Train: After 15 Minutes, Your Reservation is Gone

Imagine investing $5 in a seat reservation on the train, only to have it expire. It's no joke.

Yes, if you're not in your seat within 15 minutes after the train departs from the station you reserved, your reservation is no longer valid. This was confirmed by a company spokesperson. You might find yourself in this predicament if the train cars arrive in a different order than planned.

Because: You struggle through seemingly endless rows of seats, waiting here and there as other travelers lift their luggage onto the racks, bumping your shin more than once, until you finally reach your seat exhausted.

And then someone is sitting there. And they can stay, too, because your journey through the carriage took longer than 15 minutes. But hey, at least you can reserve your seat three months in advance.

It's quite likely that a conflict between the seat-holder and you, the seat-reserver, could escalate. In the worst case, both of you could be thrown off the train. Because: 'Every passenger is expected to act in a way that doesn't overly disturb or harass others,' the company spokesperson stated.

Anyone posing a threat to safety and order may be excluded from transport without entitlement to a refund of the ticket or baggage costs.