Wasted space on the bus/subway: Is this an NT/Aspie thing?

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I use public transit a lot, and it seems like, when there's a bus or subway that's nearly full, the areas near the door are usually way more crowded that areas further from the door.

In the areas quite far away from the door, there's often quite a bit of unoccupied space, while people aren't able to get onto the bus or subway at all because it's so crowded next to the door. Often, there will be a recorded message telling people something like "Please move to the rear of the bus", but nobody moves.

In this situation, I move into the unoccupied space myself and often try to encourage other people to do the same ("There's lots of space over here!"), with varying degrees of success.

But what's the deal? Is this an Asperger's/NT thing? Do NTs not care that people are being left at the bus stop? Are they completely oblivious? Do other people with Asperger's react the same way as me?

Here in Britain people move down the train or bus so others can get on.

People are afraid they won't be able to get off at their stop because they fear the "mass of people" will not move for them. They are also afraid of confronting somebody who doesn't move for them.

An unjustified fear. The vast majority of people make room for people to get off the bus/train. I've always been able to get off at my stop despite me being farthest from the doors.

I hate public transportation lol.

I have same problem, when I travel with public transit. Sometimes I see free places to sit and crowd of people stand around. I really don't know, why people don't think and don't use all space. Sometimes other people can't get in, because at the door is full. I hate be with crowds of people in a small space. When I can, I sit down or move unoccupied space. I respond as well, maybe sometimes little more rough.

I stay near a door but try to stay out of people's way because it can be difficult for me to get out otherwise, more so than others.

On one occasion, however, the bus was full and the driver was letting even more people on and, one being a lady that had moved near me, I had moved in to the rear door well to allow them room.

When the bus is crowded, at tge front door well, sometimes people will exit the bus momentarily to let others off, as the driver can see them and knows they intend to reboared, but the driver can't see the back door well easily so people try to move inward to the spot the people exiting were occupying.

On this night, I had tried to do such a thing to allow the lady to deboard but was unable to move fast enough for her liking and she commented to me as she passed by "That's not a good place to stand!". But the only reason I was standing there was to make room for her so she could get on the bus

^^^Yep to all the above.

I don't think it's an NT/Aspie thing.

It's the nature of public transportation. I wish I could drive to work....

I'm not sure whether this is missing the point of my question.

I guess what I'm asking is this: Is it because people are NT that they don't seem to notice (or don't care, but I'll be nice and say they don't notice) that the bus is full and people can't get on the bus, and don't move to fill in the space so that people could get on?

Even though Aspies will tend to be less comfortable with the crowds of a full bus, would a bus full of Aspies be more likely to notice that the bus is full, people are trying to get on, and therefore move to fill the unoccupied space?

I don't follow. Why would it be a NT/Aspie thing? The bus I get on has handles at the front that you can hold, so if there are no more seats available, then you can just grab a handle and stand up for the journey.

These handles are only at the front of the bus.

So, in the case of the style of bus that I get, people go to the front so they can have a handle to hold.

I think it depends on the person.

Some don't care about others; others do care about others.

I've seen some Aspie-like people exhibit both sides of this coin. Same with seeming NTs

One might be inconsiderate because one feels claustrophobic. Another might just feel they have the "right" to their part of the train.

You beat me to it.


Unfortunately not. When you're short with short legs and the bus is full, you won't necessarily get there in time. It's happened to me.
And far more often I have only made it just in time and get stressed out.
So I stay by the door when I have to be on public transport during rush hour. I avoid it if I can, and these can, thankfully I can for the most part. But when I do have to, I stay by the doors because I prioritize me getting out before others getting in

Moving into the unoccupied space usually means moving closer to people sitting down and moving into a space with less handholds (sometimes there are only ones over my head and I can't reach them comfortably) so I avoid it unless necessary. Also, moving draws attention to yourself and this is precisely what I don't want to do in public so that's another reason why I don't want to move. If people nearer to the unoccupied space move, I'll follow but I hate being the leader.

I don't get the impression NTs are any less observant or less considerate, personally.

Reading this makes me come to the conclusion that neither NT's nor ASD's are inherently jerks. It's more that big cities turn people into jerks when it comes to everything. Maybe bigger isn't always better.

Where I live, in the Canadian Maritimes, people always let you get off at your stop, and they don't hoard the space at the front of the bus so others can't get on; instead they seem to spread themselves out evenly throughout the bus.

Drivers are the same way too. If you're making a left turn across a lot of traffic stopped at a light, trying to get into the Tim Hortons, someone will almost always let you make your turn (and, most importantly, get that coffee). They'll also try to make it easy to get onto the highway, and very rarely honk at you.

I always feel like I'm the only one taking others into consideration in the public. I feel like it should be obvious to everyone that you walk on the right side of the stairs to let other people pass, step far into the train instead of stopping just inside the door so others can't get through before the doors close, and definitely the one with moving to the back of the bus.
I get that people's in a hurry, but nothing will move faster just because they stand in the way of everyone else.

I don't think it is AS/NT thing.

It's a crowded public transportation thing - people like standing near doors because it's easier to get in and out when you are near them. If you were to get out in 1-2 stops, were having a baggage with you, or have trouble moving you would also probably stand near door instead of getting through the crowd. That's what majority of the crowd is - people who don't want to get through it for one reason or another.

The reason of the crowd creating in the first place are a very few clueless people. For example today I got into a half-empty tram. I saw a lot of front facing empty seats in the back so I rushed there(there were lots of back facing seats where I was but I hate back facing seats). Noone else but one person was standing in the whole tram so it should have been an easy task...
Not really.
I got blocked by his huge backpack - he was taking the whole walking space between seats, despite standing near door area (4 times wider than the spot he was standing in, I would easily pass if he were just 20cms further). He was standing with his back towards me and couldn't see me so I said "Excuse me" but he played deaf. I had to poke him and say "EXCUSE ME" before he realized I am behind him and moved.

BTW. Our trams and buses have TVs and regularly show this ad:


Translation:
Proszę odejść od DRZWI. - Please move away from the DOOR!
Ściągnij ten PLECAK! - Take the BACKPACK off!
Przepraszam... PRZEPRASZAM - Excuse me... EXCUSE ME!
tyle miejsca z tyłu... CZASAMI NIE ROZUMIEM LUDZI - so much space in the back... SOMETIMES I DON'T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE
taka tradycja... STAĆ PRZY DRZWIACH - it's a tradition... STANDING BY DOOR
szanuj innych... WEŹŻE SIĘ PRZESUŃ - respect others... MOVE

And I think it is working even if just a little bit - at least I never saw a situation like in the ad in real life and I wonder if it is exagratted or people learned before I moved to the city. There is usually a crowd by doors but there are also some people a little further from it. The back isn't 100% empty spot with just seats.

Although friendly and useful I would find it weird if you told me 'there is lots of space over here' , it would set my spider senses off and I would not want to sit by you or anyone for that matter , I always choose the seat furthest away from a person. I would rather stand in the doorway than sit down next to someone. Is this an ASD thing ? I don't know , it's definitely an anxiety thing with me.