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.
I’m pretty sure no one likes the seats that face each other. It’s just a design that allows the bus to have more seats than otherwise possible.
Busses are so packed where I live, my real issue is the city not providing more busses and not the seats facing each other
I prefer the seats facing each other, but only because sitting sideways to the direction of motion somehow makes me less car sick.
Definitely still headphones in, eyes down. Pretend I’m focused on my phone or knitting, even if all I can think about is nausea, because i definitely don’t want another awkward bus conversation. Make sure the knitting is contained on my lap and doesn’t spill into anyone else’s seat.
the busses were less crowded post covid here, and the solution seems to be fewer busses so it’s more “efficient”. which is awkward when using it to commute and my options go from “10 minutes early, on time, 10 minutes late” to “30 minutes early or 20 minutes late”.