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Maybe it was the guy who hit him on the head with an umbrella because he was writing on his laptop. Or maybe it was the strange woman who took his picture, then followed him to work because she was smitten with him. Or maybe it was the gentleman who pooped his pants.
Whatever the case, daily bus rider Jonathan Shipley has come up with a number of tactics to avoid sharing his seat with questionable commuters.
"You have to have strategies when riding public transportation," says the 38-year-old writer from Seattle. "You don't want to be at the whims of fate because fate will undoubtedly stink and/or shout at you."
Instead of trying for his own seat, for instance, he'll often sit next to an old woman. "Old women rarely stink," he says. "Old women are rarely crazy."
Other strategies include putting a bag on the empty seat beside him, pretending to be asleep and flopping halfway onto the next seat and avoiding both the very front and the very back sections of the bus, which are often occupied by what he terms either "nutjobs" or "hooligans."
Odd as it sounds, Shipley's tactics are right in line with those discovered by Yale University's Esther C. Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology who recently published a paper in the journal Symbolic Interaction regarding the lengths commuters will go to avoid sitting next to each other on public transportation, something she refers to as "nonsocial transient behavior" or NTB.
"Nonsocial transient behavior is basically an active effort to avoid other people," says Kim regarding these unspoken commuter acts. "The difference between simply not paying attention to someone and nonsocial transient behavior is the active, calculated way of deterring strangers from engaging in any kind of social interaction."
For her research, Kim took a series of cross-country Greyhound bus trips over the course of two years, observing behaviors and talking to passengers about their commuting experiences. Some of the tactics for fending off fellow passengers she saw included people who would fall asleep, pretend to be busy by checking their phones or rummaging through their bags or don a "don't bother me face," which she calls the "hate stare."
Other common tactics for avoiding a seatmate -- particularly what fellow passengers referred to as "the crazy person" -- included making no eye contact, stretching out legs to take up both seats, putting a coat on the seat to make it appear that it's already taken and simply lying and telling people that someone's already sitting in the seat.
Kim says NTB is rooted in our desire to keep ourselves safe and comfortable and that it's not necessarily limited to buses.
"This type of behavior can be seen in any place -- even at a public park where someone may not want to share their public bench," she says.
She adds that nonsocial transient behavior stems from our frustrations about having to share a "small public space together for a lengthy amount of time." Although on Greyhound bus rides, other factors such as the passengers' transient nature, fear of potential danger, physical exhaustion and confinement in a small space without privacy also cause people to actively disengage, she says.
Along with avoidance behaviors, the researcher also noted big commuting no-nos, such as sitting next to someone when other seats are available, which one passenger said immediately branded you as "weird."
As for how to deal with the occasional stinky commuter, Shipley says he puts antibacterial lotion on his hands to mask the smell or wears loose tops that he can stretch up over his face.
"In winter, I'm a fan of the turtleneck just for that reason," he says. "Turtlenecks are terrible for fashion, but great to breathe through on public transportation."
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And people cant figure out why so many commuters would rather driving to work.
I am from Seattle and take public transportation. Shame on the person who puts his bag on the seat next to him! The commuter buses are so overcrowded it is not fair to take a seat with your bags. When I see that I specifically ask to sit there. Did that person pay a fare for his bags????? My commute is minimum 45 minutes long and alot of people have physical limitations where they cannot stand for that long on a bus. Bus rides are not smooth! So - person from Seattle who thinks he is saving himself from sittingn next to me because you put your bags there - you better hope I don't get on your bus because I will ask you to move your bags so I can sit down and the bus driver will make you if you don't. P.S. I am older but not crazy. I just want a seat on the bus.
I agree. Anyone who attempts to avoid anyone sitting next to them by taking up two seats makes the weirdos look good. They are simply hostile a__h_____. I too will not be deterred by that, and will insist they move their freakin' bags and let me sit on the available seat — which I paid for!
I have also met really nice people on commutes. Too bad for these hostile nut jobs themselves.
As for the research, Greyhound is NOT commuting — it's cheap long distance travel. Greyhound is not Public Transit in cities and towns. It's not a fair basis for the research.
In a city, such as San Franciso and Chicago and New York, even the very well off ride public to work. Read a paper, read a book, listen to your iPod. But don't take up two seats, moron!
