Dear Lady Melbourne,
This morning on the train to work a lady poked me in the back by way of flexing her fingers that were hanging onto the pole that I was leaning against.
In a crowded morning train there isn’t a lot of room to move, and she clearly had enough room to hang onto the pole but mustn’t have liked how close I stood to her. She had just entered the train to only travel 2 stops as it turned out, I had been on the train for 20 minutes and not managed to disturb anyone.
After the second ‘poke’ and some rude muttering under her breath I realised the point she was trying to make and shifted uncomfortably.
Was I obliged to move just because she didn’t like where she was standing?
I didn’t say anything but felt embarrassed and am left wondering who the rude one is in this situation.
From, Confused, Nth Melbourne.
Dear Confused,
People act in funny ways when they are in enclosed spaces, don’t they? From what I can tell this woman was agitated because she felt that you were perhaps encroaching on her right to hold onto something, but poking you was definitely not the right way of going about letting you know.
She was definitely the rude one in the situation, a simple tap on the shoulder and a polite, ‘Would you mind moving so I can hold on?’ would have sufficed. But, it’s a jungle out there on public transport!
Poor you for having to stand uncomfortably! I suppose you can just relish in the thought that she walks around all day poking people, and that clearly spells mental issues if you ask me.
