Netizens slam commuters who put bags on seats, leaving others standing. Viral post sparks heated debate on public transport etiquette in Malaysia.
IT is a scene many local commuters know all too well: boarding a bus or train in search of a seat, only to find the space occupied not by a passenger, but by bags, backpacks and personal belongings.
A recent social media post has struck a nerve with the public, as one frustrated commuter vented their grievances online.
“Can you not sit there with a blank, inconsiderate face and put your bag on the seat? Other people want to sit too! This is why I hate taking public transport… so inconsiderate!” the user wrote.
The post quickly went viral, triggering hundreds of comments from fellow commuters who expressed their exhaustion with the common practice of “seat hogging.”
Netizens did not hold back in their criticism of the behaviour. One user, arjeroll, lamented the frequency of such encounters: “Anywhere you go on public transport, you will run into selfish people like this. If it happens to me, I will call them out straight away. I once asked someone to move her stuff and she just ignored me. So I took her things and threw them near her feet.”
Another commuter, nanaaa7385, shared their disgust, questioning the lack of basic awareness. “They obviously know that it is a seat for people! If it is crowded, they can just hold their bag, right? People like this should really have some common sense,” they commented.
However, the debate also shifted toward how victims of seat hogging should handle the situation. One netizen urged commuters to address the issue directly in person rather than merely complaining online.
“Speak up, speak up, speak up! Say something before you post about it,” wrote cgdalchemist. “Yes, she may lack common sense, but those of us who do have it should step in first—make the move and try to change the situation.”
The user argued that posting online does not fix the root of the problem. “The person you did not confront cannot read your mind. Clearly, no one has ever called her out before, which is why she continues to ignore it. So speak up and educate her.”
