People sitting next to you?

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So today I went to say a movie. (Spider-Man). It was very loud cuz the only seats we could get were at the front. Worse, there was a guy sitting next to me, who, even worse, was eating cheesy popcorn. It was sensory overload. When random people I don’t know sit next to me on trains or in cinemas or whatever it’s super unpleasant.
I assume this is common in you guys? I guess this is a sensory overload kinda thing, right? I enjoyed the movie I just feel exhausted from all the sensory stuff, so when I got home I had to sit on the floor in a dark room and rock :/

I was lucky when I went to see Spider-Man. I had to sit near the front but nobody sat next to me. The movie was good.

I guess the place where strangers are most likely to sit next to me is on public transport.

I don't like when I'm sitting next to the window on the train and someone sits next to me and then I have to get their attention because I want to get off at a certain stop. The same sometimes happens on the bus, too.

The main sensory issue I have on public transport is with smell. Everybody has a smell, they waft it past me as they go to a seat. Sometimes it can be very unpleasant. Sweaty people vs. people that have marinated in cologne - I don't know which is worse.

Smell is followed by sound. I've learnt to sit on the train in the farthest seat from where parents sit with their babies/toddlers. Both of which have the propensity to scream. Really, I should buy some noise cancelling headphones. Because I'm the one with the problem. Next year, maybe. When I have money.

I really dislike it if a stranger sits next to me. If possible, I will move. Otherwise I try to have a book or magazine and read or pretend to read to discourage interaction.

The last time I was on an inter-city bus, a cowboy fell asleep with his head on my shoulder. It wasn't a problem.

Yes, I hate that. I used to show up early, to pick a good seat, but people inevitably sit next to you. Then you have to hear them breathe loud and chew. Popping soda cans open, etc. I haven't been to a movie in about 10 years

Main problem: Smell. Bad breath, certain foods, bubbblegums, energy drinks...
Second: Sound. Some people watch movies or tv on their phones without earplugs. Talking on the phone is normally not a problem. I also get this in reverse as I'm usually making sounds (humming, whistling) and it disturbs me that it may be disturbing to others, if that makes sense.
Third: Personal space/touch. People have bags that touch me or take up so much space that I have to lean to the left or right or just sit uncomfortably in order not to touch them.
I don't go crazy about it, but it makes for an uncomfortable ride.

/Mats

It can be a problem for me. Of course with Covid social distancing around, hopefully it doesn't happen much. Before that, I didn't much mind if they were quiet, polite people who kept reasonably still, but otherwise I usually wanted them to keep away from me.

It's kind of sad in a way. When my band got a new drummer years ago, he was a very personable, relaxed, friendly bloke, and I was just starting a phase of my life when I was the most interested in people that I've ever been before or since. I noticed when we shared a taxi together that he was sitting very close to me, and just smiling and chatting away happily, and I kind of admired that and felt that I should be less of a snob and accept people more, and stretch my style. I became more like that for a few years, but eventually I got to being more aloof and private again, and re-engaged with my touch-taboo. I don't know what went wrong. I guess I got more sensory issues and also began to trust people less, and felt like more of an outsider.

I always take public transit to and from work and school and usually find plenty of space.

I think there's that thing too... a viral overload... that happens lately... no way would I risk my life to watch some movie (regardless of how much cinema owners try to make others believe it's safe)... my tv might not be as big as a cinema screen (nearly fills my eyesight, anyway, from 2m away), but watching everything inside the comfort of my room has all the advantages there are (only one usually eating being me, only creatures sitting near me being cats)... and, at any rate, I usually like to be in certain states while watching animates movies too, which is certainly easier inside...

So, really, functionally it's the same (unless you have a 10" I suppose, but then you can watch from really close)... no idea then, personally, why people still go to cinemas, especially in a pandemic...

Before the pandemic I hated people sitting next to me on the bus. When the bus started getting full I was usually the first person to have someone sit next to no matter where I was sitting (I usually avoided sitting at the front). I especially hated it when people came and sat next to me when there were plenty of seats available. It happened to me before - I was sitting at the front of the top deck of a double-decker bus enjoying the bus ride with my music playing on my headphones, when all of a sudden this woman was shoving her 1-year-old in the seat next to me while she sat in the (empty) seats opposite. I looked behind me and there was about 20 empty seats, including the seats right BEHIND me and NEXT to me on the other side of the aisle. I don't care what excuse there is, I wish parents knew that not everyone loves babies and that no wonder so many children get kidnapped if they go putting them next to strangers for no reason except to be ignorant or awkward. If I was on a bus with a 1-year-old I'd make sure it was sitting in the seat next to me, or sitting on my lap, not next to a complete stranger who doesn't want to be unexpectedly bombarded with other people's kids. It goes without saying.

I haven't been to the cinema in years. Even then it was only once a year for a retro Christmas film. I need to sit far away from people. It even bothers me to sit beside my companion if I can hear them chew or slurp. I don't do restaurants. The ambient noise is bad enough but again, I don't want anyone sat beside me even if they're in my group. I don't like people eating directly across from me, either.

Waiting rooms, public transit, all that stuff is pure hell for me.

(I have misophonia but also scopophobia -- I'm very uncomfortable being around other people at any distance).

I don't go places where this can happen.