Nowadays, every train seems to be twice as full as it should be - making seat reservations like gold dust if you want to avoid standing awkwardly in the aisle for three hours.
And if someone tries to nick your precious seats? Prepare for some serious beef.
One mum has shared her fury after she fought with an elderly couple over a pair of seats.
Amanda Mancino-Williams took to X back in 2019 to blast an elderly couple who refused to move seats on her Cheltenham to Nottingham CrossCountry train.
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Amanda wrote: "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.
"A kind man offered me his seat. Spoke to conductor who was calm, lovely, and apologetic, said 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!'
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"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?"
Amanda later tweeted: "I'm already being told off for posting a picture over an 'everyday occurrence'.
"But isn't that the point?
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"It only continues to be an everyday occurrence as long as people don't get called out for their pathetic behaviour. I'm sick of protecting a*****s."
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Many were quick to praise Amanda's actions.
One wrote: Well done for posting this! It may be an 'everyday' occurrence but that doesn’t excuse this couple’s appalling behaviour."
Another added: "You got better seats, these miserable people get to spend the rest of their lives together. Here’s to happy endings."
Amanda further spoke out to The Sun Online.
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She said: "What's the point of reserving if anyone can just take any seat? It's inane.
"But, if she had asked for the seat and gave a good reason, I would have obliged.
"Her instant dismissiveness of me and the children told me all I needed to know about her. I didn't feel it was my responsibility to acquiesce to that kind of behaviour.
"I was shocked and tired. Any mother who travels with bags and children knows how your mind is in a thousand places, so things like reserved seats are something you count on.
"They make your journey manageable. I'd booked a table so the children could do their schoolwork."
A spokesman for CrossCountry responded to The Sun Online, saying: “It’s a shame when a family has reserved seats to travel together, to be let down by others who ignore the labels in the back of their chairs.
"However, we’ll be thanking our conductor for quickly resolving the situation and hope they all enjoyed the extra space in First Class.”
Annie Walton Doyle