Imagine commuting on a crowded bus, where you and a few others are forced to stand. Then, you see someone who has taken up two seats to accommodate their shopping bags.
How are you going to react?
A User Says
An internet user recently asked, Am I a jerk for taking up two seats on a bus? We want to hear your thoughts.
Backstory
OP rides the bus because she can’t afford a car, insurance, gas, etc. She’s 19F and lives in the US. For context. A couple of days ago, OP was on a bus that wasn’t that busy. Not empty, but there were multiple unused seats and no one had to stand.
OP says, “I had just gone shopping and had heavy bags that were hard to carry and hardly fit in front of my legs.”
What Did OP Do During The Bus Ride?
OP sat in one seat and placed her bags on the seat next to her, essentially taking up 2 seats on her own. Since it wasn’t crowded when she got on, she didn’t see an issue, and as she said, the bags were super heavy and hurt to carry, so she wanted to set them down.
What Happened Next
The bus ride was long, and as it went on, more and more people got on the bus. It eventually got pretty crowded to the point where some people had to stand up.
What Does OP Say
OP says, “I didn’t ever move my bag or offer the seat to someone.
In my experience, most people don’t want to sit next to strangers anyway, and a lot of the time, people will end up standing instead of sitting in an empty seat next to someone they don’t know. Also, no one said anything to me.”
What Happened At The Last Stop?
At the last stop (which ended at the bus station where pretty much everyone was getting off), someone passive-aggressively told OP, “You could have moved your bag and not been inconsiderate and rude. Everyone wants to sit, not just you.” Or something along those lines.
What Does OP Say
OP says, “I didn’t really respond because I didn’t know what to say. The person who said that never asked me to move my stuff, and if they did, I probably would have. So I don’t understand how I was being rude. They could have asked during the ride instead of insulting me after it was already done. Buses are also generally first come, first serve, so I think my behavior was normal. Am I a jerk?”
You Were Waiting For Someone To ‘Ask’?
“You’re the jerk. You don’t wait for someone to “ASK” you to do the right thing.” Said one.
“They also don’t need to ask for permission to sit down on PUBLIC transportation,” Another added.
It’s Called ‘Common Courtesy’
“Once the bus started getting more crowded to the point where people were standing, you should have moved your bags. You shouldn’t be asked to do so; it’s just common courtesy.” Said one.
“I commuted for years. This is common courtesy. OP doesn’t care.” Another replied.
That’s Exactly What Rude People Do
“You saw the bus was full and didn’t move your bags. That’s exactly what rude jerks do.” Said one.
“Yeah, the other passenger was spot on. Once the free seats fill up, you move your stuff. It’s not rocket science.” Another added.
Don’t Make Excuses
“People will sit next to strangers without a problem if they don’t want to stand in a moving vehicle the whole time, don’t make excuses. Put yourself in their position.
If someone was holding up two seats with their bags, and you were carrying bags of your own, don’t you think you’d like to sit where the bags are? You’d think they’d be competent enough to move their stuff when they see people having to stand because all the seats are taken.”
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This article originally appeared on Mrs Daaku Studio.