People now wanting 2 seats to themselves on public transport

[Highheelprincessnextdoor]

I’m genuinely confused about what I’m meant to do as a person who uses both trains and buses daily. I work a 10 hour shift and on my way home my whole body hurts and I would love to be able to have a seat for my journey home which takes me 1.5 hours (bus & train) but it seems that no one wants to let you be because they all want a gap in the chairs. In the last month I will list below the things I have seen.

I get on and a woman puts her arm out to stop me, telling me not to sit next to her and to go somewhere else and physically blocked the seat so I couldn’t even get near it. It was so embarrassing so I just walked off. The next day two men were fighting because one tried to sit down and the other didn’t want him sitting next to him so shoved him away... which spilled his coffee everywhere. They tried to fight with each other but eventually the man moved away. And today is the best one.... one woman taking up 4 chairs with her legs spread out!! I can’t even make this up. How are these people so selfish?? The other people are the ones who leave their handbag on the next chair when there are people forced to stand up. Like your bag is so precious that it needs it’s own chair!

Im now scared to sit down for fear that someone will tell me I'm not allowed. People sit down next to me every journey and I say nothing. Is it because of social distance? Because even with a gap in chairs we aren’t a good distance apart and are all breathing each other’s germs anyway. If the government want people to follow this social distance rule then they should put no entry tape on every other chair again like they used to. I have had times where I’m literally going to pass out from being in pain and had to stand up for the whole journey. What’s everyone else doing? Sitting or no sitting?

(And it’s not because of covid I promise you, they just want the extra arse space)

Wow, people are so entitled and awful. If they don't want to risk anyone sitting next to them, they should stand.

There is no way I'd be cowed by someone telling me to not sit next to them.

@Gardenfish

When I travel, I get on a train from the south coast. You generally need to start sharing from three bridges onwards. If I’ve zoned out and I’ve left my bag on another seat. I will always move it when asked. It would be rude not to. Most times I automatically move into one seat.

But I’ve not travel since COVID and I’ve not had to experience the stress of being on public transport.

Your bag should be on your lap / floor / luggage rack from the time you board. It’s so rude taking advantage of less staff on trains to spread out on seats you didn’t pay for.

@CloudyStorms

I'm not convinced they are necessarily exempt. People need to start wearing a lanyard if this is the case

1. No one has to signify their health condition or whatever it is to anyone.
2. There isn't a mask exemption lanyard.

I think it has got beyond that. I understand if people are exempt but I think there are some people who should wear one and are too selfish to do so. They've been asked to wear one on public transport so play the game

@woodhill

I really don't want to sit next to anyone not wearing a mask now. I was not pleased recently when someone sat next to me without wearing one on the underground.

I'm not convinced they are necessarily exempt. People need to start wearing a lanyard if this is the case

You are welcome to stand up off your seat whenever you like. But you absolutely can’t police who gets to sit next to you on public transport.

Dont ask, just say politely that you are sitting there

@MintJulia

As long as you have a mask, you're welcome to sit beside me

I agree.

I am not keen on people without masks sitting next to me. On my commute, up until today, I was often the only person in the carriage with a mask on.
Today a (maskless) guy sat down next to me and told me that he didn’t care about the rules and neither should I. I told him the truth... that everyone else in my house has covid, so it is for his protection as well as my own! He shut up after that, and leaned away from me!

Tbf isn’t this because this was a thing in London? People were told not to sit next to others and one person on seats, so no sitting next to anyone buses limited the capacity to stop over crowding so that no one had to sit next to anyone, so it’s not like it was never a thing, it will probably come back Like with masks

Funny thing is I was on the bus the other day and a woman was sitting down in the priority seats and an older woman got on and asked to sit down (the woman sitting down was sitting in the aisle seat so blocking the other one) and she refused to let her sit down as she was “clinically vulnerable” yet she had a Sainsbury’s uniform on so had clearly been at work all day with people but can’t sit next to someone on the bus! You could hear people whispering about her after in shock!

yet she had a Sainsbury’s uniform on so had clearly been at work all day with people but can’t sit next to someone on the bus! judgey much? You have no idea where in the store she works etc.

