People typically have some mindfulness surrounding the unwritten decorum of public transit – that being that if the bus is mostly empty, you don’t sit directly next to a stranger. Talk about awkward!
However, things got pretty interesting when a woman made the dubious choice to sit right next to a man on an empty bus with an unusual approach to teaching him a lesson about manners.
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You won’t believe what happens next.
It all began with a man that rides a typically empty bus
Embed from Getty ImagesIn order to get from his job to his college, one man takes a bus that is usually very empty.
“I mean it’s never even close to half full. There are always rows of empty seats at the time that I ride it in the afternoon,” he wrote on Reddit’s popular “Am I the A–hole” thread.
He didn’t want to put his bag on the floor of the bus
Embed from Getty Images“I use a light linen bag for work and I don’t want to put it on the floor or on my lap so I put it on the seat next to me (all the seats are pairs, two seats next to each other). I don’t mind anyone sitting next to me, but the bus is never close to full, so I use the space for my bag,” the man wrote.
Little did he know that placing his bag down on the seat would set off an atypical chain of events.
One woman did not take kindly to his bag taking up a bus seat
Embed from Getty Images“Yesterday during my commute, a lady got on the bus and grimaced at me,” the man wrote.
“She gestured for me to remove my bag so she could sit next to me. As usual, there were so many empty seats. I wasn’t sitting in a disabled/reserved area — there were seats closer to the door. But whatever, I’m not confrontational, I removed my bag so she could sit,” he added.
However, a confrontation was brewing!
Things go sour fast
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite letting the woman sit next to him, the man couldn’t control his irritation. He rolled his eyes and sighed, which quickly got a reaction from the woman that invited herself to sit next to him.
“I got off an 8 hour shift, I was tired and wanted my own space, and SHE DIDNT HAVE TO SIT NEXT TO ME. She clearly noticed – she then said ‘You need to learn some manners,'” he wrote on Reddit.
He was so annoyed that he got up and found another seat
Embed from Getty Images“After that I got up and moved to another seat, but the whole thing has been bothering me for a day,” the man wrote.
“Did I really lack manners? It just feels like she sat there to teach me a lesson when she could’ve sat anywhere else…” he added. He was puzzled enough by the entire interaction that he took to the Reddit thread for others to weigh in – and they had A LOT to say!
Most Reddit users don’t think the man did anything wrong
Embed from Getty ImagesOne Reddit user wrote, “Rest assured that you did nothing wrong hun. It was very inconsiderate for that lady to intentionally invade your personal space and demand she sit next to you.”
Another person added that it sounds like the woman was trying to provoke the man for no reason.
Some Reddit users wouldn’t have been so civil
For some, the man’s decision to get up and find another seat was too passive for how rude they think the woman was.
“If it happens again, just say, ‘Sure, stand up, grab your bag, and find another seat.’ Especially if they passed empty seats to get to your adjacent empty seat,” a Reddit user wrote.
Other Reddit users suspect that the woman was trying to feel powerful
Some Reddit users believe that this conflict wasn’t about the man’s bag being on the seat next to him at all, but rather all about the woman trying to assert some power.
“This has happened to me too – these people are just on a power trip. I just get up and move to another empty seat. If I get on any kind of transport and there are empty seats everywhere, I don’t go and sit directly next to someone – its weird,” a Reddit user wrote, concluding very quickly that the man is not at fault.
The verdict is in!
Embed from Getty ImagesSometimes it’s not so cut and dry for the people on this particular subreddit – but this time, they were seeing eye to eye!
The man had an overwhelming amount of “Not the Asshole” votes, making a lot of people wonder just what was wrong with the woman. Lots of people agreed that she sounds like one entitled person.
“This person needs to learn some manners first. The entitlement to force someone to move their bag on a city bus with plenty of room is just bonkers. It’s basic bus riding etiquette 101: If the Bus is Mostly Empty, Don’t Ask People to Move Their Belongings – Sit Elsewhere,” a Reddit user added.
What do you think?
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile most Reddit users agree with the man, we’d like to know what you think in the comments and if you’ve ever had an odd encounter like this.
