Was a pensioner right to tackle unruly boy who put feet on a train seat?

WHILE I cannot condone assaulting anyone for any reason, I can understand the frustration of the gentleman on the train in Lancashire. The habit of people putting their feet up on public transport and cinemas seats is annoying. Perhaps they do the same at home? It’s not only young children. We were in a cinema recently and a teenager sat with his feet over the backs of two seats in front of him. His parents were sitting with him and never admonished him at all. We have seen adults doing the same thing. We have watched parents let their children climb over sofas and chairs. Do they not care that someone will sit in that seat in the future possibly wearing decent clothes.

Mrs d. doBSon, Beccles, Suffolk. The incident of kids with feet on a train seat and refusing take them off when asked is typical, sadly, of the mindset of so many people who have no regard for anyone else. Where were the parents of

such young travellers? Why didn’t other passengers support the pensioner doing the right thing? What a sad society we live in that such an incident is a national newspaper story!

roD cluloW, littleover, Derby. HOW I sympathise with the pensioner who put the boy in an arm lock for putting his feet on the seat. I sit and seethe on buses when I see youngsters with their trainers on seats where people will have to sit. I did remonstrate with one young girl. Waiting until I was getting off so I would not get abuse, I said: ‘How would you like to sit on that seat where you have had your dirty shoes?’ A woman across the aisle said: ‘What did she say?’ The girl told her and the woman shouted after me as I got off: ‘You didn’t have to sit there!’ No wonder children never learn manners.

Betty roBinSon, Southampton. THE pensioner was only doing the railway ticket inspector’s job. I watch the inspectors walk past people with their feet on the seats every week and not say a thing. Then other people sit down with nice clothes on and get dirty marks on their clothes. Who knows where those shoes have been. Blame the parents for not bringing their children up with manners and how to behave.

GAil GrinDell, Southend, essex. GOOD for the man who had the courage to do something about the kids putting their feet on railway carriage seats. All the time I see young (and not so young) people who put their dirty shoes on a seat I might have to sit on at some time. Do they do this at home? Some youngsters have no respect for anything and think they should not be questioned about anti-social behaviour and give a lot of lip to anyone who has the temerity to say so. It’s their parents who should be reprimanded for not instilling decency in their offspring. rAy minGAy, Hayling island, Hants.