Is it rude to sleep on public transport?

[JazbayGrapes]

There are often complaints that people are rude and inconsiderate if they scroll phones or read and don't pay attention to fellow passengers who may need to be offered a seat (but they wouldn't ask).

So is it rude and selfish to be asleep?

I don’t think so. If it’s not a drunk fella coming home late I always assume they are a knackered shift worker and feel sorry for them for being so wiped.

It feels less rude somehow on the grounds that presumably they're tired rather than just shutting people out by being on their phones.

But when I see someone asleep on public transport it always bothers me that they might miss their stop/station. I have to look away and tell myself it's none of my business.

On local buses and trains not set up for it, I think it’s antisocial, yes. It can also make you very vulnerable, so it is annoying in that entitled way. I feel it’s not possible for me to be safe sleeping in a public space, so I have never slept in a public space no matter how tired I’ve been.

People who are sleeping are unaware of their surroundings so they can be guilty of snoring, burping, farting and encroaching on other peoples space unconsciously. They can also shift responsibility onto others for watching out for them/their stuff/their stop.

No, unless you're snoring and drooling 😁

It’s not rude to be on your phone or reading a book either.

I suffer with motion sickness so take travel pills for any journey over an hour. The downside of these is they knock me out, so I sleep. Anyone wants to tell me I'm rude can sit next to me and hold the sick bag, and I'll go without the travel pills and stay awake.

I don't get people who get their pants in a bunch over what strangers are doing on public transport. As long as they're not encroaching on anyone else, how is it anyone else's business if someone wants to sleep or scroll their phone?

I’ve always had a doze on a train.

What fresh hell is this???

Not unless you’ve spread yourself across more than one seat for the purpose

I don't think anyone gets on the tube or the bus thinking I'll just have a wee doze.

Personally (and just my opinion) I don't find it rude, as a former shift worker myself I often think it may be someone coming home and knackered after a rough shift, or simply someone just tired - we never know whats going on for other people so.

I couldn't do it myself, be too scared of missing my stop and the vulnerability of it wouldn't let me sleep anyways.

If it is then my DH is the rudest person in creation because the minute he settles in his seat he starts snoring. 😴

As long as your head isn't on my shoulder and you aren't dribbling over me. I've seen worse.

As long as its not the driver I think it's OK

You strike me as somewhat uptight..?

As long as you aren't sprawled out over multiple seats, I can see why it would be considered rude?

Also, the only time I think someone using their phone on public transport is if they are listening to something without using headphones, playing a game with sounds on or texting whilst having the haptics sounds on.

I cannot stand the tinny noise of someone else's phone.

• can't see, not can.

😂😂😂

If you think they're rude, feel smug in the knowledge that occasionally they'll miss their stop.
Or my slightly better option of falling asleep going home to Ealing on the District line, and waking up in Chiswick. Then realising that I'm on the London bound side, and had slept on while the train emptied at Ealing, and started back into the city...

Since when is reading and playing on your phone on public transport rude?! Back when I used to commute it was when I got most of my reading done. The only bit of commuting I miss.

Not so much now but when I was a teenager getting the bus home from school I used to always fall asleep. Also if I’m on a 4 hour train to the nearest city I’m having a snooze.

I don’t think it’s rude and it’s probably a sign that that person deserves their seat. Usually there’s someone else able bodied and awake that can offer theirs if needed. That said, I have perfected the art of sleeping whilst standing and holding one of those overhead hand grips!

Colleague did that on the Jubilee line. Meant to get off at Neasden, woke up at Stanmore, fell asleep again so went the length of the Jubilee line again. In the end he asked the driver to come and wake him up at his stop (late night train and pretty much empty).

All depends doesn’t it? 4PM on a Tuesday commuting home? No. It’s busy - keep your wits about you.

On the first train into Waterloo or Charring Cross in the morning for a day in the office? (I.e in the office and at your desk by 06:30/07:00) then definitely not.

i was sitting next to a young woman who was fast asleep on my train yesterday. We pulled up to a station and she had a momentary panic, so i asked where she needed to get off and made sure she was an awake in time to get off. She was really happy about that.

To answer the thread title: no. As long as they're not taking up more space than necessary

Depends on the transport! Planes, coaches and trains over 4 hours are fair game for a nap! The bus into the town centre, no not so much