In a since-removed post on Reddit, a 43 year old woman writes that she was traveling with her husband and six children from Dublin to Kikenny. The American family on holiday boarded their train and found seats together.
A mid-20s Irish woman then boarded, was “very polite” and let tthem know that their 9 year old daughter was “sitting in her assigned seat.”
The Americans thought it was open seating. However, “She told me there [are assigned seats] if you book online in advance and pointed to a sign above the seat where her name was displayed.”
The family dad responds that “we didn’t know that was a name as it just looked like a random string of letters.” Nice guy!
The young local didn’t like this, and insisted that she be allowed to sit in the seat she’d paid for. The family comments that they don’t know whether the young solo traveler had a “valid” reason for wanting the seat or not (judging paying for the seat not valid, it seems).
The family flat out refused because they had “traveled a long distance” and “just wanted to sit together.” The dad “raised his voice at her and said ‘listen here, young lady…’ and that’s when things became nasty between them. The family did not budge. They kept the woman’s seat. The American mother says that “this experience almost ruined” their trip.
- I understand a family not realizing that there were some assigned seats, and they could choose open seats.
- When it was pointed out that the seat was reserved by someone else, they should have given up the seat.
If this family wanted the seat badly enough they should have offered the Irish woman something in exchange. She’d paid for the seat, they could have purchased it from her.
Instead they spoke condescendingly to her, and stole her seat. The family shared the story online as though it was somehow a moral victory. The internet didn’t like it, which is why they zapped he thread. But the internet never forgets.
Don’t they have onboard staff on these trains ? Like a conductor or ticket-master. She should have simply called the authorities and hopefully get the family booted out. Maybe we need to start teaching some “travel etiquette” lessons in elementary school ?
Americans are garbage and this is what happens when you raise an entire entitled generation aka the millennials. I’m betting the adults in this family were covered in tattoos (to express themselves) and constantly cry and complain about student debt they willingly and knowingly took on. They probably are constantly online and have a massive social media presences to only further their narcissism.
I bet on planes the Karen buys a single SW early bid seat then saves an entire row for her family
I’m in Europe right now, and unfortunately this family is representative of a large set of arrogant, rude, feeling entitled Americans. As a fellow countryman, the way they conduct themselves pains me.
Americans! Need we say more??
Apparently, they have not traveled by train before in the EU and were unaware that seats are usually reserved by coach and seat number. US Amtrak does not do that except in Acela first class, so far as I know. I made that mistake a long time ago on one of my first trips by TGV, and continue to see tourists who are unaware. However, upon learning of it, most people will just say oh, sorry and go to their assigned seat. People generally select exactly the seat they want, so I would be irritated too if someone tried to get my single seat, for example.
@Koggerj actually, when I hear “six children” and use of the phrase “young lady” to refer to a grown woman, I think of another American demographic than that which you mention. One which might, say, wish to go back to another time which was “greater”, in their minds. Hmm…
The Europeans should be grateful the US even bothers to protect these Europeans. Why should we keep them safe if they can’t even be bothered to give up a seat. Give em to Russia!
@Koggerj – They had 6 kids and one of them is 9 years. They may not be millennials since millennials cannot afford to have 6 kids. Probably they are the people who thinks they can make decision on other’s bodies because of a god given entitlement
So the moderator comment on why the post was removed says it violated the rule on no shitposts.
In other words, the subreddit moderator thinks this is fake news.
I would think that might be worthy of some editorial comment if someone was promoting the post on their blog.
@Koggerj 43 years old is squarely Gen X. She also noted that her daughter was embarrassed by her and wanted to seek out the young lady to apologize, so there’s hope for the future.
For what its worth, its very very obvious when you’re booking online with Irish Rail that the seating is assigned. Buying a ticket at the station doesn’t include an assigned seat (why, I don’t know).
Also Gary – its Kilkenny rather than ‘Kikenny’.
Instead of calling it “occupying the seat”, I prefer to think that the family was spreading democracy to different seats on the train.
Oh, PLEASE…don’t just all Americans by the acts of some! I love traveling internationally and make it a point not to be “The Ugly American”. There are still some of us that respect each other in our own country and do the same when we are able to visit other countries. I’m embarrassed by the actions of this family but I have a feeling they act the same way in America as they did in Ireland.
Typical entitled americans. Great example for your daughter.
New Yorkers would be my guess.
@Mike Give it a rest! America isn’t protecting anyone except for their own interests.
@C. R. Munn – Agreed. The comments from some equating this behavior to all Americans are just as disgusting as the behavior itself.
I don’t particularly want to step in to defend Americans because there’s plenty of poor behavior among us — this article is a prime example. However, I’ve met plenty of, say, Germans who believe in the “ugly German” stereotype. And the very worst behavior like this that I’ve ever seen was a couple of Dutch women (and the Dutch are, in my experience, among the very best travelers) screaming at some local people on a bus on the Indonesian island of Flores that the HAD to give their seats to the them (because. . . I don’t know why).
New Yorkers is a good guess, but I wouldn’t rule out Boston. Definitely someone from the Northeast Corridor with Irish heritage, first time out of the country, who knows nothing about modern Ireland. I’m not going to claim expertise, but Kid2 does go to university there, so I’m a little familiar with the place and I do keep up on Irish news, and I can tell you I spotted a huge number of issues in that story. Modern Irish culture and politics is a bit odd, with minefields you didn’t know existed. (There are fights about everything from the Irish Civil War to Brexit to the Catholic Church to housing to Sinn Fein to NATO to parking to Covid policy to treatment of the Travelers.. Sometimes in the same argument.) There is a certain segment of the population that is very Irish nationalist and tends to resent even the English language – hence the comment about the name standing out to me. Traditional Irish names are VERY foreign, with pronunciation nowhere close to what you think it is. Add in the Ugly American element, and yes, they were being the assholes.
