Bare-footed cheek
Train passenger refuses to take feet off seat ... claiming he’s ill
IT’S enough to make anyone see red – a passenger on a busy train putting his bare feet up on one of the three seats he’s bagged.
But when fellow commuter David Buxton asked Andrew Dignan to put his feet down, he was told: ‘If you don’t like it, move.’
So Mr Buxton eventually took matters into his own hands – and threw one of Mr Dignan’s shoes out of the train.
The lunchtime service from Buxton to Manchester yesterday was said to be so busy that other passengers were forced to stand as Mr Dignan, 49, occupied three seats including an area earmarked for the disabled.
Mr Buxton, who took this photograph of Mr Dignan, said: ‘During the journey I asked him three times to put his feet down, to which he replied, “I can do what I want. If you don’t like it, go and sit somewhere else”.
‘At no point was a guard anywhere to be seen. Arriving at Manchester the carriage was full and with people standing he still had his bare feet on the seat. I decided to teach him a lesson and went over to him while he was putting on his socks.
‘I told him what I thought of him and took one of his shoes and dumped it on the platform.’
But last night, Mr Dignan, of Disley, Stockport, said he had an upset stomach and swollen feet and decided to let them breathe. Accusing Mr Buxton of bullying, the antiques collector added: ‘I’m a quiet guy. I took my shoes and socks off to put my feet on the seat because my feet are swollen.
‘I wasn’t being intimidating. An obnoxious guy took a dislike to me. He was looking for an argument. I said to him, “Well, if you don’t like it, just sit at another part of the train because we don’t need this confrontation”.
‘He said to me, “The next time I see you you’re going to be worse off”. I was very distressed about it because the guy got hold of my top and threatened me. I just don’t like confrontation.
‘I was frightened of getting beaten up. I felt like crying.’
Under the Regulation of Railway Act 1889 it is a criminal offence to put your feet on a train seat.
Last year, Merseyrail passenger Daniel Murphy, 22, was fined £50 by magistrates after being caught with his feet on a seat.