Why is it that when I put my belongings on my lap on the bus for to make room for someone to sit next to me(ie. in one of those two-seaters in the back), NO ONE SITS WITH ME????? People will insist on standing even though I made room for them! Yet when I don’t bother to move my shit, someone turns in towards my seat, wanting to sit? People make no fucking sense!
—Transit rider who can’t read minds
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2009.
Ha ha. That happens to me all the time!
Yeah, I don’t understand this either. I automatically put my stuff on my lap, I find the people who stand are either
A) Stuck up, snotty girls or,
B) Really big, fat guys.
Don’t take it personally, especially when it’s the stuck up, snotty girl type. They just don’t want your commoner germs on their lulu pants while they’re going to class.
I find it really irritating when the bus is packed to the rafters, and people refuse to sit in available seats. Just a couple of evenings ago, I elbowed my way to the back of the bus in frustration, where there were no less than 8 empty seats.
I’m not much of a bus user. I like to have my ciggie and listen to the radio on my way to work, so I drive my car. I have however seen the practice on the occasion that I do use mass transportation and I don’t get it either. Maybe the people that insist on staying at the front of the bus figure that they’re going to miss something important if they go to the back.Or maybe they’re just stupid people who don’t get it.
Ugh, SA I feel ya on that. There would be more room ON the bus for people to stand if people would just sit the fuck down in the seats available, but most don’t seem to grasp that concept.
Maybe I’m too adorable for words because someone always sits beside me. Always. There could be empty two seaters and people would STILL sit beside me. A two seater could come available right in front of me and the person sitting with me won’t budge. Sometimes it does get annoying, esp if I have more than one bag with me.
And people tend to always try and spark up conversations with me at bus stops. All sorts of people. Doesn’t matter if I’m the only one at the stop or there are 20 others waiting. Too bad employers wouldn’t send me the same kinda love 🙁
I have a theory no one wants to be ‘the one that dove at the empty seat’.
LOL … I’m always diving for the empty seat. People will look at me like there’s no way I could sit down between two guys with their legs spread wide open or lady with a million shopping bags. But I’m relatively skinny so I just take a deep breath and back up. I think it comes from living in Asia where there really is no transit etiquette. But I do agree with PK and SA that sometimes people NEED to sit in order to free up more standing room.
I get a kick out of the people standing when they’re asked/told to move back. Instead of pushing back more, they just stay in the same spot and spin around in a circle or merely turn and face the back section of the bus.
I don’t get how people interpret “move back” as “stay in the same spot and just look another way.”
I have no idea why people are afraid of the back of the bus. It’s where I always sit, with my backpack on my lap and reading my book.
It gets lonely at the back of the bus. I have to laugh at all the people who get on and just stand there, all the while there are lots of seats available at the back.
No matter what bus I get on, I go straight for the back, almost guaranteed to get a seat.
I barge through all the people crammed in the front of the bus standing, all the way to the back: ‘scuse me, ‘scuse me, pushing through sometimes 30 people, and get to the back to find, yep, empty seats.
Nobody ever sits next to me, either! I’ll never understand it. I’m a well presented, quiet and polite bus rider. I don’t listen to loud music, I’m not chatty, and I never smell bad, yet I usually sit alone. People are weird.
OP, you must look like the type of person who might open your mouth and speak kindly to the person next to you. Direct communication is to be avoided at all costs in Haligonia. Ask anybody.
Stop being so damn passive and verbalize your feelings. Offer the seat, use your mouth!