How about the people who sit on the outside of the seat next to the aisle, leaving the window seat open? I understand there are legitmate reasons, or it means absolutely nothing, but multiple times over the years when I have attempted to sit down the rider will not acknowledge me, hoping I will move on, which I do not, and/or gives me a dirty look when I begin to CLIMB over them for the seat. The games that people play to have a seat to themselves speaks volumes. On another separate note, why do drivers allow the occasional (really) drunk rider on the bus, and if other passengers are harassed by the drunk, he/she is never kicked off the bus? Lastly, to anyone out there who cannot speak quietly while on the cell phone - especially on the entire trip in the evening, PLEASE remember that we all have had a very long day and wish to simply ease into out commute/evening with peace and quiet. Thank you.
I say if you are to afraid to let other sit next to you in a public bus then you need to save money and buy yourself a private car.
I am by no means rich, not even close. never have i needed to take a bus anywhere because I baught myself a car. needless to say i am kind enough to always leave the seat next to me open and i will always give up my seat for someone who needs it more then i. point is if you cant handle being on a bus because you think someone may be wierd then #1 stop judging others you dont know and #2 get yourself a car. used cars are cheap. otherwise you will end up being that person on the news complaining about why someone kicked your arse on the bus.
What a Mess - Where are you from? Obviously not Seattle. It costs $500 + a month to drive to and from Seattle and pay to park. Unfortunately, most of us aren't that rich andpublic transportation is our only option. Also, unforutnately, if you live in the Puget Sound area, the only place that pays a living wage is Seattle, so you have to commute a long ways to work. My commute is almost 1.5 hours each way depending on traffic.
It's pretty clear to me that this guy doesn't ride the T in Boston where smelly or crazy is not gender- or age-dependent. And although seat protection techniques may be similar, I'm not sure I'd classify a cross-country bus the same as "public transportation" that most people in a city are familiar with - there's a difference between taking public transportation for an every-day work commute and taking a cross-country bus. On a cross-country bus, you don't have to stand in the aisle for 30-45 minutes, packed like a sardine, sandwiched between the woman who bathed in eau de whatever before she left the house, and the guy whose idea of fun is -- let me put this as politely as possible -- rubbing his nether region against your hip to see if "something" ignites when you can't even move out of the way. And they're not even the crazy ones! (note: carry an old fashioned umbrella with a pointy tip, and don't be afraid to loudly call attention to perverts.)
I know it's not green, but it's not surprising that some people would rather drive than take public transportation.
Thank Gawd for bicycles!
I have ridden mass transit in a couple of cities, primarily in southern California. The number of weirdos using mass transit is not excessive, and probably approximately reflects the number of weirdos throughout the population, in general. Anyone who avoids mass transit because of the occasional weirdo, is overly sensitive.
The reason many may probably be avoiding mass transit, is not the person who appears as a weirdo. It is a small, unfortunately influential segment of the population that likes to use public situations to bully other people with their rudeness. And this is sure not limited to the youth. And in fact, over several years, I have even been confronted by mothers with children. The child, or youth may think it is o.k. to just push someone out of the way. If corrected, the ignorant mother immediately jumps in and causes a fight. Then, if transit police show up, both will witness for each other, making the other person look wrong. These sort of people really cause the biggest problems in overcrowded situations. It really is an 'over-the-top all about me' with them. I have also seen people use overcrowded situations as an opportunity to assault other people.
Generally, in Los Angeles, the mass transit is safe from more major crimes, as the transit police are always watching for major incidents. In Orange County, the system is set up so that the sheriff always virtually appear immediately, if a driver calls for help, no matter where.
I think taking up 2 spaces when you only need one for yourself is rude & irresponsible, & if anything, makes YOU the anti-social weirdo.
Seattle must be a pretty special place. In every country I've lived in, and every place I've taken public transportation in the US, the crazy people are always old ladies or men. The cutting stench of some passengers is enough to clear out half a train car at times (and in one most unpleasant of experiences, a whole train car - and the man was only in the far corner) - there's just no way to mask it. If breathing through your shirt doesn't help much, you gotta switch seats... or cars.
I wish I knew these strategies way back when I was in my early twenties and had to take the bus. I always had the same little old Jewish man, who reeked of garlic (in his brown bag lunch). He was a nice man, always polite, but I felt like I needed to spray on perfume when I got to work!
Good thing I wasn't a vampiress in disguise, I would have been a goner.
