When strangers sit next to you on a bus or subway despite there being plenty of seats

Does anyone else hate it when you're on a bus or subway and there are plenty of empty seats, yet a stranger decides to sit right next to you? I hate it. I like my personal space and don't think it is necessary for someone who doesn't know me and vise versus to sit next to me when there are an abundance of empty seats. I don't like it when someone sits next to me regardless but I am more understanding if the bus or subway is full to capacity and people don't have much of a choice. But when they do have a choice, it bothers me.

It has nothing to do with feeling threatened, I just simply like my personal space and just simply find it weird and awkward when someone decides to sit next to me when they can easily sit elsewhere and have their own space as well. How do you feel when someone sits next to you, especially when there are other empty seats? Do you find it weird when someone does that? Do you feel threatened? Do you know why some people do that? I don't get it. Again, I understand if all the seats are taken, but if there are plenty of other seats, that's when I get really annoyed.

I hate that too. One option is to sit on the isle seat but I like Windows. When I used to ride the bus I often used a backpack so my hands would be free and I'd put the backpack next to me until there were no more empty seats.

Yeah I may start doing that myself. I like window seats but maybe I should start taking an aisle seat, although someone could easily get past you and take the window seat. I may start putting my bag next to me as well. I usually don't since it is small and don't want it to be snatched but I could easily use a bigger one and put it next to me so no one can sit there until there are no more seats available.

Even when the bus is full, people do not sit next to me lol

Lucky lol. Wish people wouldn't sit next to me.

Couldn't agree more!

I feel uncomfortable with random strangers getting too close to me; it makes me feel uncomfortable and trapped. Any less than an arm length distance is enough to make me want to crawl into my skin.

If I'm riding the bus, a common tactic for me is if there are plenty of seats elsewhere and I see a stranger approaching me like he wants to sit next to me, I purposely turn up the volume on my music and since my Sennheiser head phones have no noise cancelling, they can certainly hear the loud volume and thus, get away from me

If the bus is full, I let the oldest or more feeble looking person that I see have my seat and stand because I would rather stand than have to sit uncomfortably close to another human.

This is why I prefer the single seat right in the front of the bus, but don't always get it.

I figure people sit next to me for two reasons, one; I'm sitting near the front and their stop is close by, two; I'm skinny so there's enough room. As opposed to choosing their own seat and having someone else cramp them.

In a full bus I actually opt to sit next to a heavier set passenger, because I know it will make their commute more comfortable, coz I don't take up much space.

Lucky for me us passengers are all regulars so seating is kind if predictable,like on the way home I only have someone next to me on Fridays...

I think you give up your personal space the moment you board public transit. It peeves me when people put their bag next to them to prevent people from sitting down - especially as the bus fills up.

I admit I am one of those people you hate. There are several reasons why I do this:

- I prefer to keep the front seats available for the infirm, elderly, families, and those with poor mobility. It really quite angers me to see able-bodied persons take these seats.
- It is generally a rule of thumb - etiquette - to depart via the rear door. I choose any available seat near it regardless if the other is occupied.

Putting your bag there is fine. As long as there are other free seats.

My dilemma is a bit different. Say you start out with a quite full bus. So you of course go sit beside someone. Then it is starting to thin out and now many seats are empty so you know if you move seats you will not have to sit beside someone for the rest of the trip.

Would you move seats? If someone sits beside you and move for that reason, do you feel bad about it? Or good?

If you decide to be lazy and stay in the same seat and the whole bus empties except for you and the person that sits next to you, do you feel weird?

At what point does it get awkward? LOL.

Haha, I move to an empty seat and I don't feel bad about it.

Yes this bugs me too especially restaurants, the whole room could be empty but someone decides to sit right next to me. It annoys me.

How on earth is this lazy? I would never move seats. I think it would be very rude of me to do so.

Oh I forgot about that scenario. Good question. For me, I hate it when someone does not get up to move to another seat once a bus empties out. It becomes awkward. For me, if I am in the aisle seat next to someone and there are seats opening up, I will move to an empty one. No shame about it, I don't feel bad and I doubt the other person cares as well. In fact, the other person most likely would be relieved and grateful for having their personal space back again.

I live in an extremely multi-cultural community. Another reason I don't move is I don't want someone to think I wish to avoid sitting next to them; I don't want them to think I am racist or an Islamaphobe. I suppose I remain seated next to people out of a sign of acceptance on my part.

Another thing to ponder which I think is related is: do you talk to people you sit next to on a bus? I do this frequently.

Given on where you live, I can see why you would do that. And I don't talk to people. People just get on the bus and go to where they want or need to be. Unless someone knows someone else, no one talks on the bus or subway.

I hate it when people try to strike up on conversation with me. I must look friendly cause it happens a lot.

Talking to random strangers is stressful and draining to me so I avoid it. I always have my big bulky pair of Sennheiser earphones with me so if somebody tries to talk to me I pretend I don't hear them and keep listening my music, audiobooks, games, or whatever else I am doing.

I personally couldn't care less if people think I'm rude or some type of racist or whatever; other people's opinions mean nothing to me especially if that person isn't benefiting me somehow.

Just a different perspective from me in England......

I grew up in a rural part of the country and didn't know what a subway was until my mid 20s. I went to university in a big city and spent most of my time scared and sticking to the same safe spaces. That was a good 30 years ago. I've moved back to where I grew up and when I used to travel a lot, including London, I always used to sit next to people. I am an introvert and value my own space and time, but being close or nearer people made me feel safer. Where I live (and feel the most comfortable), a 3 storey building is considered tall. Skyscrapers freak me out. The volume of people and traffic freak me out. People rushing everywhere freaks me out. In my home town, everyone talks to everyone, even strangers, just to say hello, how are you. Some people still don't lock their front doors. Kids play on the street and most people know eachother's families, going back many generations. I used to try and chat to people too, on the underground (subway) until I learnt that city people don't do that. So sometimes people do things because they just don't know, or are scared, and being near you or talking to you makes them feel better. Cities are scary places for country mice like me........

You should live here. Strangers never speak to you.

I used to have layovers at the Chicago airport and got talked at all the time.

It's hard for me to have a conversation with a stranger, but I also recognize that it's important to be open to others and extending myself a bit won't kill me. If someone sits near me on an empty bus, as long as they aren't threatening me in any way I just figure they're an outgoing person, or that they're very lonely. Again, doesn't kill me to open up a bit and converse. Sometimes it's a good way to learn new things about ourselves, or about life in general.

Yes. I move if possible. Another place I hate that is in a restaurant.

I don't mind speaking to strangers at all.

Friends are strangers before we start talking... We've all gotta start somewhere.

I take the bus frequently and it occurs to me that not only do I sit beside strangers but I feel comforted when they sit beside me - especially when they could have sat elsewhere. I feel a sense of being worthy and this is important to me.

I'm not really sure why but when I was taking the bus often the seat next to me was the last on the bus to be taken.....honestly I think race came into play as most of the riders were African Americans going to the vet hospital.....also briefly my former pdoc moved to the veterans hospital so he would ask if he could sit by me as there were like zero other seats available. Awkward....