Want me to set the scene here? Okay.Tuesday. 5:20 from Union to Oshawa LSE. Man vacates seat at Pickering. Man sitting across from him (in blue dress shirt) grabs his backpack from the floor and throws it on the seat after the guy got up. See all those people standing? Think this douche thought to let any of them sit? Who the hell does that?
What I loved is how the woman immediately to the right of the seat currently being bag-ridden kept giving the guy in the blue dress shirt the most awesome side-eye. You know, the "Bitch, please" side eye. At one point, just before Ajax, after he had reached into his bag to fish out a pen, she put her crossword puzzle down and pointedly stared at him.
I know why she didn't say anything. Along with her, I see all these same people every single day. No one wants to make it awkward, so we often use our eyes and not our mouths. Not a good excuse, I know, but I think we should all make an effort to be respectful that people shouldn't have to ask to sit. Just keep your stuff to yourselves and that absolves any need for an uncomfortable confrontation.
9 comments:
That is so weird. I took the 5.20 last night and my car was empty. As in, each quad only had 2 people sitting kitty-corner from each other. After Scarborough, pretty much everyone had their own quad.
But still, someone should have gone to sit on the backpack.
I wish I had the guts to say something but I never do, I just do the eye-roll.
Some people are turds.
yes the guy with the backpack is a douche, but if people dont have the balls to say something, then they deserve to stand.
If I wanted a seat I would have removed his bag and sat my ass on that seat. Why is it so difficult to ask someone to remove their stuff? that is NOT being confrontational.
People are wusses.
It's not that it's difficult. I think it's speak to a type of bullying. The bag rider is trying to send a message.
I'm not a psychologist but I know there's a social reason why we put up with what we do on the trains. I personally don't have a problem telling anyone to move their bags.
This morning I had a guy rocking a man-braid who put his large duffel bag under the empty seat beside him, a seat I moved to go sit on. Did he think I was gonna use his bag as a footstool? So I could pull my legs up so my knees touch my chest and act as a table for my boobs? So I made him put it under his seat.
This pissed him off. Seriously, it did, because when he vacated the seat at Pickering he pointedly kicked me in the leg. My new train friend who is now a reader (Hey!) witnessed him kick me as well as her seat mate.
This goes to what others have said. We no longer know the mental stability of others so we just put up and keep our mouths shut.
I've had more practice and have learned verbal restraint. This morning's ass clown is lucky that car was full because I was prepared to get up in his face about the fact that he kicked me but not until after I called my hubby and told him to get the bail money ready.
I have spoken up in the past with several different sitatuations and received different results each time. And I only did it when I had "back up".
99% of the time, people in the wrong ignore you or try to make you feel like you are the one at fault. Like the person who cut you off then flipping you the finger when driving.
The instances I have NOT spoken up was because I feared for the mental stability of the yahoo and what s/he would do.
@ Squiggles:
Seriously? You asked someone to remove their bag from a seat so that you could sit down and they refused?
The only time I have seen that happen was on a Friday long weekend train home where these 2 people had like 5 pieces of giant luggage piled in the two empty seats beside them.
I even piped up then and stated that unless they paid extra for their luggage that they should move their crap off the seats or at least give the guy asking to sit their own seat and they can stand.
Any other time when I have seen people ask to sit, the bags get removed. Ya the odd person says they are saving the seat but even then I say oh well too bad, Imhere they are not and I will hand them their bag.
@ Donna, I have done it with feet and was told to mind my own business; that the person was "unwell" and that entitled them to put them on the seat.
I had a non-verbal confrontation with someone who put their backpack on my seat when I kinda stood, crouched, had less than 1 butt cheeck on the seat to grab my backpack that slid too far underneath because I had to get something out of it. The woman thought that was an invite to put her crap on my seat. So I got the bag and slammed it down on hers and stared her down.
You guys are giving me the strength to tell the 2 bromance guys who speak some foreign language at the top of their lungs every night to SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
@lswgirl:
Go for it! Then tell us all how it went down.
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