A commuter who was publicly shamed for taking off his shoes and socks on a packed train and putting his feet on the seats insists he has done nothing wrong.
Antiques collector Andrew Dignan was confronted on the lunchtime service from Buxton to Manchester and had one of his shoes thrown off the train for allegedly refusing to move.
Rather than moving when asked, he said defiantly: ‘I can do what I want – if you don’t like it go and sit somewhere else.’
However Mr Dignan has hit back, explaining that he has a swollen stomach and feet and does not know the cause so needed to let them breathe.
The 49-year-old was seen relaxing on the lunchtime service from Buxton to Manchester and was asked multiple times to put his feet down by other bemused commuters
Andrew Dignan was confronted on the lunchtime service from Buxton to Manchester
The 49-year-old-landlord says he heard the fellow commuter ranting about his bare feet but pretended to be asleep to see how it would unfold.
He said the man who confronted him was intimidating and ‘reminded him of when he was bullied as a child’.
Mr Dignan said: ‘I’m a quiet guy and the train was not full at all.
Mr Dignan said he removed his shoes because his feet were swollen
‘I took my shoes and socks off to put my feet on the seat because my feet are swollen.
‘I wasn’t being intimidating or anything. An obnoxious guy with no hair on his head was just sat there and he took an instant dislike to me. He was looking for an argument.
‘I said to him, “I think someone like you looks for arguments on the train everyday don’t you?”
‘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 didn’t move, he just took my photograph. 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 collect antiques and I was on Dickinson’s Real Deal because I rent houses out. I generally get on well with people across the board but I was very very frightened and intimidated.
‘I just don’t like confrontation with anybody.
‘He demanded it, he didn’t ask. He said ‘get them down now’ and I didn’t put them down because I thought ‘you’re not speaking to me like that’.
The 49-year-old-landlord says he heard the fellow commuter ranting about his bare feet but pretended to be asleep to see how it would unfold
‘I could hardly get out of bed on the morning after it happened. I was going to Buxton to collect antiques but it ended up just being a horrible experience.
‘I was frightened of getting beaten up. I felt like crying. The guy on the train, the guard who was there, said to me ‘it wasn’t your fault.’
‘It’s not illegal to put your feet on the chair, it says don’t put your feet on the chair with your shoes on.’
But David Buxton, who took the picture, told MailOnline: ‘This gentleman took it upon himself to occupy three seats.
Mr Dignan said he was ‘frightened’ by the angry confrontation and was to scared to leave his home the following day
‘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’.
‘I informed him that I had no intention of moving anywhere and told him he was an ignorant f***. Excuse the language but I’m retired so I get a pass.
‘At no point was there 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 off the train and dumped it on the platform.
‘I’ve got no idea if he found it or not but I sure felt better for doing it.’
In Britain it is illegal for train passengers to put their feet on the seats under a by-law dating back to 1889.
Under the Regulations of Railway Act it is a criminal offence to ‘interfere with the comfort or convenience’ of fellow passengers.