Couple Refuse To Give Up Reserved Train Seats For Woman And Kids

However when the family boarded the CrossCountry service train - catching the service from Cheltenham to Nottingham just after 10am - with their bags, they found an elderly couple sitting in two of the seats, despite them having reserved tickets above them.

When the mum-of-three told the couple they had the seats reserved and asked them to move, the couple apparently told her that the family's ticket's "didn't matter", and refused to move, leaving Amanda standing.

The mum then followed up the tweet with a photo of her three children squeezed on to the two seats opposite them.

Posting updates underneath her original tweet, Amanda said a kind man offered he his seat and she had spoken to the "calm, lovely, and apologetic" train conductor who upgraded the family to first class.

"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?," continued the mum.

"I'm already being told off for posting a picture over an 'everyday occurrence'. But isn't that the point? 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 assholes."

Amanda's tweet has since gone viral, receiving over 5,000 like and lots of support, with people lamenting the couple's "entitled" and "nasty" attitude.

"Money can buy everything except class," tweeted one person.

"If it's a reserved seat and it's not yours, be prepared to get the hell out of it when the person who actually paid for it shows up!," penned another.

Other commenters shared what they felt they would have done in that situation, while others recalled their own similar experiences of being seat snubbed.

"Oh man i'd sit in the aisle with my kids and bags, give my kids all the candy I could find and make their train ride one they'll never forget [sic]," said one person.

"Give your kids popcorn and a tall open glass of water. Maybe several powdered doughnuts too if possible," echoed another.

"Absolutely no f*cking shame at all. I'm glad you did this. I would have been more direct with them and never stopped talking to them until they moved, total eye contact 100% of the time," said another.

"I've had this. 1 seat reserved on an 8 hour journey. I was refused my seat by a snooty woman because her train was 'cancelled you know & they were told to just sit wherever'. I have bad knees & had to stand up for most of those 8 hours. It was agony, [sic]" aired someone else.

However, there were some who were less sure about the angry stance, and some who said the mum should not have posted photos of the couple without their permission.

"The level of venom in this thread against the elderly is shocking," said one Twitter user. "I agree they should not have taken your reserved seats, but you shouldn't publish their photos without permission and invite abuse."

"I'd have been peed off with this too but don't agree with posting photos of people without their permission for this sort of relatively trivial thing. It won't act as a deterrent, believe me. Also, pretty sure the two ladies behind didn't know they'd end up all over Twitter," said another.

"They were rude, but don't look particularly happy. Perhaps they are traveling for a funeral or something," guessed a third.

"I'm a softy and I'll happily give up my seat for someone elderly on a bus/train etc but if I've reserved a seat then it's mine," said another.