A soon-to-be-newlywed whose fiancé suffers from an invisible disability was left furious after a fellow passenger deprived him of a much-needed seat all because of their 'courteous' act.
The thoughtful partner revealed that their husband-to-be has very poor joints, which means he begins to experience difficulties with his ankles, knees, and hips if he has to walk for extended periods of time. Therefore, they always make sure he has a reserved seat ready when booking train journeys.
During this particular train journey, the carriage was quite full and so they were all too aware of the importance of that reserved seat, ensuring that their fiancé could rest his legs in comfort.
Unfortunately, when they got to the seat, there was somebody already sitting in it, and their explanation only left them more annoyed.
Taking to Reddit, the ticked-off passenger recalled: "Bingo, found it. My name up top. I tap the young man on the shoulder and quietly inform him that I need that seat for my partner. He says that his seat is right next to mine and he moved to give an older man his seat."
They weren't happy with this explanation, continuing: "Okay. Cool. But you're in MY PARTNER'S seat. That I had reserved specifically for HIM. If you want to be the gentleman and offer courtesy don't do it at the expense of others!
"You just end up looking like a massive a*****e. Neither me nor my partner had the energy to deal with him and thankfully we did end up finding a seat for him but God am I still miffed. S**** you, random guy."
A number of people could relate to their plight all too well, with various fellow Reddit users coming forward to share their experiences of travelling with a disability, or with a partner who has one.
One person commented: "My ex is disabled.. the amount of times I've had to fight to even let him enter or leave a train before anyone else WHILE ON CRUTCHES is infuriating. People suck."
Another advised: "If you are in the UK, get a sunflower lanyard. It's so helpful for hidden disabilities. Not everyone recognises it but post-pandemic, quite a few do and are more accommodating."
Do you have a nightmare train journey story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
