Rear Facing Seats Should Be Illegal

VIA Rail 2017 Annual Report:

PASSENGER SEAT DIRECTION
Following the recent completion of 50/50 (bi-directional) seating plan in the Corridor, seat direction has been added to passengers boarding passes. Once tickets are purchased, travellers will now know in which direction their seats will be facing prior to departure.

Give the customer the information they need to seek a change, let those who don't care accept it, and set aside the ridiculous notion that "THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW" for everything.

In Canada:
In response to . . . an online survey leading up to VIA’s annual live-streamed public meeting . . . The No. 1 concern for participants was that VIA’s reservation system automatically assigns reserved coach seats, resulting in many travelers riding backwards.

P.S. The "Illegal" thing was tongue-in-check.

bostontrainguy wrote:P.S. The "Illegal" thing was tongue-in-check.

When train crews are outlawed from facing seats backwards, only outlawed train crew will have backwards seats

I prefer riding backwards. It's safer.

US Airways turboprop planes had a backward-facing row of seats at the front bulkhead, so they aren't only in trains.

If people don't like backwards seats, complain to the railroad. They shouldn't be illegal, though, since that would adversely affect people who prefer to ride backwards.

SouthernRailway wrote:I prefer riding backwards. It's safer.

US Airways turboprop planes had a backward-facing row of seats at the front bulkhead, so they aren't only in trains.

If people don't like backwards seats, complain to the railroad. They shouldn't be illegal, though, since that would adversely affect people who prefer to ride backwards.

Every single Metro-North train has half the seats in each car facing backwards. It's never bothered me in the least. Nor does it seem to bother most the other people I see on the train every day.

Ridgefielder wrote:Every single Metro-North train has half the seats in each car facing backwards. It's never bothered me in the least. Nor does it seem to bother most the other people I see on the train every day.

I think there is a real difference between a short routine commuter rail trip and a 3 1/2 hour Downeaster ride from Boston to Brunswick, Maine though.

bostontrainguy wrote:

Ridgefielder wrote:Every single Metro-North train has half the seats in each car facing backwards. It's never bothered me in the least. Nor does it seem to bother most the other people I see on the train every day.

I think there is a real difference between a short routine commuter rail trip and a 3 1/2 hour Downeaster ride from Boston to Brunswick, Maine though.

Plenty of Metro-North runs are over 1 1/2 hours and there are more than a few that top out north of 2 - GCT to Wassaic, for instance, or GCT to Danbury. The LIRR has even more-- it's 117 miles from Montauk to Penn Station, almost the same distance as from North Station to Portland.

Besides, it seems to me that if riding backwards is an issue for you, you'd be uncomfortable pretty much the moment the train started moving. Doesn't matter how long it's in motion.