It’s good to see Americans starting to travel again, but do you need to be such dolts? Try and learn a little about how to act before you go and stop thinking you’re in a greener version of New Jersey.
@AmeriPride
[redacted]
Stop issuing new US passports, for humanity’s sake.
@Koggeri – What on earth does the abortion issue have to do with this thread about reserved train seats and self-entitled American travelers who were acting like boors? Also, FYI, abortion is now safe, legal, and a protected woman’s right in the very Catholic Republic of Ireland. SMH…
Dear Gary. I love your blog and try to read the comments. But I don’t understand how you let elements like Koggerj pollute the whole environment. One thing is free expression, another very different thing is to let racists, homophobes or crazy people spread their anger everywhere.
In the 1960s, on my visit European trip, I was at the Prado. Three American women where screaming at the souvenir seller because she didn’t speak English.
At a restaurant in Cannes, some German tourists banged on their table to get the server. The server never appeared, and the Germans departed, screaming.
Yes, there are ugly individuals among us. Doesn’t matter what country they’re from.
Geez, we dont always get to sit together. It’s a very overcrowded world as they are proving with a gaggle of children along. Get over it!
Anyone remember and /or read the book “The Ugly American”/
Somethings never change
@Ricardo
Plus one. That guy is a cesspool of Chump Shit.
I had the same experience about a month ago with my family of four on a train from Dublin to Killarney. We had paid for assigned seats only to find two combative American women sitting in our seats even though I pointed out my name above the seats. Only after I threatened to get the conductor involved did they unapologetically move to other seats.
@Ricardo I’m not in the comments all day long, I occasionally do some cleanup when I go through things in the morning or evening, or when a reader flags them
How utterly provincial that some of you think type of rude behavior is the sole domain of Americans. Your comments here are no better than the ‘ugly’ Americans on that train.
@CZ Traveler – Yes, abortion is now protected in Ireland, but it is still very restricted, the way it is in most of Europe. The limit in Ireland is generally 12 weeks, with some limited exceptions. (That’s more restrictive than what was argued in Dobbs.) I dare say that if you put that on the ballot in most US states, or France’s (another Catholic country) 14 week limit, it would pass easily, though it would piss off the extremists from both sides. They’d rather have the issue than a consensus.
I find it interesting that in states with ballot initiatives that could set abortion policy, there is little movement to get it on the ballot by either side, though that could change. (There are currently five initiatives on the ballot for 2022, but none are for a compromise position.)
I am an American and this happened to my wife, brother and his wife and I when were traveling in Ireland however it was the Irish doing it.
We traveled from Dublin to Kilkenny and then back to Kilkenny and both times Irish people were sitting in our assigned seats and refused to move. In Ireland this is what they call antisocial behavior.
What a combination! Overly entitled American parents? I wish it were a rare case …..
@Koggeri
Someone with less sensitivity than I might say you are the excrement of a dog that recently ate excrement. I would never say such a thing.
Nothing short of disgusting and just adding to the Ugly American perception. Even worse it was in Ireland who have some of the most friendly and welcoming people I have ever come across.
The “young lady” should have sought the train conductor to help her enforcing her rights and teach these entitled family a lesson in humility.
A 9 year old needs to sit by family so more than one person has to move. Don’t know how crowded the train was or how easily this could have been accomplished. The family should have been willing to try at least. Myself, I had an assigned seat in a German compartment of 6 seats that was taken by a German lady when I arrived so I just sat in a different seat. Then another German lady who did not have a seat assignment herself tried to challenge me. Of course, I did not give way. Had a nice conversation with the lady in my real seat.
They don’t call us the “Ugly Americans” for nothing. We haven’t changed in decades dating back to World War II.
@JBFrost, I have read the book, and the “ugly American” of the title was a hero, using his engineering skill in helpful ways for the village he lived in. The book’s title was re-used to describe ugly behavior by American travelers. Please read the book yourself (it’s available from most libraries).
USA!!! We don’t back down!
Oh God. now it’s problems with seat assignments on a train! Buy your damn seats at the time the reservation is confirmed and you’ll be able to sit together. This is getting out of hand. We Americans need to educate ourselves about traveling internationally and learning what’s right and wrong and how to travel the right way!
To the Irish lady who paid for your seat assignment- I’m so sorry this happened to you. Some of us aren’t like this “typical American family.”
Definitely from Long Island, New York!!!
@Koggerj Racist , uneducated idiot who can not identify himself as a human so trashes everyone else.
The young lady should have flagged a conductor, but then again, who would want to sit with that lot. I would escape them unless the train was fully booked.
I just took a train in Dublin where I had a reserved seat with my name (didn’t ask for that part but they do it if you buy first class on the Irish Rail). I didn’t like the seat assigned me and ASKED ABOUT IT; the staff told me “you may sit in any seat that does not have a red light and name above it.” So I did. That said, yes, they have train staff because they verify your tickets. So if they didn’t catch the family, it’s because the Irish woman was nicer than she should have been about the Americans’ behavior. I was visiting another nation, so I tried to respect how they did things. Period. I am stunned at the racial superiority, the judgement about family dynamics, and all the other mean-spirited comments. If this happened as it did, on a journey that long (as opposed to a short in town type of hop), tickets would be checked, so the Irish woman could have quietly asked that she be placed back in her seat.
It has happened to us in Paris and the train staff have to get involved or yo do not et your seat!!!
Plenty of ‘ugly American traveler’ attitudes seen in the comments on this blog, not surprising there are issue that come up in actual travel…