I am British and I share your preferences. But they are not universal. In Japan, shinkansen offers reserved seating at about 25% price premium. Even on services

I am British and I share your preferences. But they are not universal. In Japan, shinkansen offers reserved seating at about 25% price premium. Even on services that run more frequently than every 20 minutes more people prefer to pay to reduce the risk of standing. Which risk seems to be predictably low with few exceptions.