1) No-one talks to people they don't know on public transport. Period.
Any violation of this is considered at least mildly strange, and if from an older man to a younger woman, more or less creepy by definition.
Of course that still leaves the question of choice of seats, but there's a fairly universal rule 2:
2)If it is possible to sit in a seat that is not next to someone you don't know without serious inconvenience, you do so.
Again, an older man sitting next to a younger woman when there is an available seat not next to anyone pretty much qualifies automatically as creepy.
Finally,
3) If you have to sit next to a stranger, you must feel slightly awkward for the duration of your joint journey and try to pretend the other person is not there.
It may not be the most sociable of social codes, but at least it makes for fairly clear boundaries.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-19 10:57 pm (UTC)In Stockholm the rules are at least very simple:
1) No-one talks to people they don't know on public transport. Period.
Any violation of this is considered at least mildly strange, and if from an older man to a younger woman, more or less creepy by definition.
Of course that still leaves the question of choice of seats, but there's a fairly universal rule 2:
2)If it is possible to sit in a seat that is not next to someone you don't know without serious inconvenience, you do so.
Again, an older man sitting next to a younger woman when there is an available seat not next to anyone pretty much qualifies automatically as creepy.
Finally,
3) If you have to sit next to a stranger, you must feel slightly awkward for the duration of your joint journey and try to pretend the other person is not there.
It may not be the most sociable of social codes, but at least it makes for fairly clear boundaries.