By Christine Swan

I started writing this post on my way home from my annual jaunt to the South of France. An incident happened that reminded me of other, similar ones, that led to a floodgate of irritating memories. They are annoying because things could be done so much better if solo travellers are borne in mind (please!). So this post intends to be a summary of my gripes. I’m hoping to share this with some of the companies that I travel with and if I receive any replies, I will update this post with their comments.

Today’s incident is one that has occurred several times during various stays – what to do during breakfast. In the budget chain hotel that I usually patronise in the UK, diners are allocated a table for breakfast and this is indicated by placing a menu on the table to indicate its occupation. I made a coffee and collected some juice, which I drank, and then left my full cup of coffee as a “marker” that I was still in residence. I headed back to the breakfast bar to make some toast. Upon returning, I found that my cup had been removed, the menu was gone but, under what had been my table, was someone else’s bag.

I wandered about, toast in hand, until I found one of the serving staff. “Oh just sit anywhere!” he said. “What about my coffee?”, “Just get another one”. I did consider taking my toast with me while I fetched a second coffee, just in case that went walkabout too but, you see, this is the problem, how do solo diners indicate that they are still eating when the clear and clean operation is so efficient that only a few seconds elapses between your bottom leaving the seat and you being deemed an ex-diner.

I posed this question to my friends on social media. One software developer recounted how he had left his sunglasses and bag on a table in a pub where he was eating, to visit the loo, only to find them handed in as “lost property” and somebody else seated at his table when he returned. Another recounted a busy restaurant having a sign that instructed diners to find a table and then go to the bar to order. Even if you are dining en famille, you might not be immune. Another friend told me that an entire family went to get their breakfast items and returned to find another family seated at their table! The same friend suggested leaving glasses and a full glass of water behind may help, however, I can’t see clearly to walk around without my glasses, let alone navigate back to my table.

I suggested that I get a card printed and stick it to the table, indicating that I am still there. Another social media friend was reminded of Granny Weatherwax, the powerful witch from the late Terry Prachett’s incredible Discworld series of tales. Doing powerful magic takes a huge toll on the body and Granny Weatherwax would appear as if deceased. In order to prevent a mishap, she had a sign that read: “I ate’nt dead”. In my case: “I ate’nt finished!” would work – problem solved!

Granny Weatherwax – By Paul Kidby – Scanned from The Pratchett PortfolioCopyright Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9343668

I travel mostly by rail, partly because I am a train nerd and it’s my favourite mode of transport. On short haul trains, luggage space is very limited so if I am travelling and have a number of bags, I prefer to stand with them rather than have to put them out of sight. On longer journeys, I like to move around occasionally. On my most recent Eurostar journey, not one but two loos were out of order, and a third was “disgusting” according to a fellow traveller, so, what do you do with all of your stuff when you want to use the loo or visit the cafe bar?

Jessie Buckley finds out the potential drawbacks of leaving your stuff in her highly entertaining film, Wild Rose. In one scene, Jessie’s character is travelling to London to meet whispering Bob Harris. Her sponsor, who is also her employer, buys her a first class ticket. We see Jessie enjoying a few bevvies in the bar with some new acquaintances and then she returns to her seat to find that her bag has been stolen. Oh Jessie, I could have told you that might happen! I have Jessie’s problem partly covered by my brilliant Pacsafe Vibe sling bag and Citysafe rucksack. The first can be is easy to carry anywhere and the second can be locked to a seat of overhead rack. The patented Roo Bar locking device would certain bamboozle an opportunist pickpocket. Problem solved – thanks Pacsafe!

The small luggage solutions don’t completely solve the dilemma completely but I do try to plan loo visits and cafe trips after one station stop, with a time window before the next. I always take my valuables with me but am philosophical about my reading book and unwashed laundry. I think rifling through my suitcase on a busy train for a morsel of anything worth having would certainly cause a stir. I can wedge my small suitcase under an SNCF or Eurostar seat and it fits in the overhead rack of the latter too. I regularly see people wheeling enormous suitcases but I would feel far more vulnerable with something that I couldn’t lift and move easily.

I also have an Ayegear multi-pocket travel hoodie, which boasts thirteen pockets, some zipped, some poppered, some velcroed. I love the internal mobile phone pocket that still allows use of the touchscreen through a clear window, without the need remove your phone, especially useful in inner city areas where waving a phone around may not be wise. Westminster is apparently the top destination for phone theft in London. According to Crimestoppers, phone snatching increased by 151% last year and the bike-swipe accounts for 54% of these. The Ayegear hoodie, or similar, protects you from all that because solo traveller or not, we tend to have the world on our phone so it must be protected at all costs. So problem solved – thanks Ayegear!

Another solo holiday dilemma is the trip to the beach. I usually stay in the same apartment which is five minutes walk from the nearest beach. I take a book, a towel and my keys. I use a Swimcell key armband to keep my keys with me while I swim. I also purchased a waterproof neck case but, although I lack confidence to submerge my phone as it is so important while I’m away. But these are great products that allow you to keep valuables with you while swimming. Another problem solved!

Seats on trains can be another bugbear of mine. The GWR app will always seem to place me on a table of four even when solo seats are available. Unfortunately, advance tickets always require a seat reservation but, there are usually available seats elsewhere, so I can sit on my own. The booking system seems to book seats purely sequentially, one carriage at a time – but I guarantee that if you request a solo, forward-facing, window seat, you will find yourself allocated a backward-facing, aisle seat on a table of four. I never have this issue on international trains – come on GWR!

Yay! Solo seat

I used to travel all over the country for work purposes. Travel expenses only stretch as far as standard class but that’s fine. Some journeys were quite complex and involved a number of legs. On one memorable occasion, I was travelling to Bury St. Edmunds, to perform my duties as an external moderator at a local school. I arrived in the evening and felt rather hungry. I navigated to a pizza restaurant where I had dined previously. Unfortunately, the date was the 14th February. I found myself in a queue and as it shuffled closer to the restaurant door, I watched people being seated. “Are you waiting for somebody? Table for two?” the member of staff asked. When I explained that I was alone, I was reminded that it was Valentine’s night and I should have booked. There seemed to be plenty of seats available but the member of staff explained that they were entirely booked and couldn’t accommodate a solo diner.

I trudged out into the cold night air and located another well-known pizza chain outlet, but with a more American-style menu. The empty restaurant was staffed by two young people who welcomed me enthusiastically. My food was served quickly and I had a conversation with the waiting staff about their A levels and what they were planning to do next year. I suppose I shouldn’t have felt so grumpy about the first restaurant but it did rather stick in my throat that I was made to feel unwelcome because I was a solo diner. This was never the case when I used to frequent Betty’s in York. This famous tea room always welcomed solo diners and, I noticed that the waiting staff took time to talk to those on their own. On one occasion, an elderly lady was obviously having a bad time and I watched as the member of staff listened and spoke kindly. I took to social media to let Betty’s management know what a beautiful moment I had just witnessed. Their staff take the time to talk to people, and that is lovely. When I see what’s right, I’m more determined to deal with what is wrong. It may only be a cup of tea, but it’s an opportunity to brighten someone’s day.

There is no tea like a pot of Betty’s of York tea!

Further information

Pacsafe secure bags – https://pacsafe.co.uk/

Ayegear travel clothing – https://ayegear.com/

Crimestoppers – Phone snatching https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-campaigns/campaigns/city-of-london-phone-snatching

Swimcell – https://www.swimcell.com/