I read this article about a woman on a crowded New York train who had put her bag on the seat next to her and had refused to move it to let somebody else sit down, all because she wanted her ‘personal space’.
This reminded me that come hell or high water, I will never travel again on the free shuttle bus that is provided for hospital workers who have to park their cars in a rugby club a mile away because there are not enough spaces on the main site.
When I do work at the hospital (I currently work from home) I usually park my car at the rugby club and walk. The majority of workers refuse to walk and crowd around the bus stop to be first on and grab a seat. A couple of times over the past 12 years since the shuttle bus has been in use I have got on the bus when the weather has been really bad, but if I ever go back to working in one of the offices I will carry on walking to work despite everything that Mother Nature might throw at me.
And why? Because of the selfish people who travel in it. On the two occasions when I have boarded the bus, I have seen everybody sitting in a window seat with their bag on the seat next to them and headphones in their ears. They all stare down at their phones and pretend that they cannot see me walking up the middle aisle looking for a spare seat. At one point I had to ask somebody to move their bag so that I could sit down. There was silence as they tried to ignore my question, and so I asked again. I heard an audible sigh as they snatched their bag away and put it on their lap. I then soon picked up on negative vibes from some of the normal bus users, and I even heard a conversation nearby where one person complained to another in a voice loud enough for me to hear how the bus becomes too overcrowded in bad weather.
From my point of view I felt like picking up the bag blocking the seat and chucking it out of the door. Thankfully the journey only takes about five minutes if traffic is light, but these selfish and seasoned bus users quickly turned me off of travelling on it again for good. Apparently they are all entitled to their own personal space, and to hell with people like me who usually walk.
It’s been lovely since December. I’ve been working at home and haven’t needed to fight with an umbrella blowing inside out or arrive at work soaked to the skin. I will do it all over again though if they ever need me to go back and work at the hospital. Some things, like travelling on a bus full of selfish people, you just don’t want to repeat.
Jans Concha said:
I think personal space was so important for us in order to manage ourselves in terms of personal security, however, in that personal space, it is also crucial to refrain from being too selfish because in life, what makes us great is when we take progress along with people we met, with people who might help us grow not just to find peace. We are not alone. By the way, thank you for this blog post!
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for your comment, Jans. Yes, it’s important not to be an island and reach out sometimes.
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Jennie said:
The Navy has a philosophy that says it all: ship, shipmate, self. That’s the order of priorities.
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Stevie Turner said:
I’d rather go for shipmate, ship, self, but then I’m not in the Navy, lol.
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Jennie said:
Me, too. It’s a great philosophy.
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beetleypete said:
When I travelled on buses in London, that bad behaviour was the ‘norm’. I would tap them on the shoulder and point at the bag so they moved it. Then I had to sit in that tense atmosphere until I got to where I was going. I have to add that almost all involved were young, well under 40. Older people used to put their bags on their laps, or move them as soon as they saw I was needing the seat. That’s why they should never have got rid of bus conductors, it didn’t happen when we still had them.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Stevie Turner said:
Older people usually have more consideration for others. With the majority of those under 40 it’s all me, me, me.
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Paul said:
I experienced a guy taking up two seats on the tram and had to raise my voice to get him to move his bag off the seat. Why the hell should I stand? Covid is no longer an excuse for people to increase their ‘space’ for personal comfort.
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Stevie Turner said:
Indeed. I once saw a huge, huge man take up two seats at a concert, but I expect he had to pay for them, lol.
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WebbBlogs said:
Oh my gosh things like that really make me mad. If something like that were to happen to me I would have a hard time keeping quiet. 🙃
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Stevie Turner said:
I had a hard time too, but luckily have only travelled on the bus twice.
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Phil Huston said:
This behavior is epidemic. Pandemic? Long before Covid, as you have experienced, people lay claim to everything from parking spaces to church pews to park benches. “Well, I always sit third row window, driver’s side.” Yeah? Not today. It’s like an old timey western… we got our own ways in this here valley and don’t much cotton to offlanders sittin’ where they ain’t invited. Besides, the walk is good for you.
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Stevie Turner said:
I’d walk twenty miles rather than sit with that miserable lot again.
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dgkaye said:
Do I ever hear you 😦 x
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Stevie Turner said:
Your experiences as well, eh?
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dgkaye said:
Oh yes. I do not like public transportation. Go figure! 🙂 xx
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OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Oh, these are very sad experiences, but selfishness has not stopped. You should head over to our area, and you would get – exempt the school busses – a whole bus for yourself. Here only a few people are driving by bus, and if i am doing i feel like in a big premium limousine. Lol xx Michael
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Stevie Turner said:
Wow, why is that? Because of Covid?
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OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Michael.
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