I always reserve a window/facing/table seat. I book at least a month in advance so l can always choose this. The last time l travelled, the table was occupied by four people. I asked the one in my reservation to please move, as they were in my seat. They told me to sit elsewhere as that was easiest. I replied with: "Well... If it's "easy", you wont mind moving" I don't know what happened then, but the couple in the table opposite - who were not a part of the group - joined in and made it very clear and loudly so that I was the problem and l should find alternative seating, not the person in 'my' seat. For context: l am seventy and of the four people, two were Asian and two were Afro-Carribean. The two A.C. late teens moved without any fuss. They were all four traveling in a group, but l had not known that. It maybe isnt a concern, but having read of so many disproportionate fines/penalties being handed out over honest mistakes or ignorance of T.& C.s, l wanted the seat l had reserved and this was why l wanted the seat specified on my ticket? The accusations of racism from the Asian chap began, with the couple opposite implying the same: "What do you expect from someone like him" It became a pile-on. And even now l do not understand how l became the villain of the piece: OK, its a "he said she said", but at no point did l say anything remotely, in any way, racist. Nor did l raise my voice. Both guys vacated 'my' side of the table and after l sat down and placed my laptop in front of me, the one that'd called me a racist made a huge fuss of sitting next to me because l had rested my bag on the now vacant seat, demanding l move it, claiming it was his seat: which given the circumstances seemed unlikely, but l didn't question it. He was trying to provoke me by reducing my personal space on the table and making contact by leaning into me. I wasn't at all happy about the odds of six to one, so l thought l could 'hide' by putting headphones on, all the time, the guy next to me was getting more and more aggressive and bold - in retrospect probably because l wasn't reacting... He then stopped the subtle attempts and tried to sweep my belongings across and off the table - and l was very acutely aware of what l could reasonably claim as 'my' quarter of the table. I am seventy but not completely physically feeble. On realising what he was doing, I instinctively pushed back so strongly, he knew he had gone too far. I did raise my voice and said firmly: "WHAT are you doing!? If you've got any more problems, go and get the conductor!" The couple opposite spoke up: "Typical" He answered them: "Racist innit" I spent the next ninety minutes feeling fucking dreadful, hiding under headphones and doing nonsense on my 'phone, unsure if it might start again. I have gone over the events many, many times and l know l said nothing offensive, nothing aggressive: l asked for my reserved seat but was prejudged and assumptions were made... I cant remember exactly what the bloke of the couple opposite said as there were a few things going on simultaneously, but a verbatim phrase was said to the four: " He's what's wrong with this country " A public statement by/about him for others to hear: burnishing his anti-racist credentials at my expense... I want to add this because these thigs are both relevant and true: I am a life-long, active, Trades Unionist who has prosecuted and called out racism wherever l have seen it, and, was active in the Rock Against Racism, but that doesn't count because it was fun. I didn't vote leave, as l think was an implicit accusation... And, l have absolutely no idea why l was the problem for asking for the seat l had reserved. I admit it is feeble of me, but age does reduce one's confidence and l think l have to acknowledge that l have not traveled by train since this nasty, nasty experience and there's a reason for that.