Ask Lemmy

I stare out the window, to avoid eye contact with people. I silently fume against designers who’ve obviously never experienced social anxiety, and hence don’t understand the significance of seats which face earth other.

I sit and stare out the window. And if I’m in a bus with that advertising mesh over the windows, I gaze placidly at the blurry mash of colors, wondering what the world outside that window looks like at normal resolution.

I hate the window advertisements. I hate them. I hate that the people being advertised at aren’t bus riders. I hate that my window is secondary to their new exhibit at the MOMA or whatever rich people horseshit gets advertised on the sides of buses.

Out in the world is the only place I can put my eyes that isn’t offensive somehow. And they cover it up, pretending like those little pinholes make it okay.

Smuggling pythons.

Yeah, I have the weirdest habit; I take off my backpack from my back and hold it in my hand.

Not really odd in general, but might be for first worlders because I apply the same principles even in developed countries:

• Bag in front to avoid pickpockets.
• Sit/stand close to a door for quick exits in case of emergencies, but not too close to avoid thieves grabbing your stuff before the doors close.
• Try to so sit behind the bus driver. They’ll protect themselves first by instinct in a crash so you have a higher chance of survival.
• Decoy phone in case of a robbery, although I don’t do this often anymore.

I take it so often that I can't think of anything.

There is usually a door I enter by and a seat that I go for. We also thank the bus driver when we get off from the front doors, but that's something everyone does.

What do you do?

I'm autistic, depending on how intense sensory issues are that day: sunglasses, noise canceling headphones, stim toys and if it's really bad a teddy bear.

I'm also the one idiot who still wears a mask. In full gear I'm quite the sight.

I sacrifice a chicken.

I put my bag down on the ground to avoid taking up any extra space.

I wear headphones so others dont hear my videos/ music/ podcasts/ calls

I mind my business and don't stare at others.

I dont do anything that might gross out other people like picking my nose, picking my ass, scratching my balls or touching other people inappropriately.

Apparently this is a routine specific to me since the majority of people on public transport dont do these things.

When I go on a plane, I always touch the outside of the plane at least once before boarding, and I always look at the instruction booklet on escaping the plane in an emergency. I like the funny pictures in it, there's a baby I keep seeing that looks like Bobby Hill but really bored.

Don't rub your eyes!

No, and you ?

As soon as I sit on the bus for an inter-city travel, I'll put a small pillow behind my head and plug the earphones on my ears (regardless of actually listening to music or not). And if the travel will last more than 4h I will have a plastic bottle of passion fruit juice dissolved in chamomile tea with some vodka.

I call this trio (pillow, earbuds, bottle) "small talk deterrent".

I pick my phone and start reading something, mostly an article from pocket (app) or a book from my Moon reader library.

because I trainsurf it means I always have a spot in 'no man's land'(where there's no handrails or anything) plus it frees up a seat/leaning spot(- not sure if there's a word for this) for someone else

it was a weird/fun thing and now it's just useful (great for practicing snowboarding)

I try to sit as far away from other people as possible.