A Reddit user's post about being harassed by passengers with RAC tickets on a train has gone viral, sparking a heated online debate. The user, who had a confirmed side upper berth ticket from Indore, claimed that a family with RAC tickets for the seat below him became aggressive and disturbing, despite his ticket being valid. The user shared that when the family with RAC tickets for the lower seat boarded, they claimed the entire area was theirs, despite one of the berths being his confirmed seat. The family demanded he move to the upper seat, leading to an argument.
"So I had a confirmed SU ticket from Indore. I was having a great conversation till Ujjain when a family entered the scene. They had RACs of the seat below. The moment they entered the scene, they told me that theirs is below seats (63 & 64). I told that 64 is mine to which they were amazed. Then they told me that seat is solely their to which I said no, I have 64 for which I can sit down. They started arguing that I should go on the upper seat. This is RAC and they will sit down. They tried to instigate me, I clearly told them that I can sit till 10 PM post which I will go up, I don't want to sleep now," the passenger wrote.
See the post here:
Have confirmed seat but getting bullied by RAC passengers
byu/gujarati_chokro inindianrailways
The situation escalated, with the couple becoming increasingly agitated and judgmental. Other RAC passengers chimed in, offering unsolicited advice that made him feel guilty for occupying his paid seat. The family eventually resorted to emotional manipulation, which the man found unacceptable. Seeking resolution, he requested the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TT) intervene. However, instead of resolving the issue, the TT lectured him, implying he should be more understanding, and even threatened to strictly enforce the rules, which would allegedly be unfavourable to the man.
"Till that point, Husband was bickering. I felt stupid and guilty. When TT came in, he started giving Gyaan to me that I should understand and blah blah. He threatened me that if he plays by the rule, it will not be good for me. At that point, I told him to go and play by the rules. The whole incident made me angry and guilty at the same time just because a family was travelling in RAC and I didn't want to sleep at the same time," the user added.
The Reddit post sparked a debate, with some users praising the man for standing firm on his right to occupy his confirmed seat. In contrast, others felt his approach was unnecessary and escalated the situation. "Laws aren't always meant to be taken literally. Two people struggling over one berth should've made the OP reconsider," one user said.
Another commented, "Yes, he paid for 64, but empathy matters. If someone can sit upstairs and let a family settle, they should. This obsession with rules is ruining public courtesy."
However, a third said, "You're in the right, don't budge. These days everyone expects courtesy as an entitlement from others but have utter lack of sense or humility. Just be careful, these idiots can be petty, secure your shoes to your upper seat when you sleep and not to mention secure your luggage as well."
