Bizarre incident on train...

Being nosy and rude is not friendly behaviour. He was the rude one.

A woman is statistically far less likely to become aggressive and assault her.

I can't get over the number of posters saying OP should've closed phone and moved! Why the fuck should she when he invaded her space and privacy? It also gives him the power kick he is seeking. As for the other women's comment about it being rude. I'm seeing this more and more from younger women towards older women (maybe cos I am getting old), often with word "karen" associated with it. Age discrimination.

i wouldnt have liked it either no need to get that close and look at someones phone

This.

Why did he not chose to sit adjacent to another man, spread out to the chap in next seat
he chose a woman because he could, because he correctly predicted he’d get away with it.
He chose a woman because he’s a man imposing himself and using male privilege to dominate

@Zone2NorthLondon is that directed at me? as my sanctimonious comment was directed at the crabbit one.

You did nothing wrong.

Just out of curiosity OP, and I'm not saying you were right or wrong, as I'm undecided. But in all of your replies, you keep saying a man this and a man that ie why should I be polite to a random man, why should I allow a man to invade my space etc. What if it was a woman who had done the same thing, would you have felt and reacted the same way?

What he said was not reasonable. Looking at a stranger's phone over their shoulder and asking them about it is not normal, reasonable, polite behaviour.

Other than the potential safety aspect, OP your response was perfect. Please ignore the weirdos who think the man's behaviour was fine.

No-one else commenting was there and I think many are ignoring the fact that he had already made you uncomfortable when he could have avoided it (not have sat so close or obviously fidgeted) before he even spoke to you. Given that I’d say a sharp response wasn’t unwarranted (though potentially a little risky as others have already pointed out).

Do you think him getting to touching distance is rude?

Women do not have to put up with this shit.

There is a world of difference between what the OP has described and, for example, sitting on a park bench and striking up a conversation with someone which then leads to "What's that picture?"
I've been in the OP's kind of situation and have told men directly that I wasn't interested in talking to them, and have then ignored them (when they gave up and moved on to someone else).

Were the women from London? They might not be as alert for safety in a big city. Often people think Londoners are rude. But when people move to London they become street wise/rude eventually. You probably wouldn't have said that on a local village bus

Good on ya! I know I would have tried to be polite and regretted it. Too often these men just don’t let up.

Time’s up on these pests.

Good for you for not being a doormat on a LONDON tube. You weren't rude. He was bang out of order and odd. I can only assume that the people who have questioned your behaviour are either very young & inexperienced OR have no idea about London commuting.

So many psychics on MN.

He was rude, but I've got to say that I think you were unwise to react as you did, from a safety point of view. Men who don't respect women's boundaries can react aggressively when challenged. I would have said something non-committal, then moved. It's shit that women have to make these compromises, but personally I would not take the risk of being assaulted by some twat who thinks I owe him a conversation.

@DontSuitAJumpsuit dont make false comparisons
a woman in her 70s is not the same as manspreading man imposing himself
you simply can’t conflate the two

Yanbu at all!

I'm going to London with my mum next week. She would have a full blown conversation with literally anyone about anything and I'm not sure she'd really get that something someone was looking at on their phone a few inches from them Must Not Be Mentioned. Would you speak to a woman in her 70s in the same way if she commented on your phone photos? Just so I can prep her only to speak to me.

Oh and to add to the above, I had a man follow me to work from the train once, so yes, don't talk to anyone you don't want to, you have no idea what they are thinking.

Shite it’s a good word, happy to see it used in post. Kind of onomatopoeic
sanctimonious to tell you I trained in Scotland, worked on Scotland and get Scotland
oh and aye, ma ma is Irish and ma da is Scottish

It depends, if it was a NT person I’d say fine,but something similar happened to me once with someone who had clear learning disabilities, they ruined my only hour to myself that day talking and commenting but I didn’t have the heart to stop them.

Agree with you @Redqueenheart, commuted by train for over 10 years, not London but a Northern city. Agree you can get some odd characters. You are under no obligation whatsoever to enter into conversation with this man at all. No one should ever be made to feel uncomfortable or obliged to enter into dialogue when thru don't want to with a stranger. It's not being rude, passive aggressive or unkind, you are being safe