If you're even a semi-regular passenger of public transportation, then you have undoubtedly seen some 'characters' on your commutes. While riding a bus, train, subway, etc., etc., have you ever been approached by any weirdos? If so, how do you usually react when that happens?

Not once. My grandfather did give some advice about riding on a very crowded subway though. Just pretend that I was going to throw up and people would go out of their way to give me lots of room.

One time at the bus stop this weird looking short dude kept mumbling and grinning at me and wanted to fist-touch. I just smiled at him and calmly moved away cause he was crazy.

Oh yeah. I just ignore them.

There were times on the CTA as a kid with Mom that some weirdos freaked me out, but we were never directly harassed.

Oh, yes, I have certainly observed my share of doozies.

Unforgettable incident for me was this man with Down's Syndrome who tried to pick me up. I caught him staring at me in the bus, then he moved to the seat in front of me and turned around to stare some more. Uncomfortable, yes, but I was about to disembark, anyway.

And as soon as I reached up to pull the cord, he grabbed my arm and said, "No, you don't!" I yanked my arm away, more than slightly annoyed, and got up to leave.

Atually, this memory is kinda' funny to me now. And I've definitely seen numerous kooks in 30 years of mass transit.

Everybody in Boston ignores everybody else. Like the time some drunk guy started singing "You're Unbelievable" on the train at 11:30 at night.

FireIce918 wrote:

I ran into so many I stopped riding the bus.

The most memorable was April Fools day last year. I'm at the busstop using the net on my phone when I hear horns blaring--I look up to see a blind man walking across the street and cars stopped on EVERY side of him. At least he was using the crosswalk, it just wasn't his turn.

A good samaritan jumped out his car to help him across the street, and the whole time I'm thinking, please don't let him be riding the bus..... b/c I was NOT in the mood to take over where the good samaritan left off--I'm sorry, but it was too early in the morning to be helpful, and I had a cup of hot coffee that I was NOT about to sacrifice. Of course, as my luck would have it, he was, so I made a beeline to be the first one on the bus so I wouldn't have to help LOL.

He ends up sitting across from me, which I didn't mind, but then things started getting creepy. I swear this man was staring at me the whole time and grinning like he knew something I didn't! I know he was supposed to be blind, and he was wearing shades, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched!

To this day, I haven't decided if he was actually blind or a very elaborate April Fools joke LOL

I've only taken public transportation a few times bout 10 years ago, but no i don't recall any weirdos.