10 Things People Do On Trains That Attendants Can't Stand

If you frequent any kind of public transportation then you're well aware of certain types of passengers and passenger habits that are irritating. But it's not just the other passengers that get frustrated, there are certain things people tend to do while traveling that really irritate those who are forced to work alongside it.

When you're riding on a train, you might not even realize you're doing something that drives the train attendant crazy. We're going to outline ten of the most annoying things frequent train riders do that drives the attendants crazy. Maybe next time you'll be able to spot the people doing some of these on the train.

10 Take up too much space

We've all been there in that moment when someone boards a train trying to take several giant items with them to wherever they're trying to go. They wind up taking up way too much space, blocking seats and generally making things uncomfortable for everyone else on the train.

Train attendants are the ones who get the worst of the brunt because they have to figure out how to navigate this person's stuff without upsetting all the other passengers. It adds unnecessary conflict and makes the attendant's job much harder than it needs to be. Yet people still insist on trying to bring things that shouldn't be on the train in the first place.

9 Eat

It's one thing if you're having something small and easily contained on the train such as an apple, or maybe you're having a granola bar before you get to work. However, it's a totally different thing to be chowing down on a big meal consisting of last night's dinner leftovers. Yes, people actually do this.

Not only is it typically unsettling for other passengers who then have to smell leftover chicken and whatever else you're eating, but it's bound to make a mess that attendants will then have to clean up after they depart the train. Plus, some people eat foods without the best smell, no one wants to spend their ride with the scent of old onions in the air.

8 Playing loud music

In general, if you're listening to music, or podcasts, or whatever else with your headphones on, it's a rule of thumb that the content shouldn't be loud enough for other people to hear. This is especially true when you're in an enclosed space with tons of strangers.

Attendants shouldn't be forced to listen to loud pop music or rap or whatever else at all hours of their day. If you're going to listen to something with your headphones on the object should be that it is for you, and you alone, to listen to. Not to force everyone in the vicinity to hear. Plus when other passengers complain, guess who has to take care of it? The train attendant.

7 Be really loud

Not only is this something that makes train attendants go crazy but it also bothers fellow passengers on the train. For some reason, people have a bad habit of talking very loudly to one another to the point you can hear them from opposite sides of the train cart.

There's no reason to scream or shout when you're sitting right next to someone. People shouldn't be able to hear your conversation from the other side of the train. It'd be bad enough for one person to be like this but attendants have to listen to it all day. It gives them a headache after a while.

6 Sneaking alcohol on board

First of all, some trains do allow alcohol on board, some even allow you to bring your own so this isn't always a problem. However, many trains don't and some that sell alcohol on board certainly don't want passengers bringing their own. If you don't agree with the rules, bringing alcohol on board when it is prohibited is only going to cause problems for you and the train attendant.

It's especially disconcerting when passengers get drunk and attendants are forced to deal with belligerent people. It can even turn dangerous. Plus, despite people thinking they're good at hiding their booze, it's almost always obvious when you're trying to hide something like that.

5 Smell weird

Train attendants are working on or near the trains all day. The last thing they want is to deal with all the strange smells that come with being in a hot, crowded, public space. It's never going to smell like daisies but people can limit their usage of strong perfumes and aftershaves in addition to ensuring they use deodorant.

Personal hygiene is a must if you're going to spend an ample amount of time on any sort of public transportation. Why would you want to inflict people to smelling anyone with a high body odor? And some people have allergies to ingredients in perfumes so it's best to use sparingly.

4 Play musical chairs

It should go without saying that once you get seated you don't need to be moving around the train or switching seats with other passengers but that doesn't stop people from doing it anyway. It's a pain for attendants who are trying to manage a car full of people to suddenly have those that are getting up and switching seats.

Technically, you're not even allowed to do that although on a less crowded car it might not be as big of a deal. Still, it can create plenty of headaches for attendants that are pretty pointless and easy to avoid if you just stay seated.

3 Keeping headphones in during conversations

It's not polite to keep your headphones in when someone is trying to talk to you and yet train attendants deal with this all the time. People board trains with their noise-canceling headphones in and they can't hear what the attendant is telling them.

It becomes a game of back and forth as the attendant tries to tell them where their seat is or help them with their questions and they can't be bothered to remove the headphones. It's simply common courtesy. Even if you aren't listening to anything, it's an act of respect to simply take your headphones out and show the person you're talking they have your undivided attention.

2 Touching attendants to get their attention

Didn't we all learn in elementary school that we need to respect the boundaries and personal space of other people? You would think so but many people ignore this rule. When you need the attention of an attendant, there are plenty of ways to do so without reaching out and grabbing their arm.

It's a strange thing to do and it may seem harmless to the individual but it's pretty rude and it seems tactless. You don't need to put your hands on them to get them to focus on you. Instead, raise your hand, press the call button if there is one, or simply approach them and ask politely for a moment of their time.

1 Taking their shoes off

This is one of those really obvious ones that is publically despised on any form of public transportation, not just relegated to trains. No one wants to smell your feet while they're riding a train!

Plus putting your feet out in the seat with your shoes off means your shoes might actually brush against you while walking by and that is not a pleasant thing to come in contact with. Even if you think your feet are harmless, other people might take issue with it. Especially the train attendants who are going to be the first people to hear about if anyone complains.

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