed, writing: "NTA I completely agree. Not your fault she got on public transportation knowing that there might not be sitting room. She can deal until there's one available."

Credit: Reddit / EssTenLives

What do you think? Was this man wrong for refusing to give up his seat? Or was the real problem the other patrons who didn't intervene and offer their seats instead? Let us know in the comments section.

Featured image credit: Alex Segre / Alamy