The above video has caused a lot of controversy on the Internet in the past two days. In the video, an aunt filmed a young man hanging a curtain on the lower bunk, saying that the young man would not let the elderly in their 70s sit down, and called on netizens to give comments.
Passengers on the lower berth of the train pull the curtain to cause controversy, what do netizens say?
Many people have sat in the hard sleeper car of the train, and the lower berth is convenient and more comfortable to sit on because it is close to the ground, so for a long time, the passengers of the upper and middle berth will sit on the lower berth to rest, becoming a kind of "tacit understanding" between passengers. But in the past two years, this tacit understanding seems to have been broken, and similar controversial incidents have occurred more than once. Can the passengers in the upper berth sit in the lower berth to rest, and should the passengers in the lower berth be criticized if they draw the curtains? Let's listen to what netizens think.
Netizen: The lower bunk is not a public area, and I have the full right to use it. Nowadays, young people are very privacy-conscious, and I also ask for a curtain on the train, which I understand very well, and sometimes I just don't want others to see my sleeping position.
Netizen: It's okay for him to sit on my bunk, but he has to leave consciously when I want to rest.
Netizen: People bought the lower bunk just to have a good rest, hang the curtain and don't disturb others and don't let others disturb, I think this method is very good, it is love to give you a seat, it is to respect you, and it is also a duty not to give up your seat.
Everyone's statement is different, but we can see a basic consensus, which may also be a daily cognition of many people, that is, "whose bunk is used". Should the right to use the lower berth be shared with the passengers in the upper berth? And why has the long-established practice of "the upper berth can sit on the lower berth" frequently caused controversy in the past two years? What has changed? What else can the relevant departments do to meet people's higher travel needs?
Expert: Access to the seat or berth is limited to the passenger who purchased the ticket
The focus of the incident was whether the lower berth should be shared with the upper berth passengers and whether they had the right to close the curtains. In response, the customer service of China Railway 12306 responded that there was no clear provision that the fence could not be used. It can be used without disturbing other passengers, but it is necessary to negotiate with each customer. Here's what the experts have to say.
Legal expert Yue Daishan: According to the provisions of the Civil Code of the Mainland, when a passenger buys a ticket, he or she establishes a contractual relationship with the carrier, that is, the railway company. The passenger's seat or berth is clearly marked on the ticket. This is actually a confirmation that the passenger has the right to use a particular seat or berth on the train. This also means that the upper berth passenger buys the right to use the upper berth, and the lower berth passenger buys the right to use the lower berth, so from a legal point of view, the passenger of the upper berth does not have the right to sit directly on the lower berth, but needs to obtain the permission of the right to use, that is, the passenger of the lower berth, before he can sit.
Chen Yinjiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Law Society: Since consumers spend money to buy the lower berth, and the price of the lower berth itself is higher than the price of the middle and upper berths. As long as he does not affect the normal rest and normal use of others, he has the right to make some reasonable use in the position and space he purchased, including hanging a curtain, putting a piece of clothing, etc., all within a reasonable range. However, if he blocks the escalator and public facilities, affecting the normal use of the upper and middle berths, it may harm the legitimate interests of other passengers.
The seats in the carriage are limited, and the demand for middle and upper berth passengers objectively exists
Legally, after purchasing a ticket, the passenger's right to use the seat is limited to the passenger who purchased the ticket. No one else is allowed to sit without permission. But we also know that in public places and public transportation, respecting the elderly and caring for the young, and giving up seats for the elderly should be promoted, especially in the environment where the real needs of the hard sleeper car are more urgent.
Take the general hard sleeper car as an example, with 6 berths, upper berth, middle berth, and lower berth. Because the upper bunk and the middle bunk are not very convenient up and down, and the height is limited, if the passengers return to the bunk, they are mostly lying down, and it is more difficult to sit up, so many passengers in the upper bunk and the middle bunk do not sleep when they hope to sit below, but there are only 2 bench seats on the side of the bed, which means that in addition to the 2 lower bunks, the remaining 4 people often have to "grab" these 2 seats. Of course, some people say that you can go to a public area such as a food truck, but for some passengers with luggage or children, it is not so convenient after all. It is also in this context that "the lower bunk can sit" has long been seen as justified.