Here's a thought on holding your own on the bus: Be the weirdo. Also, carry a very smelly t-shirt in a bag. Ziplock it after your ride. You can always think of a few other "goodies" to fend off the crowd. Oh well, have fun on your commutes!
I'm a daily Seattle bus rider, I don't know what route this selfish jerk is riding but if it were mine and the bus was packed with 15+ people standing up and this guy wanted to take up two seats he'd be told to allow someone else to sit or get off the bus. It's thoughtless people like him that are the real weirdos.
When I took public transit, I never had any issues with "weirdos." What did transpire was frequently I'd give up my seat so others could sit down, and often during rush hour, we'd be cram-packed into the train. I think a polite smile and nod was all we used, and riding public transit was always pleasant, if not a little crowded.
The guy from Seattle in this article is sounding more like the anti-social weirdo. I also ride on Seattle public transit, of course I have seen a few interesting people in my time but hardly enough to warrant being selfish and taking up two seats!
Unfortunately when you're a woman, a polite smile and nod can get you an obsessed lonely heart who follows you off the bus.
Haha, fair enough Amused. The only thing that ever came from my polite smile was pleasant small talk, on occasion, but frequently I'd have headphones in to drown out the sounds of people talking loudly on cell phones.
Amused Muse - You are so right! I had one of those once, even though I kept telling him I was a newlywed. He was an older man, very big and tall. Unfortunately, he worked where I worked and even called my home once! Creepy. Luckily, my husband answered the phone, so that's where the obsession stopped.
Yeah, I gotta say, you're going to get some choice words if you're taking up a valuable seat on a crowded bus or Metro train here in DC. I like the point of this article, "Be a dick and put a bag on the seat next to you so other people have to stand instead". Nice.
According to the signs I've seen riding public transportation, denying others a seat is also a violation of federal law. Not that I've ever seen any enforcement, mind you.
Bizzer, the federal law refers to denying the elderly and the disabled a seat. It's fair game for everyone else, and drivers are directed not to get involved. A little insight shows that they would never stay on schedule if they did. In L.A., most passengers never try to keep a seat to themselves, unless they have a load to carry. Everyone understands then. But once in a blue moon, a person will staunchly guard their 'two' seats with the most paranoic, stressed-out look. Or, else they are destitute and smelly. No one bothers with them - what's the use?
If you just pretend that you are "the crazy person", then everyone leaves you alone (hey, it beats being the "smelly" one!), and you can have a seat by yourself. If someone stinky sits next to me, I just stand up and say loudly "Man, when was the last time you showered? You smell like a$$"! Either that or just spray them with Ozium for a second and they smell like new mown grass in the springtime!
It is best to choose a seat with a sane-looking, well dressed person instead of sitting in an empty, where you won't get to choose who sits next to you.
But remember if you are on the bus and you don't see any insane people, it may be you.
If you're a guy, watch out for guys who choose to sit with you rather than take an unoccupied seat next to a woman. You already know what I mean.
No, I don;t understand.
We don't have to live in a world where ever bus rider must be watched out for. Geezus!
90caliber, how many times has this happened to you?
I'm a female that guys tend to sit next to, so I try be proactive and find someone I want to sit next to. Kinda like being an alpha vs. submissive.
If I can't, and there is a couple seats available, I will talk to my invisible friend in our secret language.
I'd follow Sheldon's advice from Big Bang Theory: bus pants.
When I used to ride buses, I was assaulted almost daily by well-meaning weirdos trying to 'save' me. Not all the fanatics live in the Middle East.
I've been riding public transport for 30 years and I can tell you, "pretending to be asleep" is not going to protect anyone female!
I don't think the writer meant to imply that he makes others stand in order to sit by himself- he does refer to the pre-emptive strike of choosing whom he sits next to- but if empty seats are available, he stacks the deck so the crazy, stinky, thuggish person sits with someone else. Since I'm on the verge of being "the old lady," I guess I'm gratified that I'm an acceptable seat-mate. I just hope he meets my standards.
I've been in school bus and public transit management for some-odd thirty years (mostly odd) and have seen it all. This article is right-on, though the guy we had on one bus with a "penis puppet" took the cake!
People in Seattle are kind of private and very into themselves. The public transportation is not that great, but it is expanding, and ridership will definitely increase over time. As that happens, we Seattlites will have to suck it up and sit next to crazy people or stinky people, whether we like it or not.