@TurnUpTurnip

Tbf isn’t this because this was a thing in London? People were told not to sit next to others and one person on seats, so no sitting next to anyone buses limited the capacity to stop over crowding so that no one had to sit next to anyone, so it’s not like it was never a thing, it will probably come back Like with masks

Funny thing is I was on the bus the other day and a woman was sitting down in the priority seats and an older woman got on and asked to sit down (the woman sitting down was sitting in the aisle seat so blocking the other one) and she refused to let her sit down as she was “clinically vulnerable” yet she had a Sainsbury’s uniform on so had clearly been at work all day with people but can’t sit next to someone on the bus! You could hear people whispering about her after in shock!

I would have taken a photo and sent it to Sainsburys. Ridiculous behaviour.

I think it has got beyond that. I understand if people are exempt but I think there are some people who should wear one and are too selfish to do so. there probably are but I don't think that's a reason to start insisting those who can't wear masks for medical reasons to start declaring their medical reasons.

@Hospedia

Our local travel operators have posters up advising people to give other spaces where possible as well as ones reminding people to be respectful of others. I'd say if someone doesn't want anyone sitting next to them then that should be accepted and you should find someone who doesn't mind.

I don't think being respectful of others means allowing them to stand on a bus/train journey!

@SprigofSage

I'm pregnant and I don't want to sit next to anyone really, but that's my problem - so if someone does sit next to me, I get up and stand. I'd rather have some space but that shouldn't stop someone else sitting.

Same here. In fact for my last 2 weeks I'm driving and paying a fortune to park because I really don't want to get covid now. But I wouldn't begrudge anyone a seat - as long as they wear a mask!

People always preferred to sit alone. SD has just given them the excuse to be comfortable at someone else's expense. My view is that if you are that worried about SD you should be the one to stand and let two people who don't mind have the seats you are occupying.

Actually I do as I’m sure I recognised her she stands outside the Sainsbury’s smoking with the other workers on her break! So yes found it a bit cheeky to refuse a seat to an elderly woman, everyone else was shocked as well.

I often put my bag next to me on public transport, and I’ll tell you why. If you are a smallish, clean, quiet woman, everyone wants to sit next to you. Other women want to sit next to you because you aren’t going to grope or harass them. Fastidious people want to sit next to you because you won’t spill or ooze onto them, or wipe sticky fingers on them. Men want to sit next to you because they’re creeps. I’ve lost count of the times, especially when I was younger, when someone would plonk themselves down next to me even though there were plenty of double seats free. It’s annoying. I don’t like sitting next to strangers any more than anyone else does, and I don’t see why I should put up with more than my share just because I’m less unpleasant to share a seat with. So I put my bag next to me until I see another clean, quiet woman approaching, and then I’ll move it so that she can sit down.

If someone doesn’t want to be near someone, they should stand so they can move further from others as they see fit. Standing in the vestibule is a good idea, there are even opening windows for ventilation on some trains.
You’re entitled to one seat only.

@Boood do you genuinely encounter oozing people who want to wipe their hands on you? Honestly in many many years of train journeys that has never once been an issue. Also move your bag or I’m sitting on it, thanks.

The empty seat rule has long gone. I do want to see people in face masks. Unfortunately or fortunately I have a permanent, spasmodic cough re Bronchiectasis. People actually move even when I say what I have is not contagious !!

@Boood I get what you're saying as it's very disheartening to have people walk past loads of other people they could have asked to move their bags just to sit by me. This is partly why I just ask the nearest person to move their bag now. But within reason, I don't want to get stabbed so sometimes I do leave the angry looking blokes.

Rude, entitled loons. If they don’t want anyone sitting next to them then they best get their arse of the seats and stand themselves or find alternative transport. As if the gap of one seat makes any difference to social distancing anyway, morons.

A line l used once was “Obviously, you’ve paid for two seats.”

If there are two or more seats free elsewhere I will not sit next to someone. I try and distance but if I need to sit next to someone on the tube they can fly off if they think they can stop me sitting down. If they are so uncomfortable they can stand or take a taxi.