A traveller was recently praised after refusing to give up their seat for an "elderly person".
The scenario may seem unusual as most of the time Brits believe it’s polite to give seats to those who need it most – like the elderly, pregnant, very young or disabled.
However, on Reddit, one young woman explained why she denied an OAP her seat on the train.
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The anonymous 32-year-old explained that she had booked a train from London to Aberdeen in Scotland.
She wrote: "It's a seven-hour journey so I booked myself a first-class seat well in advance. First-class seats on trains in the UK can be expensive, but I decided to treat myself."
The woman explained why she had taken the plunge and paid for the more expensive seat.
She said: "I was making the journey the day after returning from a two-week-long work trip abroad and I knew I'd be exhausted/ totally unable to function.
"I knew I'd have work to do on the train, so I wanted to make sure I had space/ comfort to be able to work.
"On certain trains in the UK, the first-class carriages have 'individual seats' which means you're not sitting next to or sitting opposite anyone.
"The space is entirely your own and you can spread out over the little table. I specifically booked one of those seats to enable me to work."
She added that when she got on the seat in London she realised her chair was marked as the 'priority seat' which is at the end of the carriage for those with mobility issues.
The young woman continued: "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. 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 apologised but reiterated that I'd booked the seat and wasn't going to move."
Eventually, a train worker came over and checked the elder woman’s ticket.
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The poster explained: "The lady had booked a return ticket, but she hadn't reserved a specific seat. He 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.
"I felt bad, but I also don't think I needed to put myself in severe discomfort because someone else didn't think ahead and reserve a seat."
The woman asked Reddit users if she was an "a**hole" for her behaviour.
In the comments, most people said that they thought the train company was in the wrong and not her.
One wrote: "It seems odd to me that they would have a priority seat be reservable for people without a need for it."
A second said: "Should the company be able to sell handicapped seats to non-handicapped individuals? No."
While others thought the older woman was wrong.
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One commenter added: "She paid standard fair hoping/expecting to get special treatment. At the very least she should have purchased at the priority price.
"To ask someone who had paid extra for the space to move, and back to standard, no less, is arrogant."
Another said: "My take is that she was being a chancer looking for a priority seat – especially in first class."
What would you have done? Tell us in the comments…
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