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I take public transportation to work. When I board the bus, it is pretty full with riders aboard already. Most riders that board at my stop sit in aisle seats next to passengers in the window seats. It's pretty early in the morning, so not much conversation is going on. Most people keep to themselves, read a newspaper, have headphones on, or browse online with their smart phones.
As the bus continues on its route, riders de-board. Soon entire seats become vacant. I don't get up to move to my seat. I think the guy next to me might feel abandoned that I moved at the first opportunity to 'get away' from him. But then again, he might be thinking "What the Heck! This guy is still sitting next to me?!?!"
Would you move as soon as seats becomes entirely vacant? Are you cognizant how the other rider might feel, or are you not supposed to care?
I've also been observing behavior of others when they select a seat on public transportation:
1. People will usually choose the window seat, rather than sit in the aisle/leave the window seat vacant. Perhaps the window view is desirable, but maybe they want to avoid the perception that they are hogging the whole bench seat. Also, it may be inevitable that they will have to scoot over to allow someone to sit down.
2. Most people will take an empty seat rather than partner-up with a stranger. Even if they have to sit way in the back. Some, however, will sit in the front with someone else rather than ride way in the back. Maybe they get motion sick in the back. Or they want to be close up to the driver or exit door for a sense of security.
3. If all window seats are taken and most aisle seats are available: people will choose to sit by someone who is most like them (gender, age range, ethnicity, professional, blue collar uniform, obvious tattoos/piercings), even if they don't talk to them. Sometimes I choose to sit by someone completely different than me when there are plenty of aisle seats available to choose from. I notice the reaction. Almost like they are thinking: "What's he doing sitting next to me when there's another seat available with a person like him right in front of me? But I guess it's okay..."
I take public transportation to work. When I board the bus, it is pretty full with riders aboard already. Most riders that board at my stop sit in aisle seats next to passengers in the window seats. It's pretty early in the morning, so not much conversation is going on. Most people keep to themselves, read a newspaper, have headphones on, or browse online with their smart phones.
As the bus continues on its route, riders de-board. Soon entire seats become vacant. I don't get up to move to my seat. I think the guy next to me might feel abandoned that I moved at the first opportunity to 'get away' from him. But then again, he might be thinking "What the Heck! This guy is still sitting next to me?!?!"
Would you move as soon as seats becomes entirely vacant? Are you cognizant how the other rider might feel, or are you not supposed to care?
I know what you are saying. It depends I guess. If the bus becomes half empty all of a sudden I move. But if the 2 seats infront of us opens opens up for a brief moment I don't . I figure they will fill up soon enough.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Yes, people do sometimes wonder if they might have bad breath or BO, but if the person goes from a sideways seat to a forward-facing one it's normally just to avoid tipping over so much around the corners. I have found that as an older male I get a lot of young Asian women sitting next to me, my wife says it's because I look safe. Some people just like to have the same seat every day and will glare at the person sitting in it. What I find annoying is when the person next to me dozes off and tips over, bumping me every 5 minutes.
You could write a book on what goes on during bus commutes.
I noticed people behave differently depending on the country.
Germans who value personal space and rarely interact with strangers will move right away as soon as a seat becomes available, even if it is across the room and if they are getting off in 2 minutes. It gets a little ridiculous because they look so desperate to move. If an isle becomes available people will be fighting for it and will jump and run to get there. American do it but not as often and are more discreet about it, they don't move as if the person right next to them has a contageous disease, they move slowly.
In Spain and Latin America(at least the countries I have visited)it is quite uncommon to do that. They just don't care because they have different perceptions of personal space. They also tend to get up and offer their seats to the elderly and sometimes women. In the US and Germany only on rare occassions people do that. Elders could be stumbling and falling and most people would just ignore them.
When seats open up and someone is still sitting next to me, I get annoyed unless that person is old or otherwise less able-bodied. If I'm the one in the aisle seat in that situation, I'll always move the the nearest vacant seat as soon as its available. It just makes it easier to get off the bus when you don't have to step over somebody else or wait for them to stand up and let you by.
As for your first observation about people sitting next to the window, I think that's just to be polite. At least that was my thinking whenever I had to ride the bus in Seattle. It'd be rude to sit in the aisle seat if you know that the bus/train/lightrail is going to fill up. Just like I always silently cursed people who'd take two empty seats - one for themselves and the other for their shopping bag/briefcase/bookbag/legs.
If it's on a city bus, for only a ten minute ride, I'd just stay where I am, unless the person next to me (or I) had to hold packages on our lap, or some other obvious inconvenience that can be ameliorated by more space.
On a longer journey of several hours, I'd politely explain "I think I'll move over there, you'd probably be more comfortable with more elbow room".
When first boarding the bus and sitting next to someone, I might say "Do you mind if I squeeze in here, until another seat opens up?". And then, if I move, wish the person a nice trip.
Have you ever noticed, at least in the USA, nobody ever takes the liberty at a self-seating restaurant of asking to share a table with a single diner, if all tables are occupied. I wonder why.
I take public transportation to work. When I board the bus, it is pretty full with riders aboard already. Most riders that board at my stop sit in aisle seats next to passengers in the window seats. It's pretty early in the morning, so not much conversation is going on. Most people keep to themselves, read a newspaper, have headphones on, or browse online with their smart phones.
As the bus continues on its route, riders de-board. Soon entire seats become vacant. I don't get up to move to my seat. I think the guy next to me might feel abandoned that I moved at the first opportunity to 'get away' from him. But then again, he might be thinking "What the Heck! This guy is still sitting next to me?!?!"
Would you move as soon as seats becomes entirely vacant? Are you cognizant how the other rider might feel, or are you not supposed to care?
People understand if you move to a seat where you have more space or a better view. The unwritten psychology of public transit is that everyone desires ample personal space and distance from strangers,
I take public transportation to work. When I board the bus, it is pretty full with riders aboard already. Most riders that board at my stop sit in aisle seats next to passengers in the window seats. It's pretty early in the morning, so not much conversation is going on. Most people keep to themselves, read a newspaper, have headphones on, or browse online with their smart phones.
As the bus continues on its route, riders de-board. Soon entire seats become vacant. I don't get up to move to my seat. I think the guy next to me might feel abandoned that I moved at the first opportunity to 'get away' from him. But then again, he might be thinking "What the Heck! This guy is still sitting next to me?!?!"
Would you move as soon as seats becomes entirely vacant? Are you cognizant how the other rider might feel, or are you not supposed to care?
Wow. That's one of those subtle dynamics you land in using public transit. As an experienced, long-time public transit user, plus being a person who thinks too much, I understand your predicament exactly. That said, I usually kind of instinctively just get up and move to my own seat. Even if I was sitting next to somebody I wanted to be by, I wouldn't stay because I'd feel like a creep.
On a side not, the last time I rode the bus a bunch of private school kids got on who were obviously not used to riding public transit. One asked "may I sit here?" and I found that so odd because normally people don't go out of the way to ask.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,056 posts, read 80,100,596 times
Reputation: 56834
Since this thread started I have done some experimenting. When most pairs of seats have one person and more people arrive, I have tried two things. One is to smile at the person coming down the aisle, the other is to cough a few times.
Definitely affects whether they sit next to me or not, though I did not compile numbers.
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