So, one morning, Emily was riding the train from the ’burbs into downtown Chicago, minding her own business like all the other commuters. All of sudden, she says, “about 10 minutes before we reached Union Station, the woman sitting directly in front of me turned and handed me this note without saying a word.”
Hello, awkward!
related: You seem nice, but please don’t sit near me ever again.
65 responses so far ↓
#1
anon mouse
those knees were fucking delicious.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:09 pm rating: 17
#2
Sliverbane
Hello, Good Morning! Your back is pressing against my knees
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:13 pm rating: 93
#3
berge
The smiley face has that “I’m trying to be nice and calm but I’m about to go nuts with rage” look to it. Gotta love the confrontation-phobic.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:13 pm rating: 32
#4
Jonathan
The student fee hike protesters in London should have tried this. Perhaps the police repression wouldn’t have been as harsh.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:15 pm rating: 9
#5
Deb
The morning WAS good until you asked me to remove my knees from your back. Buzz kill!
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:15 pm rating: 6
#6
Smiley4099
If the woman had just turned around and said something, I bet Emily’s knees would’ve been out of the woman’s back in a fraction of the time it took to whip out a pad of paper from the woman’s undoubtedly oversized duffle bag of a purse, and that’s without factoring in the time it took to fish out a pen and write the note.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:17 pm rating: 25
#7
CakeasaurusRex
My knees go where they PLEASE!
I LOFF the smiley
DD
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:17 pm rating: 1
#8
Rebekah
Hey. Some people pay for this kinda thing. Lady on the train should have tipped for her free Chiropractor session. Just sayin’.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:22 pm rating: 9
#9
ClearlyDemented
In order to keep from having to throw myself off of a cliff, I’m going to assume this notegiver was deaf.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:24 pm rating: 40
#10
Guy
She might have been deaf/mute. The smiley face is what is creepy about it to me, but then, I lived through the 70s so I’m a little bitter about that whole “Have a Nice Day” crowd.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:26 pm rating: 7
#11
red velvet
Shenanigans. The train leaves enough room between seats that unless Emily’s got freakishly longs legs or is doing that on purpose, nobody’s knees should be in anybody’s back.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:27 pm rating: 47
#12
Kay
I would write right back:
“You’re welcome,
”
and good morning to you too!
There is no directive in the note and she is clearly expressing pleasure in greetings and happy face. I think note writer thoroughly enjoyed the knees in her back.
Dec 14, 2010 at 5:49 pm rating: 32
#13
;) = :D?
The lady might have had a disability that didn’t want to/forgot to mention. At least, I hope so. Otherwise I weep for humanity and smilies.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:07 pm rating: 6
#14
grammaphile
I spend too much time on the internet–”your knees” somehow looks wrong to me here.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:10 pm rating: 1
#15
knees
if you thought we were in your back before, you are in for one helluva ride now.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:12 pm rating: 6
#16
aaa
Those weren’t my knees.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:12 pm rating: 40
#17
UnclGhost
What is she even supposed to do? I’m like 6’3″ and the seats on the bus just don’t have enough space for my femurs.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:19 pm rating: 8
#18
jadefirefly
Um, what? I’ve been on those trains. There’s PLENTY of room for knees — and if there isn’t, they’re heavily padded seats! I can’t imagine any reasonable way someone’s knees could be felt through them.
Dec 14, 2010 at 6:27 pm rating: 4
#19
Auntybron
I have passive agressive smiles – my smiles stick their tongues out.
Dec 14, 2010 at 10:00 pm rating: 2
#20
EmKitteh
I’ve never been on the Metra or the Amtrak (I’m an Aussie) but I’ll quite happily stick my knees in someone’s back only if it’s one of those assholes who recline their seat all the way back.
Dec 14, 2010 at 11:50 pm rating: 16
#21
Alicia
This lady is my hero.
Dec 15, 2010 at 12:32 am rating: 0
#22
waegookin
Putting your knees up against the seat in front of you you is inexcusable if there is someone in that seat.
Dec 15, 2010 at 7:15 am rating: 3
#23
snuzzled
Sorry, the fact that she couldn’t smile when she handed over the note clearly shows me that it was a PA smiley and not a “I’m not really mad” smiley.
Most Deaf people I have known have been really facially expressive… they kind of have to be, since they don’t have a tone of voice to convey emotion with. Not that I’m saying all Deaf people are the same, but yeesh, if she really was politely pointing it out then she could have physically smiled, even a little, otherwise the smiley and double cheerful greetings really come off as painfully sarcastic and PA.
Dec 15, 2010 at 9:07 am rating: 4
#24
grendel
Even if she was deaf, she was riding public transportation.
Dec 15, 2010 at 1:27 pm rating: 0
#25
bored@work
Hello, Good Morning!
Send another note and my knuckles are in your mouth.
Dec 15, 2010 at 1:30 pm rating: 5
#26
TippingCows
Hahahahahaha! Emily has freakishly long legs! She is an Amazon or perhaps a human torso connected to the lower body of a grasshopper or maybe Emily is a giant electric eel, and it wasn’t her knees in the lady’s back. When the lady turned around to put the note on, she noticed with horror that the creature behind her had NO KNEES but it was too late, she had to follow through or Emily the Eel might have taken her hesitation the wrong way. Emily lashes out at people that look at her with horror or disgust – in fact, most eels do. The lady knew this. Can you imagine her horror?
Emily, please give information on both sides of the situation next time so you don’t make me hire a private investigator to find out that you’re not even human. Sheesh.
Dec 15, 2010 at 4:25 pm rating: 16
#27
juniper
Remarkable lack of remorse for the person to let us know they were dick enough to be one of those people that stick their knees into the back of your seat and then proceed to wiggle the whole journey as it’s not a sustainable position to be in.
Dec 16, 2010 at 9:51 am rating: 4
#28
fred
“good morning, welcome to the train. should have taken a cab.”
Dec 17, 2010 at 9:18 pm rating: 0
#29
Jen
Maybe she was deaf…
Dec 18, 2010 at 3:30 pm rating: 2
#30
MommaT
Wait, when was my mother in law in Chicago?
Dec 23, 2010 at 5:43 pm rating: 0
#31
Lunar
Turn it over and write, “stop riding coach and it won’t happen again”
Jan 11, 2011 at 8:38 am rating: 0
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