Would you now feel uncomfortable if someone sat next to you on the train?

[LetItGoHome]

I travel a daily commute in to london. I have done daily throughout this pandemic as a healthcare worker.
The trains are now getting bussier and people are having to stand. The thing is that there seems to still be the expectation that no one should sit next to you or directly opposite so there are many seats free. People have their bags on the seats blocking them.
All the posters re social distancing have been removed. The tube trains have seemed to have abandoned this practice and all free seats get sat in.
The thing is im tired and want to rest my legs! Obviously social distancing should be applied if space is available. I just dont want to get shouted at for sitting down. Would it be an unacceptable thing to do?

If it's a busy train I'd expect it but I wouldn't like it.

No. I'd be wearing a mask and am double-vaccinated.
I wouldn't want someone without a mask near me though.

Central line is pretty much standing room only on my commute now.

All seats taken. Any idea of distancing is out the window.

That's reassuring thanks. Personally I think having people hovering over me not seated more of a risk.

@Hyperion100

Central line is pretty much standing room only on my commute now.

All seats taken. Any idea of distancing is out the window.

Yes, the tubes are really busy now. Overground trains are not nearly as busy and people seem to be clinging on to their empty seat besides them for dear life. Perhaps it's because they know what's coming? 😂

I suppose we're all too sedentary so some standing is fine (disability excluded).

People should sit next to each other rather than stand too close together, though. I don't care about sitting next to me.

I think this will be an issue after so called 'freedom day' whilst some can't wait after watching the behaviour of customers where I work most appear to want to keep restrictions on personal space

@lljkk

I suppose we're all too sedentary so some standing is fine (disability excluded).

People should sit next to each other rather than stand too close together, though. I don't care about sitting next to me.

So you think if there is standing room free that should be used before the empty seat next to someone?

Someone sat next to me in the bus the other day. I felt very uneasy and put my bag on the seat when they got off. They’re isn’t an option I guess on busy trains.

I would, but then would tell myself I was being silly. I'm double vaccinated though.
I have had people sit next to me on the metro, but they've always asked first.

It's definitely gone out the window on buses near me (SE London). I havent experienced it yet on trains but I wouldn't mind if someone sat next to me tbh.

@BreakingtheIce

Someone sat next to me in the bus the other day. I felt very uneasy and put my bag on the seat when they got off. They’re isn’t an option I guess on busy trains.

If your the one feeling uneasy shouldn't it be you to stand or move? Is it fair to essentially block others wanting a seat?

I wouldn't like it if someone sat next to me but I wouldn't have them stand instead. U may get some ppl say no it's not social distancing etc.

On my (overground) trains into London people sometimes sit sideways on the aisle seat so they have their back to you and legs in the aisle. That seems to work well as it means they rest legs but a show of politeness that they are considering not breathing on you. I’ve also seen people ask if it’s ok to sit next to someone else. Not sure it really makes much difference in terms of risk levels but there hasn’t been any bad feeling (that I’ve seen).

I was on a packed train with a stranger next to me last week, I hated it, but I hated it before the pandemic. Personal space is one thing I will miss from all this. However, I think it's unreasonable to expect people not to sit in an empty seat too, so I'll suck it up.

@Geamhradh

No. I'd be wearing a mask and am double-vaccinated. I wouldn't want someone without a mask near me though.

But if your vaccine works I don't understand how you are at risk from someone who is not wearing a mask? We have to live with the virus (which to most people is a mild respiratory virus) at some point - if people who are vaccinated don't feel safe wha else can be done?

There are announcements at the station's saying that at busy times it may not be possible to be socially distant so try and avoid these times etc... So is it the same on the trains? If there is not a socially distanced seat available you can't be expected to socially distance?
By the way I've not plucked up the courage to ask someone to move their bag for me yet. Just trying to understand the rules and what I could expect to hear if someone objected!!

I used 6 trains at the weekend and there was no choice but for people to sit next to each other. I wasn't bothered. I'm fully vaccinated and we all had masks on.

I'm commuting into London a couple of days a week and it's definitely busier. I wouldn't hesitate to move my bag if someone really needed to sit down and I've also sat next to someone on one occasion when my back was hurting and there was no option. I've had both vaccines and wear a mask.

From 17th May most bus companies changed policy so that if the bus was busy you would be expected to let someone sit next to you rather than stand. My bus has posters to this effect on them but so far it's not been an issue.

Victoria Line was very busy this morning and lots of people standing along the carriages. Just like old times

Not in London, but have been getting a bus into my city centre weekly throughout covid-times. When restrictions were reduced in May they put up signs in the buses saying all forward-facing seats could now be used. I suppose I was a bit uncomfortable about people sitting by me, because we have all been conditioned to not be that close to strangers for so long and it was unusual, but I am not worried about it as I have had both vaccine doses and am wearing a face covering (although a large percentage of the other passengers aren't) and have been doing a job that involves close contact with many people. I was uncomfortable when someone sat next to me the other day, but that was because he insisted on talking to loudly me about how the Muslim lady sitting opposite was oppressed because she was wearing a hijab not because of any covid-related reason.

God, massively, but very little of that would be COVID related. I just need re-socialising. Thinking I might get a 'nervous' tabard like you see on reactive dogs (only half joking).