Expert: The transfer of rights should be based on consultation and understanding between the two parties
So why is this long-standing "reasonableness" now considered unreasonable by many people? What has changed? Should individual rights be ceded to reasonableness? Listen to the opinions of experts.
Legal expert Yue Daishan: In the specific environment of the sleeper car of the train, if the passengers in the lower berth can appropriately transfer some rights and space, reflecting some human feelings and volume, then the atmosphere in the carriage will definitely be more harmonious. But the key here is that such concessions should be based on understanding and consultation between the two sides, rather than unilaterally imposing demands. Because this is not an obligation that must be fulfilled, what is more needed is mutual understanding and tolerance, rather than blindly pursuing the maximization of individual rights and interests.
In recent years, there have indeed been more and more controversies like this. In fact, this reflects the conflict between the right to use public space and the right to use private space. People are paying more and more attention to the protection of personal space and privacy. In addition, this dispute also has something to do with the lack of awareness of the rules of society as a whole. Only taking into account the interests of individuals and ignoring the rights and interests of others leads to disputes.
With the improvement of people's living standards, the train as a means of mass transportation, its facilities and service quality directly affect the travel experience of passengers, and there may still be some deficiencies in the design of the train hard sleeper car.
The railway department has launched special services to meet the needs of different groups of travelers
The battle for the lower bunk, in addition to everyone's awareness of the rules is becoming clearer, but also from everyone's higher and higher expectations for the travel experience. In recent years, the railway department has also responded to the needs of society and launched many special services, such as the sleeper car we are now discussing, which will give priority to the elderly over 60 years old when buying tickets, and the promotion of "silent cars" and so on.
Considering the convenience of the elderly, in recent years, the railway 12306 has optimized and adjusted the online ticketing system, which can automatically identify elderly passengers over 60 years old and give priority to the lower berth when the number of tickets is sufficient.
For passengers who often travel by high-speed rail, a quiet and comfortable riding environment has become a demand for many people. In recent years, the railway department has piloted the promotion of silent carriage services on high-speed rail lines such as Beijing-Shanghai and Chengdu-Chongqing.
In the silent compartment of a train from Beijing to Shanghai, the reporter found that the voice broadcast volume of the silent carriage was 30% to 40% of the normal volume. The flight attendant will grasp the arrival information of each passenger and provide one-to-one arrival reminder service for each passenger. If passengers need catering services, they can order food by scanning the QR code on the armrest of the seat. Passengers are also provided with eye masks, earplugs, anti-snoring devices and other goods.
Li Chen, Captain of the G5 Train of the Tianjin Passenger Section of the Tianjin Passenger Section of the Beijing Bureau of the National Railway: Open the Railway 12306 App, and the number of trains with silent carriages will be prompted. If you want to buy a second-class ticket with the word "quiet", you can tick the box that says "Priority for me to be assigned a seat in a silent car". Once the order is submitted, the system will automatically assign a silent car ticket if there are available tickets.
From "walking" to "walking well", in recent years, everyone has paid more and more attention to the experience of travel. The promotion of "silent cars" has been widely acclaimed. More and more people are also asking whether there will be more women's compartments in the sleepers, whether there will be more choices for meals on the train, and whether the sleeper compartments that have not changed for many years can also be changed?
Is there a better way to improve the travel experience in sleeper cars?
Of course, the sleeper layout has been around for a long time and doesn't change overnight. Is there a better way for the railway authorities to improve the sleeper ride experience and reduce passenger disputes? Continue to listen to the advice of experts.
Legal expert Yue Daishan: In terms of railways, we said that we need to find a better way to deal with it. On the one hand, it can strengthen the management and service in the carriage to reduce disputes caused by seat problems. On the other hand, it is also possible to consider optimizing the layout and design of the sleeper compartment accordingly. For example, adding more space for rest and activity can make every passenger have a more comfortable travel experience.
Chen Yinjiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Law Society: The railway department needs to consider the actual needs of consumers of different ages, and to design a more humane and comfortable riding environment. Everyone respects and understands each other to create a good riding environment.
(Source: CCTV News)