I have no qualms sitting next to a stranger. As long as he doesn't smell and seems decent, I'm okay to share seats in buses and trains. I also don't feel the need to ask permission to occupy a vacant seat. This is not so in Japan. A passenger's seat is not only the seat he is occupying but also the seat(s) next to him.
| Japan bus photo credit: http://busexplorer.com/PHP/MidPage.php?id=1671 |
In buses, it is common to see a lot of empty seats but also a lot of standing passengers. For me, it actually looks ridiculous. The aisle of the bus is crowded but there are empty seats. In my mind, why can't all of you who are standing just sit down and enjoy a comfortable ride? Once, a bus driver reprimanded those who are standing because passengers at the back had a hard time going off the bus. At last, someone said some sense, I thought.
The silent protocol when riding a bus is that once a two-seater is taken by a passenger, you have to respect his space which includes the seat next to him. You have to find another seat. If all the seats are taken, either you stand or ask for permission. It's like asking the other person if it's fine to share the seat. When I first came to Japan, I would just seat anywhere and people would glance at me. I do this even now. In my mind, 'I'm also paying for my fare so I have every right to this seat.' It's not that I am trying to be disrespectful, it's more on making a point based on common sense.
Then there's the misinterpretation of Priority Seats. A teacher once asked me whether students can sit down on these priority seats. I said yes and the students were surprised by my answer. They said that those seats are just for old people, handicapped and pregnant women. I had to explain that you can sit on those seats if there are no old people, handicapped and pregnant women. I know they didn't believe me.
Students are also the worst bus passengers for me. In bus terminals, they are the ones who would usually stick themselves in the line to get on the bus. When they find a vacant seat, they would occupy one of the two seats while their bags also occupy the seat next to them. And most of the time, they are the ones who keep on standing, blocking the aisle, when there are a lot of available seats.
(See more on Children in Japan, here)
But besides these seemngly odd commuting behavior, riding a bus in Japan is an efficient means of transport. Buses are clean and on time with polite and helpful drivers. I cannot say that about buses in other Asian countries.
