A Gurgaon man’s post about a co passenger allegedly taking up his space while travelling in a Shatabdi train has sparked a discussion on civic sense and public transport etiquette in India.
Taking to X, Gurjot Ahluwalia shared a picture from his train journey and claimed that the person sitting next to him was seated cross legged in a way that entered his personal space.
“Traveling in Shatabdi, and the intelligent person next to me is sitting cross legged clearly entering my space for past 30 mins. How do you solve this idiotic civic sense of educated illiterates in India?” Ahluwalia wrote in his post.
{{/usCountry}}“Traveling in Shatabdi, and the intelligent person next to me is sitting cross legged clearly entering my space for past 30 mins. How do you solve this idiotic civic sense of educated illiterates in India?” Ahluwalia wrote in his post.
{{/usCountry}}The post quickly drew attention on the platform, with many users reacting to the situation and sharing their own experiences of uncomfortable journeys in trains, flights and buses.
‘If his dirty shoes touch me once’
In another post, Ahluwalia added that he was trying to stay calm, but the situation was testing his patience.
“I was wrong or this guy saw my post. But if his dirty shoes touch me once, then I'm losing my patience!” he wrote.
However, the matter did not escalate further. In a follow up post, Ahluwalia said the passenger did not repeat the same sitting position after the tea and food service began.
“Thankfully the person didn't repeat that sitting position after the tea/food service started. All good guys,” he wrote.
Take a look here at the post:
Internet reacts to train etiquette debate
The post divided users online. While several people agreed with Ahluwalia and said public spaces require basic consideration, others felt that such issues should be handled through a polite conversation rather than a social media post.
One user wrote, “This is exactly why civic sense needs to be taught from school. Public transport is shared space, not your living room.” Another said, “Just ask him politely to sit properly. Most people do not even realise they are troubling others.”
A third user commented, “Educated people behaving like this is the bigger problem. Degrees do not guarantee manners.” Another reaction read, “This happens in trains, flights and even theatres. People forget that others have paid for their seat too.”
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Another user added, “Indian public transport needs more awareness about personal space. Everyone deserves a comfortable journey.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)