Afterall, it is actually by social agreement, that those 'weirdos' have increased over the years.
The bus companies - in Seattle and elsewhere - can help the "stinky" problem by making ther buses with better fresh air ventilation, and doing like the airlines, every so often, a squirt of air freshener into the ventilation systom. I am a "fresh air" person, and will always open a bus window, if at all possible.
While Seattle does have an abundance of 'crazy' people who ride the bus, as a regular commuter I can say the bigger jerk on the bus is definitely the person who puts their bag on the seat so no one will sit next to them. Metro is really crowded most of the time and it's really annoying when someone acts all put upon when a person wants to sit next to them when the bus is packed. The bag-on-the-seat entitlement is almost as irritating as the people who sit in the front and don't give up their seat for older or disabled folks.
It is public transportation and that means you have to deal with the public. Taking up space by lounging, spreading your legs out, or pretending to sleep is downright rude. If you can't deal with people in your proximity... drive or walk or bike to work (or work from home). Sunglasses and a cell phone are pretty much all I need to not engage in unwanted conversation, but I always keep my bag on my lap so as to not take up more space than I paid for.
And as far as the 'crazy' folks go, if you don't engage in their attention seeking they will usually leave you alone. If they get in your face, the bus driver will kick them off the bus.
If only that ever worked for me here in Boston. On trains they get more belligerent. A homeless guy once started yelling and calling me rude for not talking to him. I was standing so that my back was to him and had no idea he was even trying to talk to me in the first place. He kept muttering "Hey, you!" behind me on a crowded train and I was supposed to know that he was addressing me. The ones I've dealt w/ think that you have to acknowledge them and tell them you don't want to talk to them, then they absolutely would have left me alone. Yeah, suuuuuure. A book and headphones are only marginally effective. Sometimes they draw the crazy to you while he demands to know what music you like. I've met a lot of women who have the same problem: "Oh you're reading/knitting? That must mean you want to talk about your interests the rest of the ride." *facepalm*
My wife got me a pair of really nice Bose headphones for my birthday. One day on the bus, a guy kept trying to talk to me, and even gestured to is own ear. Finally I took my headphones off, and he asked if they were the Quiet Comfort ones. I said yes, and he said "Niiice". I thought to myself, "Gee, I had to take off my headphones for THAT? Thanks, dude."
I am reminded that another problem is the crazies who are not just crazy, but also rude. Or worse, rather assaulting. Again, this is a very occasional problem, I have only come in contact with once a year or less. But when an idiot is yelling that everyone should die . . . I'm going to kill . . . e.t.c., then really, it should always be a police incident. However, it seems that the police never want to get involved, unless an actual criminal battery occurs.
I am a bus rider in seattle as well, I actually write a blog about the odd occurrances on the bus. The crazy and stinky people are generally only riding in the "free ride," areas, which only lasts a few blocks. Of course there are stinky crazy people who ride not just in the free ride areas, but that's what you get when you ride public transportation. It makes for great stories! Sounds like this guy needs some new tricks, every bus I get on where someone is being selfish, they either sit on their stuff or ask them to move it.
It wouldn't be so bad if the transportation people would use a can of spray disinfectant on the bus seats daily along with some good smellin stuff.
As for the people who ride public transportation, they are a mixture of all kinds, all classes and all smells.
I will sit next to an older woman if possible, if not then in the front of the bus in the handicapped area.
I can't stand smelly people, or dirtbags, so I try not to take the bus as often as possible.
Seems like someone spent an awful lot of time traveling, observing and interviewing, only to identify the obvious.
I am one of those who needs a seat in the senior citizen/disabled area in the front of the bus. When the bus gets to my stop the majority of seats are taken. What I hate are the people who who act like they don't see or hear you when you ask for a seat. There are alot of young riders and men who were never taught manners and sit in those seats and expect an older person with a cane or crutches to stand. The law is that the bus driver must ask someone to give up a seat, but that person does not have to. I have had the bus driver ask for me and no one moves. I hope when they are my age they have so much pain they need a seat and no one gives it to them. RUDE! Most Seattle bus riders are rude.
