People putting their feet on seats on public transport - what is their thought process?

[angelos02]

Sat on the back seat of a bus this morning, 3 people had their feet up on the seats in front of them! They were all on their own and in their late teens/early 20's. Do they genuinely not understand that other people have to sit there or do they know this and think 'fuck it'? Not that it makes any difference but seeing as it is Winter, the bottom of their shoes can't be spotless!

i think I'm more annoyed with busy trains and people thinking they have a right to keep their feet up or keep their belongings on a seat. Then you can get some of them being really rude if you ask kindly to vacate the seat?

Some rough looking folks id never ask in case they got into a physical altercation over it

besides i get claustrophobic id prefer to stand near the doors than sit on a really busy carriage with people in my face.

When I was a teenager I would do this, if my shoes were visibly clean. Basically as the poster said above I wanted to be comfortable (short legs hanging down isn't comfortable) and didn't care if the seat got non-visibly dirty, I figured it was already pretty grubby anyway. Yes it was selfish! I got told off by a scary looking passenger once and I stopped after that.

coach not couch lol

The thought process is really quite simple. Something like this... Person gets on bus, sits down, puts feet up because they find it more comfortable. It just doesn't enter their tiny mind that their actions have a consequence which can affect others. They just don't care.

There are many situations where this thinking is the case. Bags on seats on crowded trains, jumping queues, spitting chewing gum out on to pavements. The list is endless.

Consideration for others has to be taught from when we are young. But many, it would seem, are brought up with the "I'm alright Jack" attitude.

Are they putting their feet on the actually upholstery or the bit under it?

I very rarely see people with their feet on the upholstered bit but would regularly see with their feet on the bit under the seat (where there's a sort of small ledge if you understand me).

I think if it's that it's a different interpretation of what is feet on seats. It might be people interpreted seat as the bit actually sat on with their backside but not the part that someone's calves would be against.

Finola the older I get, I almost wish I could not care and be oblivious to those around me but I just can't. It is so ingrained in me from having decent parents.

I was in a cafe the other day and it was cold outside and I reckon about 50% of people didn't shut the door behind them! What is wrong with people?

I agree, the thought process is personal comfort and fuck other people's clothing.

I just knew there would be at least one person on this thread condoning it. Thank god most of the posters have common sense.

Horrible selfish behaviour.

I'm afraid that as a cocky little teenager me and my friends always did this . Makes me squirm just thinking about it. Vile little scrotes we could be. Apologies in arrears (about 30 years in arrears).

I tell off people on the bus who do this. Unless they look scary and I think I might get thumped.

It is grim with shoes on, but in summer, I'm guilty of taking my flip-flops off and putting my feet up on long journeys.

While i don't do it, i have yet to ever think of sitting on public transport as a 'clean' thing to do. I class sitting on the seat as no real difference to sitting on the floor. The amount of people and dubious personal hygiene means arses and genitals are on that seat. Also when people put their feet up, i can't see a problem if their legs are straight and it's the back of the shoe, rather than the sole on the seat.

I have never seen anyone with filthy shoes do it. I think people are really precious about stuff like this (i am a shoes on house to so that might be part of it). I also let my children climb on our furniture and they do on public seats like benches.

The way people go on about shoes is as if the rest of a person is spotlessly clean and just the shoes are disgusting harbingers of plague. We are dirty all over.

Can't say it bothers me at all. As others have said, the seats aren't exactly clean in the first place, usually the sole of the shoe isn't even touching the seat, and I have never seen anyone doing it while caked in dog shit.

Before people start frothing, I don't personally do this, although I have slipped off my flip flops and put my feet up, as I've seen the reaction it gets, and as a 'non-rough' looking person I'd probably get a mouthful off someone!

Yes not so long ago I sat on the middle seat at the back and on both side were people with their feet up.

I so wanted to say something but felt outnumbered

I reckon they lack the capacity for thought process

I used to do this when I was younger. I know it's bad and don't do it now. My reasons are that I have bad circulation and get dead legs very easily and when I was younger I was too selfish to see I was putting my needs above other people. Now please don't shout at me... I'm sorry!

Same people as wear shoes in the house i presume. (whole other thread or six).
Of course bus seats are filthy anyway. I always wonder if anyone has wee'd on it ...

It's selfish, thoughtless, and shows an utter disregard for anyone else. See also people (usually younger men, sorry for the generalisation) who sit with their knees as wide apart as they'll possible go. Arseholes, the lot of them.

I don't use public transport often but if I was on a long journey on an emptyish train damn right I would slip my shoes off and put my feet up. Why the hell not?

Same people as wear shoes in the house i presume.

Quite. I find that just as baffling.

Shoes off is fine, IMO.

I admit I have done this in the past , in my defence when I was a bolshy teenager and NEVER since. The thought process as far as it went was, I can report, 'Oooh, feet up is comfy.'

Dh and I were on a packed rush hour train one morning and we were stuck halfway down the carriage, next to 4 seats, 2 seats facing each other. 2 youngish workmen-ish looking blokes sitting there, one with his work bags on the seat opposite him, the other with his massive mud caked work boots up on the seat, despite loads of people standing I kept glancing at the bloke with his legs up, then Dh and saying to Dh how comfy it would be to sit there (on his legs) Kept catching his eye, staring at his legs and winking He moved his legs and offered me the seat where his feet had been, as if I wanted to sit on the pile of mud his boots had left behind

It did make me wonder how tired I'd have to be to just sit on someone, especially on the journey home when I'm shattered..

I wouldn't say it was thoughtless or necessarily selfish. The thought process seems to be, 'the seats are filthy anyway, my shoes/feet/backs of my shoes are actually quite clean, no one else wants the seat, i am uncomfortable sitting like this, so i have rationally decided that it is fine for me to put my feet on the seat'. The fact the thought process doesn't come to the same conclusion as others doesn't mean it is thoughtless or selfish. Just a completely different opinion.

I have in the past had to brace myself with my feet on / against a seat to stop myself flying off when the bus rounds a corner. Depends how cronky and old the bus is and how much of a nutter your bus driver is though.

Also, if you have short legs it can be a bit difficult to sit properly on a bus seat,