Clare, 33, November 2023
I got on a busy train at London Euston Station with my Aunty, and sat in our booked seats. We were seated at a table, there was a lady sat facing my Aunty and after a couple of minutes a man approx 40 got on and sat in the seat opposite me. He looked me, my Aunty and the other lady up and down and said “Hello ladies”. It felt a bit odd and uncomfortable but I shrugged it off.
Another lady then came and explained to the man that she had booked that seat and showed him her ticket. He blanked her and starting singing, she again asked him to move and he continued to ignore her. A man sat across the aisle spoke to him and explained he needed to move as she had booked that seat. The man sat opposite me got confrontational and refused to move.
A man further down the carriage stood up and called down that there was a spare seat next to him, the lady went and sat there. As people continued to get on the train, this man kept saying hello and trying to flirt with every female passenger that went past. The man kept moving his legs so they were touching mine under the table, I kept moving out the way but he continued. Due to his behaviour I didn’t feel safe to directly ask him to stop.
I left my seat to find a member of staff, I found a member of staff in the first class carriage and explained the situation and said there were passengers feeling uncomfortable and I felt unsafe. The staff member told me that he “wasn’t allowed” to leave the first class carriage as he had to serve drinks. I asked if he could make an exception or get another member of staff, he said he would do the latter.
I returned to my seat. From the entire journey from London to Blackpool, no member of staff came. The man continued to make inappropriate comments including when the lady sat next to him fell asleep and he said “Asleep and out of it, that’s how I like them”.