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Sitting Next to Stranger on Bus a Cozy Experience

Slug Tales 

By LAURA CIRILLO

You know that scenario where you’re alone in an otherwise empty movie theater, and someone comes along and plops down right next to you?

If there’s one thing I can’t stand on the bus, or even on the Metro, it’s people who think they are entitled to more than one seat. Those people who sit on the aisle looking straight ahead, pretending not to notice the people standing around them, looking for somewhere to sit down. Or the ones who sit in the window seat with their bag or briefcase taking up the seat next to them, unwilling to move it to their lap to make room for another passenger – they all drive me crazy.

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What makes them think they can have two seats, when others don’t even have one? It’s incredibly selfish and rude, if you ask me.

That being said, I think most of us probably prefer to sit by ourselves or with a friend, over sitting next to a stranger. After a long day at work, most people seem to enjoy the opportunity to stretch out a bit and relax during the ride home. That’s a little more difficult to do with someone sitting practically on top of you.

Last week, the bus was a bit of a lifesaver for me. After finding out that I needed both front and rear brakes in my car replaced, I needed to figure out an alternative commute so that I wouldn’t have to drive. The bus, which picks up and drops off right near my house, was super convenient and saved me a lot of trouble. Plus, it was nice not having to navigate through traffic back and forth to the commuter lot every day.

When I got on the bus to go home Tuesday afternoon, I was pleased to see how empty it was. There’s nothing worse than hearing the bus driver shout, “standing room only!” as you’re boarding, and I could see that wouldn’t be an issue, especially getting a seat at the second to last stop before hitting the highway.

Finding the perfect window seat, I settled in and got comfortable. My allergies have just been awful lately, and the medicine I’ve been taking just makes me feel so tired. It felt so good to finally close my eyes.

At the Pentagon, the line for our bus was pretty short. Considering there were plenty of open seats, I looked forward to having a little space during the ride home. But to my chagrin, I opened my eyes just in time to see another passenger setting his bags down in the aisle seat next to me.

It was not just any passenger sitting down, either – he was a quite burly gentleman, let’s just say, and he had a lot of baggage. Literally. A backpack and a briefcase. Why did he even need to carry both? Well, it didn’t really matter. All I knew was that it would be a very cozy ride!

On a positive note, I had been feeling a little chilly before he sat down. Now being squished between my seat buddy and the window, I didn’t have to worry about being cold at all. By the end of the ride, I was actually ready for some air.

I tried to close my eyes and get back to my nap, but couldn’t get comfortable again. Not to mention how awkward I felt when I realized his leg had been pushed against mine for half of the ride. At less than five feet tall, I’d say I’m pretty compact, but I had no room to move around where we wouldn’t be touching. It was making me feel claustrophobic, as I tried not to think about how close we were sitting.

It was such a relief to get off the bus that day, and luckily, the rest of the week wasn’t so bad. Though I shared a seat next to someone each day, it was nice to finally have a seat to myself on Friday afternoon. Plus, I got to sleep through the horrible Friday evening southbound traffic, instead of driving through it myself. And what could be better than that? Maybe I should take the bus more often!

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