I am just curious. Do you pay a senior citizen rate or pay full fare. If you don't pay full fair, don't expect someone who has worked all day and paid full fare to stand up so you can sit. Ride the bus during non-rush hours.
tad-1602146 - It's none of your business, but I do pay full fare. And paying full fare has nothing to do with it. The law that is cited and posted on the front seats of the bus is a federal law that requires people to get their Asssssses up and give those seats to seniors and disabled people. So get off your Asssssss and give them a seat. By the way, I work all day and with the commute spend 12 hours a day away from home so don't tell me to take the bus during nonrush hours. I am a fully responsible tax-paying citizen.
1ad-1602146, you are the kind of people that is making this world go 'round now.
Perhaps someday you could help all of us too - and just drive yourself.
How to avoid the weirdo on the bus? BE the weirdo on the bus.
When I first stared riding public transportation 15 years ago, it wasn't all that bad. After the economy tanked our transit system had to make massive budget cuts, reduce the number of routes, increase the amount of time between buses and trains, and lay-off employees. After all of that the transit system has become over-crowded, under-maintained, and under-staffed.
I finally gave up on public transportation a year ago after I became fed up. A few of the reasons I gave up are; once I was the only passenger in the train car and a man sat right next to me and started asking me a lot of very personal questions, having a stinky drunk pass out on me, a squirrel got loose because someone hid it in their coat, watching a man talking lovingly to a screwdriver while petting it, having a man's sweat drip on me because many of the buses in Portland aren't air-conditioned. Not to mention that the buses in the winter are overheated, damp, and smelly which results in feeling nauseous when you get to work.
I would like to say that I would go back to public transit if things got better, but I have come to cherish the quiet time in my car during my morning and evening commutes.
I can relate to the list of oddities: a mentally disabled woman carting around a tub of blankets while rocking a dressed teddy bear and having a loud, angry discussion with an invisible person, or the metro off-shift driver catching a ride who is wearing pants that are sliding off his rear-end with the zipper down and wearing a gross beard with yesterday's lunch in it, or the woman who takes up two seats to spread out her make-up items from home which includes gluing on fake eyelashes - not to mention when the bus hits a bump the eyelash affixes itself to the side of her head along with stuck-on hair extensions and the glue is dripping...the list goes on and on...we as people come in all shapes and sizes and have to learn to adapt - to a point...but when we are all crammed together on a bus ride, well that's a whole new ballgame.
You know, sometimes one does just have to stand up and move. I think you are being overly sensitive, though it does seem that Portland, a smaller city, is having an unusually high number of 'weird' incidents, in proportion to the megalopolis Los Angeles.
You know, sometimes one does just have to stand up and move. I think you are being overly sensitive, though it does seem that Portland, a smaller city, is having an unusually high number of 'weird' incidents, in proportion to the megalopolis Los Angeles.
If I was sitting on the bus w/ the Fake-Eyelash lady, I'd have a hell of a time not breaking out in laughter at the sight. Try thinking of it this way: sometimes Karma is near instantaneous.
Or you could just drive your car and avoid the bus altogether.
That's assuming one has a car. Or a license. Having a car in Chicago is crazy expensive. You have to pay for the city sticker and sometimes you have to buy parking. And then you have to pay up the nose for parking downtown if you work downtown. And the city will ticket you in a red hot minute if your meter has expired as well.
I am certain that I am not the only person who has Weird Al Yankovic now stuck in his head.
"And another gets on/and another gets on/another one rides the bus.
Look out, he's gonna sit by you/another one rides the bus!"
What's wrong with turtlenecks?? I happen to like turtlenecks...they are warm and cozy!
How about the person that sits on the aisle portion of the seat and pretends you're not looking to sit down - they stare forward or the give you the dirty look - which then promotes me to go for it, CLIMBING over their lap for the seat they are protecting. Speaks volumes.
Next, the LOUD and long cell phone user - people, we need a break from the work day - do you really need to talk to your mother the whole time about your bad marriage?
Lastly, why do the drivers: a) allow drunks on board; and b) not kick them off when harassing other passengers?
Signed, Hopeless in Seattle - Cheers!
Well, as for drunks, would you rather they drive home? I'd rather have a few annoying drunks on a bus than wreaking mayhem on the street.
First of all, I'm not talking about just an 'annoying' drunk, which really, no one should have to put up with...I am speaking of ones that are in your face, nearly in your lap and/or touching you, and then accompanied by rude comments and stinking of alcohol and B.O. OR even worse, borderline violent. Secondly, a rider should NOT have to put up with ANY drunk on the bus as an alternative to keeping him/her from getting behind the wheel. Think before you comment.